Ron Davidson's Reviews > Those Feet : A Sensual History of English Football

Now I know why the English are the way they are -- it's all because of soccer. Or is it now I know why soccer is the way it is -- it's all because of the English?

Anyway, it all started with the Victorian fear of masturbation, and the desire to cure that with "manly" sports that sapped all your wanking energy. . . . But seriously, this is a fascinating book that is at its best when it describes the typical English character and how it reflects the English style of football. (Yes, that's the "proper" term.) The English sense of "work hard, don't complain," the sense of superiority of other nations and peoples, and their own sense of decline in recent years, are all embodied in English soccer. If you want to know what makes the English English, this book is a nice start.