Cold War football : a history in ten matches / Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shaw, Tony, 1965- Author.

McDougall, Alan, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soccer--Political aspects.

Soccer.

Soccer matches--History--20th century.

Soccer matches.

Cold War--Influence.

Cold War.

Sports and state--History--20th century.

Sports and state.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vi, 277 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2026.

Summary:

A gargantuan battle for hearts and minds, the Cold War is the supreme example of a 'people's war'. But what did the 'people's game' have to do with it? From Dynamo Moscow's stormy tour of Britain in 1945 to the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1991, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall chart the clash between capitalism and communism in ten iconic football matches. They take us across Europe, Asia, South America and Africa to uncover football's part in bolstering democracies and dictatorships and in the struggle for influence in the developing world. They show how these matches offered a rare opportunity to see what life was like on 'the other side' of the Iron Curtain, making friends of enemies but also fuelling revolution. Featuring legendary players, goals and on- and off-field controversies, this is a fascinating history of how the Cold War shaped football and how football shaped the Cold War.

Contents:

The fog of war: Arsenal vs. Dynamo Moscow, London, November

A miracle and a revolution: West Germany vs. Hungary, Bern, July

Football beats god: Ireland vs. Yugoslavia, Dublin, October

Settling old scores: Spain vs. Soviet Union, Madrid, June

Eusébio and the 'mystery men of the East': North Korea vs. Portugal,

Liverpool, July

The game of shame: Chile vs. Soviet Union, Santiago, November

Us against us, or us against them? West Germany vs. East Germany,

Hamburg, June

Leopards on trial: Zaire vs. Yugoslavia, Gelsenkirchen, June

'A crazy day, a show of power': Steaua Bucharest vs. Dinamo Bucharest,

Bucharest, June

A new era: China vs. Norway, Guangzhou, November

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 12 Jun 2026).

ISBN:

1-009-45609-1

9781009456111

9781009456104

OCLC:

1570525000