Customer Rating: Summary: If you like football and/or Russell Brand... Comment: and possess a modicum of intelligence, you'll like this book.
My better half, at 4.55pm on Christmas Eve (he later admitted this),saw this specimen on the depleted shelves of Tesco (yes Tesco, for my Christmas presents, don't even...) and his simplistic little mind thought "oh, she likes football and she loves Russell...why, surely this book ticks all boxes, and will guarantee me festive brownie points"...and how right he was, although he probably didn't realise to such an extent, not having bothered to even read the blurb....
Anyways, the book....it's a collection of weekly articles from the Guardian about the 2007/08 football season. I don't read the Guardian (I am, after all, northern) therefore wasn't even aware such a column existed. Hence, I chuckled through nearly every one, in their newness to me, all the while thinking back to those events from last year (to which I had more than a passing interest - you kind of do have to like the funny ol' game to get it, so to those who merely 'would', I'd probably swerve it, even though admittedly the gratuitous glossy pictures within are delicious)and admiring the way in which he uses vocab and syntax to terrifying brilliant effect, whilst being absurdly funny and irreverant.
In short - the man's a genius. He has daft hair, loose morals and questionable career choices, but if he wrote a book about paint-drying, I'd read it. Bonus then, that the topic is football, where most of the usual commentary is bland, dry and uninspiring (you reading, Lawro?) - this tome shines out for its cleverness and slant. If you're a West Ham fan, even better, though I'm a Liverpool fan and appreciated the plentiful shout-outs re Benitez and co, as indeed there are for many of the Premiership and below sides.
Loath as I am to use the expression (and I use it here semi-ironically), I actually did 'LOL' at chapter 30 and his musings upon Mike Woodward, the chairman/manager/sweeper upper at Grays Athletic - and if that sounds random, well, just read it.
I shall continue to avoid the Guardian, and look forward to Brand's retrospective glance at 08/09 next Christmas. Cracking stuff. Customer Rating: Summary: Faith rewarded Comment: Let's leave the recent Radio 2 controversy to one side and concentrate on this book. I imagine if you've got this far, you are either a fan of Russell Brand or football, probably both.
`Articles of Faith' is a collection of Russell Brand's Saturday column in The Guardian spanning the 2007/08 season. If like me you didn't manage to buy the paper every week it is the perfect opportunity to play catch up. It's also very funny. I respect Russell for writing the column. With a burgeoning media profile and a movie carer about to take off, I was both glad and surprised that he stuck to the task and continued writing about football from wherever he found himself around the globe (Hawaii, Hollywood, The Isle of White). Surely, with so much going on, it would be easy for him to ditch the column. Also, unlike many of these celebrity `fans', I believe that Russell is doing it for the love of the game rather than the money or the kudos.
As for the content, there can't be many writers who muse on the beautiful game in such an eloquent and intelligent way. If you enjoyed his radio show or stand-up, you'll identify straight away with the style: the ramblings are often abstract, frequently self-obsessed but always humorous.
This is a great book, that despite being tied to the 2007/08 season, manages to transcend it. I laughed out loud as I read it this week and I have a feeling it will still be funny in five years time.
Perhaps, with Russell Brand's Guardian musings and Danny Baker's return to 606 we are entering a golden age of football humour. Things certainly haven't been this good since Baddiel & Skinner graced our screens in Fantasy Football in the mid-1990s. Add to this the excellent (but much less widely known) `Modern Football is Rubbish' by Davidson & Hunt, and you've pretty much got the Christmas gift market covered for the intelligent football fan who likes a laugh.
So, `Articles of Faith' - a must have if you like Russell Brand or football. 5/5.
