"The fundamental question of the A-League's first decade was this: how could an elite level franchise with no history and no culture faithfully represent regions with deeply embedded traditions, rivalries and characters?"
In The Death and Life of Australian Soccer, Joe Gorman chronicles the rise and fall of Australia’s first national football competition. Drawing on archival research and numerous interviews, he reveals the sport’s vibrant multicultural history, while also taking an unflinching look at the issues that plague the game.
Timely and fascinating, The Death and Life of Australian Soccer is no ordinary sports book. It is the riveting story of Australia’s national identity, and offers new ways of understanding the great changes that have shaped our country.
The Death and Life of Australian Soccer was long-listed for the 2017 Walkley Book Award.
"Gorman's book is one of the best and most important written on Australian sport." — The Age
"A wonderfully messy tale of false dawns and frustrated passions, told with great scope and finesse ... Here we have the most comprehensive life-and-times of the game in Australia." — The Weekend Australian
"Not just a sports history but a worthwhile, if sometimes bleak, commentary on the national identity and cultural development." — Herald Sun
"A reclamation of the ‘confusing mess’ that is the history of soccer in Australia ... The seriousness of Gorman’s message does not stop him from producing a rollicking narrative. His writing is wonderfully colourful and humorous, expertly teasing out personal stories to make broader points." — Australian Book Review
“A hugely important book, full of personalities and stories that would have otherwise remained lost … The challenging questions Gorman’s research has produced are matters that everyone who is interested in Australian football needs to think about.” — When Saturday Comes
“An examination of Australian football from just after the second world war to the present ... It is more than just a sports book. It touches on culture, politics, history and the Australian identity, all told in a compelling read.” — The Roar
"A meticulously researched narrative ... This fine book wants to ensure that we don't forget the past.” — Inside Sport
"The Death and Life of Australian Soccer provides the football community a warts-and-all examination, not just a celebration, of the past." — Sydney Morning Herald
"Gorman writes beautifully and generously and makes each person he deals with come alive in his pages, whether it be a grass-roots club member or one of the movers and shakers of the game." — The Footy Almanac
"Joe Gorman tracks the interactions of sport, politics, migration and social change across more than 50 years without losing his own almost fanzine passion for the games, the players, the fans and the clubs that made a uniquely Australian soccer landscape." — The Walkley Magazine
"More than just a history of the sport, but a detailed examination into the evolution of a young nation that has often struggled with the integration of recently arrived immigrants into society." — Outside Write
"Perhaps the greatest book written on the game in Australia so far." — Football Today
“An engaging cultural history of soccer in Australia. Joe Gorman’s ability to draw out the rich stories of the sport’s past is unparalleled. His deep knowledge and compelling writing give voice to the people and communities who built the game; those who are interwoven into its very soul, away from the bright lights of the A-League.” — David Squires, Guardian football cartoonist
“Soccer has always played a pivotal role in Australian life. These are beautiful stories, beautifully told.” — Santo Cilauro, comedian
"A dramatic narrative engrossingly told ... the story it tells of this country since World War II is more interesting and revealing about Australia than a history of any other sport could hope to be." — Malcolm Knox, author of Bradman's War
“This remarkable book is packed full of the characters, passion, failure and success that define Australian soccer and its place in our proud sporting culture.” — Tracey Holmes, journalist and ABC presenter
“A magnificent achievement. Piecing together the kaleidoscopic threads of Australian football is a huge challenge and, in keeping with the way the game is played at its best, Joe’s performance is laced with both poetry and a forensic understanding of detail.” — John Didulica, Professional Footballers Australia
"Educational, inspiring and perhaps most important, cautionary." — Teo Pellizzeri, Fox Sports
"An outstanding and well-written book. It explains so much about the history of the game in this country, as well as the multicultural project. It also helped me see the A-League in a new light." — Brett Hutchins, Head of the School of Media, Film & Journalism, Monash University
“Joe Gorman has effectively written THE bible of understanding Australian soccer as it was post-WW2 and as it is now.” — Andrew, Goodreads
"A fascinating account of the ups and downs of the first attempts to get our game established on a national basis. Insightful, informative and above all a great read." — Bill Murray, author of The Old Firm: Sectarianism, Sport and Society in Scotland
“This book is like reading the history of Australia through football. Gorman has illustrated that football, at various times, has been critical in shaping the nations social and cultural policy and what it means to be an Australian. A fascinating and insightful read, easily the best book I've read on the topic.” — Francis Awaritefe, former Socceroo and FIFPro vice-president
"An insightful, moving, important and entertaining history of Australian soccer. This book should be compulsory reading for every person who plans to work for the game." — Brendan Schwab, World Players Association
"As a boy I wanted to be a footballer. I was no good. Then wanted to be a football writer. Now I want to write half as well as Joe Gorman." — Stuart Randall, executive producer SBS Sport
"Important and magnificent ... in my view, The Death and Life of Australian Soccer is the Australian sports book of 2017." — Geoff Armstong, publisher at Stoke Hill Press
"Not sure why it’s taken me 3 years to finally read this amazing chronicle of our Beautiful Game, but glad I did. A detailed history and reflection. A wonderful opportunity to learn from the past as we design the future. Thanks Joe Gorman." — Gary Cole, ex-Socceroo