We've got two really good football books released in March, the first being our latest work of fiction - a sliding doors football tale from Mark Bowman known as The Yawning Giant.
The book answers the question asked by every Socceroo fan since November 29th 1997 when Australia was eliminated by Iran in the final World Cup qualifier….."what if?”
What if…fictional Dave Allenson, a gruff security guard working at the MCG that night, had crash tackled serial pest Peter Hore to the ground and prevented the net from being torn down?
What if...Graham ‘Arnie’ Arnold enjoyed his playing swansong revelling in the 1998 World Cup in France?
What if…on the back of World Cup qualification, a slightly re-imagined National Soccer League went from strength-to-strength?
What if…Australia had remained with the Oceania Football Confederation?
What if…football invaded the hearts and minds of Australians?
In Mark's alternative reality, despite the ups and downs of results on the field, and even despite serial challenges in administration (some things don't change, even in a novel), the game progresses each year and becomes part of the Australian psyche.
Throughout The Yawning Giant, the experiences of real-life characters are part of Mark’s alternative universe, including his own ideal experience of being a fan of the game.
The novel ends in 2017, when the fictional CEO of Sydney Olympic FC ponders what would have happened if things hadn’t gone Australia’s way in 1997.
‘The Yawning Giant’ is available now from us, good bookstores, and via online outlets for $24.99. It will be available as an e-book from 24th March.