Magic, Mud and Maradona

Book excerpt: There's something special about cup football, and Dan Walker has had a privileged seat for some of football's greatest knockout dramas, getting close to the action in World Cups and FA Cups. Who wouldn't want to play a knockabout game of beach football on Copacabana beach with Clarence Seedorf? But there have also been moments when things haven't quite gone according to plan, as when he rubbed out the names on Wrexham's honours board live on Football Focus, or when he was halfway up the famous Wembley arch on FA Cup final day, only to be interrupted by his mum ringing him up to ask what he wanted for his tea. Dan's own personal highlights reel are a jumping-off point for some of the funniest and most bizarre football stories of cup success and failure, from the most outrageous dressing-room dust-ups to Maradona's greatest rants. Then there's those moments that show footballers in a new light, such as Ipswich Town's Paul Anderson, who paid to repair a fan's ceiling after the fan punched a hole in it when celebrating a vital goal scored by Anderson. Packed with brilliant photographs, and told in Dan's unique style, the book also features a collection of his hugely popular team line-ups to make this the perfect gift for football fans everywhere.