Lost in translation

The book by Christian Koller and Fabian Brandle, Goal, a Cultural and Social History of Modern Football was originally published in German in 2002, but has now appeared in English in a revised and updated edition from The Catholic University of America Press.

It's a good read and I was pleased that space was devoted to Charlton's return to The Valley. The role of the Valley Party is duly acknowledged, while Voice of the Valley is described as the 'institutional voice' of the fans.

However, something seems to have been lost in translation. I was surprised to learn that 'Charlton lost its stadium in the 1980s because a young owner drove the club into the red through an unwise transfer.' I was also surprised to learn that the ground was covered in bleachers, something I missed somehow on the old East Terraces, and it was the plan to replace these with seats that upset 'the authorities with jurisdiction in the district of Greenwich.'

Elsewhere, I was amused to read that the French rugby team has been complaining about being billeted in Croydon. They are complaining about the lack of shopping opportunities and the general naffness of the area.