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After FIFA Forward Enterprise, the real test begins

By scrapping FFE, Gianni Infantino is trying to save his own skin. The reaction to his plans has been overwhelmingly negative worldwide, and within FIFA itself, a key figure – COO Kevin Lamour – has spectacularly turned his back on him. Infantino must go, but that alone is not enough.

Why football politics matters - even when you only came for the football

Most fans only want to watch the football. That's entirely fair.

JF Tanda, J Weinreich, A Jennings, J Oliver

'The Enterprise'—10 years since its unveiling

It's been ten years since the football world was alternately delighted or shocked with the dawn raid orchestrated by the FBI on the luxury Baur au Lac Hotel in downtown Zurich, on some unsuspecting, sleeping members of the FIFA Congress.

When it comes to the 1975ers, the cap fits

FA relies on an assessment by their History Committee but it doesn't pass the pub test.

UN vote another reason to boycott Qatar 2022

If human rights is more than empty rhetoric to FIFA, they need to act on Qatar's support for Russia

A tale of two coaches

Regardless of the results of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier, Graham Arnold is widely tipped to lose his job

Follow @fairplaybooks on Instagram

🇦🇺⚽ A century of football. Generations of Socceroos. Every player. Every story.

From the pioneers of 1922 to the heroes of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Australia's football history is filled with extraordinary players, unforgettable moments and remarkable stories.

Now, it's all brought together in one definitive volume.

📖 Encyclopedia of Socceroos: Third Edition (1922–2026) by Andrew Howe.

Almost 500 pages of player biographies, statistics, records, photographs and football history.

Out 10 November! Available from Fair Play Publishing.

🔗 fairplaypublishing.com.au

#Socceroos #EncyclopediaOfSocceroos #AustralianFootball #FootballHistory #fairplaypublishing

🇦🇺⚽ 104 years of history. Every Socceroo. Every match. One extraordinary book.

From the first international in 1922 to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, @andrewhowe68
has documented the players, matches, milestones and remarkable stories that make up the history of Australia's men's national football team.

The Third Edition of the Encyclopedia of Socceroos is almost here!

📖 494 pages of Australian football history
⚽ Fully updated through the 2026 World Cup
🏆 The definitive Socceroos reference

Publishing 10 November | $84.95

Available from Fair Play Publishing.

#Socceroos #EncyclopediaOfSocceroos #AustralianFootball #FootballHistory #FairPlayPublishing

🇦🇺⚽ MORE THAN 100 YEARS. EVERY PLAYER. ONE EXTRAORDINARY BOOK.

It's almost here!

The THIRD EDITION of Andrew Howe's Encyclopedia of Socceroos arrives on 10 November.

From the pioneers of 1922 to the Socceroos of the 2026 World Cup, this magnificent new edition brings Australia's men's national football history right up to date.

📖 Almost 500 pages of football history
⚽ 39+ new Socceroos
📊 Updated player biographies, statistics and records
🏆 The 2026 World Cup
📸 Rare photographs and historical discoveries
🇦🇺 More than a century of Australian football

Researched and compiled by Australia's foremost football statistician, Andrew Howe.

Not just a book. A record of everyone who has worn the shirt.

📚 Published 10 November 2026.
🛒 Pre-order now. https://www.fairplaypublishing.com.au/products/encyclopedia-of-socceroos-third-edition

#Socceroos #EncyclopediaOfSocceroos #AndrewHowe #AustralianFootball #FootballHistory #fairplaypublishing

Rugby League Fever? Meet 'Jumping Jack'!

With the Rugby League World Cup underway, there's no better time to revisit one of the game's great characters. 'Jumping Jack' tells the remarkable story of Garry Jack, one of Australia's finest rugby league fullbacks, whose career took him from the suburban playing fields to the international stage.

A story of determination, triumph, controversy and life beyond the football field, 'Jumping Jack' is a compelling read for rugby league fans and anyone who loves a great sporting story.

Link in bio.

#rugbyleague🏉 #rugbyleagueworldcup2026 #garryjack #kangaroos

“The more bookshops there are, the more people will read. The better bookshops are, the more people discover things.”

— James Daunt, speaking to The New Yorker

#publishing #reading #writing #literature #books #literaturenerd

Like so many Australians, we are devastated by what happened to the Member for Indi, Helen Haines, in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon.

Helen is a truly decent and kind person, and the news of her injuries has been heartbreaking.

We have followed the updates from her medical team and her husband, Phil, and send Helen and her family all our love, strength and courage.

Be kind to one another. For Helen's sake, but also your own.

#helenhaines #kindness #prayforhelen

We appreciate and applaud the sentiment of the paper released today from Football Australia on multiculturalism, but it's a shame they did not read some of our really good football books first, to get their history right.

You can here: https://www.fairplaypublishing.com.au/collections/history-1

#footballhistory #soccerhistory #multiculturalism #sportshistory #ifyouknowyourhistory

📖 OUT TODAY.

In April 1982, a telex machine began chattering in an office overlooking Berkeley Square, London. By the time it stopped, Patrick Nally understood that the man he'd trusted like a father — Horst Dassler of Adidas — had taken everything.

What Dassler took was nothing less than the commercial machinery of world sport. A machinery that Nally had built from nothing — literally nothing. When he entered the industry in the early 1970s, the IOC was nearly bankrupt and FIFA had no sponsors.

Nally changed all of that. He brought Coca-Cola into world football. He created FIFA's global development programme. He devised the blueprint for the IOC's TOP programme. He sold the first four-year multi-event global sponsorship deal in history.

Then he was erased.

His business partner secretly moved everything into a new company — ISL — funded by Japanese advertising giant Dentsu. The leaders of FIFA and the IOC were told to cut contact. History was quietly rewritten.

ISL collapsed in 2001 amid revelations of over 100 million Swiss francs in bribes. In 2022, the Dentsu executive behind the original deal was arrested over corruption at the Tokyo Olympics.

Forty years. Same machinery. Same methods.

GAME CHANGER: How Sport Became A Global Empire is Patrick Nally's full story — told for the first time, published today by Fair Play Publishing.

"Whoever held the rights held the relationships. Whoever held the relationships could make presidents — and did."

Link in bio 📎

#GameChanger #PatrickNally #FairPlayPublishing #SportHistory #FIFACorruption #SportsBusiness #Football #Olympics #ISL #Adidas #Dentsu #SportsMarketing #BookLaunch #NewBook

Once a #rugbyleague legend, always a rugby league legend. Join Garry Jack with Adam Hawse at jamberoopubnsw on 15th October.

#nrlgf #weststigers #balmain

https://jamberoopub.com/2026/09/11/garry-jack-adam-hawse-book-launch-luncheon-jumping-jack/

#rugbyleague🏉

We were in Canberra in the past week visiting the National Library and a few bookshops. We thought this was worth sharing.

“If truth is not acceptable, it becomes the imagination of others.”

#Canberra #nationallibrary #patrickwhite #welovebooks

A wonderful oped in Nick Harris's substack, Sporting Intelligence, by our author Patrick Nally. Here's the start of it. If you want to read more, go to the substack AND buy the book!

"This week, football has been consumed by reports that Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. The allegations are still to be tested on appeal, but at their heart, they concern sponsorship money and where it really came from. Everyone is asking how money came to rule football so completely.

I can tell you. Because I was there when it started - and I built the machine.

One morning in April 1982, a telex began chattering in our office overlooking Berkeley Square in London. I stood and read it as it printed, line by line. By the time it finished, I understood that my business partner - a man I had trusted like a father - was taking everything we had built together."

LAST CALL: PUT YOUR NAME IN SOCCEROOS HISTORY

And finally: tomorrow is the last day to join the Collectors Roll Call for the third and final edition of Andrew Howe’s Encyclopedia of Socceroos.

Pre-order your copy by 30 September and your name will be included in the book as one of the supporters who helped make this final edition possible.

This is the definitive record of the men who have represented Australia — and the latest edition of a Fair Play Publishing title that has been part of our story almost from the beginning.

If you’ve been meaning to order, this really is the moment.

The Collectors Roll Call closes at midnight tomorrow. Head to our website and search for the Encyclopedia of Socceroos - Third Edition.

#Socceroos #footballbooks #encyclopediaofsocceroos #wonderfulfootballbooks #oneofakind #ausbra

Author @@suewoolfe is appearing at @readingsbooks State Library Victoria next week to discuss her wonderful work of literary fiction, 'The Girl Who Climbed on Rooves'. It's a free literary event - but you do need to register via the QR code.

#ReadingsBooks #SueWoolfe #literaryfiction #bookevents #statelibraryvictoria

⚽ Want your name in Socceroos history?

There are just 10 days left to pre-order the new Encyclopedia of Socceroos – Third Edition and have your name permanently included in the Collector’s Honour Roll inside the book.

Andrew Howe’s definitive record of Australia’s men’s national team has been completely updated for 2026, with new Socceroos, updated biographies and statistics, hundreds of new discoveries and corrections, a new illustrated Socceroos timeline, coach biographies, records, milestones and much more.

It’s a hefty 520-page+ A4 volume celebrating more than a century of Socceroos history, from the pioneers of the 1920s to today’s players.

📚 Pre-order by 30 September
💚 Your name included in the Collector’s Honour Roll
💛 $79.95 including postage within Australia

After 30 September, the book will still be available to pre-order, but the Honour Roll closes when the book goes into production , and the price rises to $84.95.

If this book belongs on your football bookshelf, now is the time to order it.

👉 Pre-order the Encyclopedia of Socceroos

#Socceroos #AustralianFootball #FootballHistory #AndrewHowe #FairPlayPublishing #AustralianSoccer

From bid night to the final whistle -and everything that has to go right in between.

We're proud to be publishing HOSTING THE WORLD by James Johnson, former Football Australia CEO and the man who led Australia and New Zealand's winning bid for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

This is the inside playbook: how to win a bid, build the infrastructure, make the big calls under pressure, and turn a month-long tournament into a lasting legacy. Essential reading for anyone in sport, events, government or business who wants to understand how the world's biggest events actually get delivered.

Out November 2026 from Fair Play Publishing.

#HostingTheWorld #JamesJohnson #FairPlayPublishing #SportsBusiness #Leadership #WomensWorldCup

Before Patrick Nally, FIFA had no sponsors.

The IOC was nearly bankrupt. Nobody knew what sponsorship was. One man changed everything - and paid for it.

Game Changer. Out in October. Pre-order now.

"We could hear that a calamity was indeed happening, nearby, but elsewhere. The devastation sucked the soundscape out of the rest of the city, as if those not directly involved were surplus to requirements: which we were. There was a very sobering sense of mortality to have the luxury not to need the attention of professional experts just at that moment. What do you do with that? The unspoken code on the pavements was ‘Get on with it, be aware, ready to react.’"

@jeanolafc writing about being in #NewYork on 09/11, 25 years ago.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Blanche d’Alpuget.

Blanche was a remarkable Australian writer, and it was an enormous privilege for Fair Play Publishing to publish her final novel, The Bunny Club, in 2025.

We were immensely proud that Blanche entrusted her book to our small independent publishing house, and grateful for the opportunity to work with her.

Our thoughts are with Blanche’s family and those who loved her.

Vale Blanche. It was an honour to be your publisher.

#BlanchedAlpuget

For the young reader who’d rather be out having an adventure. ⚽🌍

RIPPA is back.

In RIPPA II: YOUNG PILGRIM, the journey gets bigger - football, travel, new places, new challenges and the business of figuring things out for yourself along the way.
It’s fast-moving, funny and full of adventure; a book for young readers who love sport, but also for those starting to discover there’s a much bigger world beyond home.

And no, you don’t need to have read the first RIPPA to jump in.

RIPPA II: YOUNG PILGRIM by @p_j_laverty.

Out now from really good bookstores.

#RIPPA #YoungPilgrim #YABooks #BooksForBoys #FootballBooks

Father’s Day. Sorted. ✔️

Socks & jocks? He’s got enough.

Give Dad something with a bit more kick.

JUMPING JACK is Garry Jack’s story of a remarkable rugby league career - Balmain, Australia, the unforgettable 1989 Grand Final, State of Origin and the characters, clashes and moments behind it all.

Told by Garry, with Adam Hawse, it’s rugby league history from someone who was right in the middle of it.

📚 Available from really good bookstores and online.

#JumpingJack #GarryJack #RugbyLeague #NRL #BalmainTigers #FathersDay #FathersDayGift

Books made to last—about sport, life and lived experience. 📚
This Book Week, support an Australian independent publisher.

Discover the full list from Fair Play Publishing and explore thoughtful, enduring titles from an Australian independent publisher. Browse the collection and support local publishing.

#AustralianPublishing #IndependentPublisher #BooksMadeToLast #Bookstagram #SupportLocal

This Book Week explore our eight Father’s Day picks. Order by the 30th of August for arrival in time for Father’s Day. Link to blog in bio. Don’t forget to use DAD2026 at checkout for a Father’s Day surprise from Fair Play Publishing.
#FathersDay #BookWeek #FairPlayPublishing #Authors #Books

This Book Week discover the stories of women who would not stay where they were put. Available on Fair Play Publishing website.
#fairplay #womenauthors #BookWeek

BOOK WEEK!
For any young readers wanting to read books on real life here are some recommendations. All available on the Fair Play Publishing site. These books explore challenges and triumphs, sport and identity. All perfect for the young readers this Book Week.
#BookWeek #YoungReaders #YoungAdult #Books

For young readers who would rather be on the field, but might just be persuaded to pick up a book. This Book Week take a look at our selection of books for the younger readers in your life.
Available on the Fair Play Publishing website.

#BookWeek #YoungReaders #YoungAdult #Books #Soccer

If you pre-order the Third Edition of the Encyclopedia of Socceroos by 30 September you will have your name permanently included on the Collector’s Honour Roll in the third and final edition.

Also, check out our recent blog on the Fair Play Publishing website about the Third Edition of the Encyclopedia of the Socceroos.

The book is $79.95 and includes postage within Australia.

#socceroos #football #soccer #aussie #books

The World Cup tournament is over. The questions about who controls the game are not. Mel Brennan served as Head of Special Projects for CONCACAF for 3 years and remains the highest-ranked African-American in the history of world football governance. Fixing Football combines memoir, exposé and practical reform agenda.

Link in bio to purchase.

#FixingFootball #MelBrennan #Football #Fifa

The Rim of the Sky by Natalie Scott is a historical fiction with a contemporary resonance: a young woman confronting patriarchy, oppression and family duty in revolutionary Russia. This novel is for anyone who likes history with courage, intrigue and heart.

Available now on the Fair Play Publishing website.

#TheRimOfTheSky #HistoryBook #RussianHistory

Who invented modern sports marketing?
Patrick Nally, the man regarded as the godfather of the industry, but his contribution was largely erased. Game Changer is his story, a memoir of ambition, innovation, trust, and betrayal.
To be published on 6 October. Pre-orders open now.

Rippa II! Young Pilgrim is the story for readers who love gifted talent, sharp humour, and a player who refuses to take fitness, discipline, or himself too seriously. A fun relatable read for both teenage and adult football fans.
#rippaII #YoungPilgrim #FootballFiction #TeenReaders #AdultReaders

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"Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic.”"

ALBERT MORAVIA

Latest books from Fair Play Publishing

This easy-to-read guide by Amy Schembri is a fabulous read for young players aspiring to be a professional footballer, and their parents or carers who sometimes have to help pick up the pieces of disappointment. Amy speaks with players at different points of their journey as well as an elite sports psychologist.

Goals that Changed Australia, The - David Weiner.jpg

A short history of the goals and games played by the Matildas and the Socceroos, from John Aloisi's penalty in November 2005 that took us to the 2006 World Cup, through to Cortnee Vine's penalty at the 2023 World Cup in Australia. A great read for young readers and all football fans by David Weiner.

Agent and lawyer, Peter Paleologos, talks to 29 player agents and gets behind the headlines. What do agents do? How often do the 'big breaks' happen? How do they help? And just how essential are they to the contemporary football 'ecosystem'? Great read for any fan of the game.

Learn more

About

I am the founder and publisher at Fair Play Publishing and founder of the Manly Writers' Festival and the Football Writers Festival. This is my personal website containing my writings over the past decade or more on a range of topics (although not fully up-to-date yet).

Learn more

Line of Thought

Bonita Mersiades

Latest

After FIFA Forward Enterprise, the real test begins

Why football politics matters - even when you only came for the football

'The Enterprise'—10 years since its unveiling

When it comes to the 1975ers, the cap fits

UN vote another reason to boycott Qatar 2022

A tale of two coaches

"Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic.”"

Latest books from Fair Play Publishing

About

Line of Thought

Bonita Mersiades

Latest

After FIFA Forward Enterprise, the real test begins

Why football politics matters - even when you only came for the football

'The Enterprise'—10 years since its unveiling

When it comes to the 1975ers, the cap fits

UN vote another reason to boycott Qatar 2022

A tale of two coaches

​

"Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic.”"

Latest books from Fair Play Publishing

About

Line of Thought

Bonita Mersiades