The Sportsview Book of Soccer #3

The 1959-60 season was a remarkable year for British football, meticulously captured in the Sportsview Book of Soccer 1960. This comprehensive 192-page annual, edited by BBC Television personality Peter Dimmock, offers an invaluable snapshot of the beautiful game during a transformative period.
The domestic season saw Burnley crowned as Football League Champions, with the mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers as runners-up. Wolves, however, would find consolation in lifting the FA Cup after defeating Blackburn Rovers in the final. In Scotland, Hearts claimed the league title ahead of Kilmarnock, while Rangers triumphed over Kilmarnock in the Scottish FA Cup final.
The lower divisions witnessed significant achievements as well, with Aston Villa securing the Second Division title, Southampton topping the Third Division, and Walsall emerging victorious in the Fourth Division. These promotions would help shape the football landscape for years to come.
In European competition, Real Madrid dominated the European Cup, defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in an extraordinary final at Glasgow's Hampden Park. The match, witnessed by over 127,000 spectators, remains one of the most memorable European finals ever played.
Beyond the pitch, 1959-60 was a period of significant global change. The world witnessed Fidel Castro's rise to power in Cuba, while Cyprus gained independence from the United Kingdom. In British culture, a symbolic moment occurred as British Empire Day was renamed to Commonwealth Day, reflecting the changing nature of Britain's relationship with its former colonies.
The entertainment world was equally dynamic, particularly during the festive season. The 1959 Christmas number one was claimed by Emile Ford & The Checkmates with "What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For?", while Cliff Richard & The Shadows topped the charts the following Christmas with "I Love You".
The Sportsview Book of Soccer 1960 stands as more than just a football annual – it's a historical document featuring contributions from the era's most respected voices in football, including Johnny Haynes, Tom Finney, and Billy Wright. The inclusion of high-quality black-and-white photographs throughout the book, combined with expert analysis and a popular football quiz, made it an essential purchase for any football enthusiast of the time.
Peter Dimmock's introduction captures the global reach of football, noting how the sport had spread from its British origins to the streets of Tokyo and the Pampas of South America. His pride in football as "our national game" reflects a period when British football was still considered the gold standard of the sport, even as other nations were rapidly developing their own distinctive styles and approaches.
This annual serves as a fascinating time capsule, documenting not just the scores and statistics but the very spirit of football during a pivotal period in its evolution. Through its pages, we can glimpse a time when television was beginning to transform football coverage, and the sport was truly becoming the global phenomenon we know today. 
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48 
Published: 1960
Price: £40.00 
Hardcover: 190 pages