"Fever Pitch is a heartfelt and occasionally too self-deprecating attempt to explain how someone becomes a rabid fan of the English soccer club Arsenal. Definitely not for those in search of facts, Pele anecdotes, or soccer history, the book is as much about obsession and a sensitive young man's search for direction and community as it is about goals and penalty kicks.Amazingly in the UK, soccer is still regarded as the working class equivalent of weekly entertainment and for somebody who is a Cambridge graduate to describe life in the stands as well as the high and lows of a genuinely top performing club reflects prose of the highest standard.Arsenal were a team who in the 1980's were overshadowed by their North London rivals, Tottenham; Whereas the latter symbolized free flowing football, Arsenal were regarded as simply 'boring' The turnaround in fortunes has been dramatic, and I can feel for Hornby when he describes his team's greatest moment in winning the League Final of 1987 against Liverpool. I'm a Spurs fan and I ought to hate this book. I loved it because at the end of the day despite the author's footballing affinities, he has written a sporting masterpiece !