Unfit and Improper Persons: An Idiot's Guide to Owning a Football Club from the Price of Football Podcast

'A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.' Gary Lineker

'Witty and wise.' Clare Balding

'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies

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Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club?

Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.

Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the Premier League and EFL's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.

In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.

At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?

Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.

Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those who've been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.

Author: Kevin Day, Kieran Maguire, Guy Kilty
Publisher: Bloomsbury Sport
Published: 12/12/2023
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.50w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781399407540

About the Author

Kevin Day is an acclaimed stand-up comedian and one of the country's leading comedy writers. He writes for Have I Got News for You and A League of Their Own, regularly appears on TalkSport and BBC 5 Live. @kevinhunterday

Kieran Maguire is the go-to expert on football finance matters. When not regularly appearing on television and radio commentating on matters related to club finance, he teaches the Football Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool Management School. Forbes describes Maguire as a 'soccer finance expert' and his expertise has earned him nicknames such as "Columbo of football finance", and the "Rain Man of football finance". @KieranMaguire

Guy Kilty, known to listeners of The Price of Football as Producer Guy, has enjoyed a journeyman footballer-style professional career, which has seen him produce and present radio and TV shows at the BBC like Breakfast on BBC One and Wake Up To Money on BBC radio 5 live. During his five years as a business reporter and presenter on 5 live, he interviewed numerous government ministers, chief executives, entrepreneurs and men and women on the street, and talked about teasmades with Sir Tom Jones. Now he runs the specialist podcast production company Dap Dip.

The team have 85,000 Twitter followers and a host of contacts in the world of professional football. Their media appearances include The Athletic, The Anfield Wrap, Radio 5 Live, TalkSport, BBC World Service, The Times, The Telegraph, the Guardian, BBC Sport, Four Four Two, Goal, and Liverpool Echo.