In 2006, David Goldblatt published 'The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football'. It was an extensive study of the beautiful game stretching back from its very origins into the early years of the 21st century. Job done. Or not.

The last decade or so has witnessed seismic shifts in football, from its economic transformation and politicisation through to the emergence of China and United States on the global stage. So, David went back to the drawing board and the result is another book, another epic study of the beautiful game by the best football historian in the business.

'The Age of Football: The Global Game in the 21st Century' is out now and fits inside a Christmas stocking, so long as it’s a very big stocking. This is a live event recorded at Waterstones in Glasgow where myself and David chatted about the process of completing such an epic project.   

Thanks to David for this interview and check him out on Twitter @davidsgoldblatt. And please check out the rest of this season of Between the Lines. The rest of the episodes from this season feature interviews with Ben Reiter, Oliver Kay, Lawrence Donegan, Daniel Gray and Hugh MacDonald. Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this, please leave us a review, tell a friend, spread the word. 

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