The Hard Yards

The author of The Bottom Corner chronicles a season in football’s toughest league in a book that is “hugely readable, with a mass of engaging anecdote” (When Saturday Comes).

On the final day of the 2019/20 season, only four clubs in the Championship, England’s second tier of soccer, had nothing to play for, everyone else was fighting for promotion or survival. It’s stats like this that give the league its well-deserved reputation as the most exciting league in football. Anything can happen, and often does.

In The Hard Yards, Nige Tassell tells the Championship’s stories, uncovers its hidden gems and takes the reader on an entertaining and eye-opening tour of the 2020/21 season. Following three clubs in particular—newly promoted Wycombe Wanderers, newly relegated Bournemouth and stalwarts Sheffield Wednesday, who start the season on 12-point deficit—he’ll dip into the seasons of clubs across the league, interviewing managers, fans, kit men and chairmen. A world away from the glamour and melodrama of the Premiership, the Championship is the heart and soul of football and in The Hard Yards, Nige Tassell will take it back to basics.

“There’s a brilliant story on every page. Remarkable insight.” —Adrian Chiles, broadcaster and writer

“A fascinating testimony to a ruthless league.” —FourFourTwo

“A great, authentic read that serves as a timely reminder that there is ‘super’ to be found in every league.” —Colin Murray, Northern Irish radio and television presenter