John Wight

John Wight spares nothing in his appraisal of Glasgow Celtic Football Club as a cause to live by rather than just a club to support, with a special focus on the 1980s. By the author of This Boxing Game: A Journey in Beautiful Brutality, this engrossing book is perfect for all Celtic fans and anyone interested in social history. During the tempestuous 1980s, when Thatcher and Thatcherism ruled the roost, Wight found sanctuary and meaning in Celtic FC. In this enthralling book he:Explains the ‘whys’ as well as the ‘whats’ of Celtic, blending personal memoir with social historyOffers a deeply personal insight into the 1980s as experienced by a devout Celtic supporterDelves into the compelling history of Glasgow Celtic FC from its inception onwardsAssesses the role of Hibernian FC in Celtic’s formation and seminal moments in the club’s pastProfiles some of the club’s legendsExplores the club’s Irish roots and identityWriting with uncommon honesty and clarity, Wight mines the contours of football as a sport and entity that is far greater than the sum of its parts to bring us an inimitable account of a unique club and time.

What is it about boxing that charms and bewitches us? John Wight looks for the answer as he delves into the world of beautiful brutality. Showing that boxing is fundamentally tied to the human condition, he pulls back the curtains of his own masculinity to reveal the insecurities, life experiences and vulnerabilities that first drew him to the sport and have informed his engagement with it over a 20-year period. While relating his experiences in boxing gyms on both sides of the Atlantic, Wight reflects on the sport's origins, analysing some of its most memorable moments and characters. Through Wight's compelling memoirs we encounter some of modern boxing's most fascinating figures, among them Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao, James Toney and Scotland's IBF junior-welterweight world titlist Josh Taylor. Straddling the line between nobility and barbarity, boxing operates on a different moral and spiritual plane than other sports. This Boxing Game explores why and how.