From its humble origins in the late 19th century, the game of football has reached far beyond the pitch to become the most lucrative and popular sport in the world.Surpassing even the Olympics in terms of revenue, football's annual turnover is a staggering A GBP250 billion worldwide. Yet, little more than a decade ago, English football was in a state of terminal decline. What has happened to change football so dramatically? THE ONLY GAME is the first book to present a total history of the game - the clubs, the managers, and the stars - harnessing the incredible events of the last 10 years. Jim Walvin explores in detail the years of violence, racisim, and ultimately tragedy, that brought English football to its knees, and how the game was saved.