A New Formation - by Calum Jacobs (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK 2022

A New Formation is quite simply one of the most important football books ever written. What we often like to imagine as the history of football has, for the most part, been written entirely through the white male gaze. In this collection of essays A New Formation tells new stories, forgotten stories, undervalued stories, and does so with heart and humanity and humour. It's our game, as narrated by the people who love it. - Jonathan Liew

A New Formation is an exploration of the unique role that Black British footballers have played in shaping the beautiful game both on and off the pitch, an inventive and highly original analysis of the intersections between football and wider Black British culture.

A New Formation is not a book about football and racism. Jacobs and his co-contributors - including authors Musa Okwonga and Aniefiok Ekpoudom and sports broadcaster Jeanette Kwakye MBE - eschew the standard frameworks of trauma and oppression that are foisted upon Black narratives and seek to move beyond discussions of diversity, identity and representation. Featuring interviews with legendary players such as Ian Wright, Anita Asante and Andy Cole, they draw upon broader social and cultural history to examine Black footballers in contexts larger than themselves. By engaging with these subtler connections between football and Black cultural expression, A New Formation reveals the vibrancy and nuance of contemporary Black life in Britain.

Review Quotes

A New Formation tells the stories of these legends in their own words on their own terms. This is cultural expression, social history and black pride at its finest.--Observer

A New Formation is an expansive yet nuanced history of football's black pioneers, past and present.--New Statesman

A New Formation is quite simply one of the most important football books ever written. What we often like to imagine as the history of football has, for the most part, been written entirely through the white male gaze. In this collection of essays A New Formation tells new stories, forgotten stories, undervalued stories, and does so with heart and humanity and humour. It's our game, as narrated by the people who love it.--Jonathan Liew

A groundbreaking document of football history.--GQ Magazine

A manifesto for a new look at the history of football and a different way of talking about the sport.--Hype Beast

This is a brilliant and original book about black footballers that does not shy away from issues of racism but is not entirely consumed by them. It is a chance to see these players and the communities that nurtured them as human, living, complex, brilliant people ... the book has deepened and expanded my understanding of how they have changed English football .. it should do so for everyone who cares about the game.--David Goldblatt

A New Formation is a masterpiece. A moment in time. Something that will make you think differently about the world that surrounds you through ten essays that explore ecstasy, tragedy, vibrancy, disillusionment and goals.--Mundial Magazine

A New Formation is a gift for how it presents and wrestles with history, but is also generous enough to not leave behind the joy and exuberance that comes through in the game itself. The parts of the game and its history that sparkle, and the players who made it (and make it) so. This book is so joyfully written, deeply researched, and beautifully presented.--Hanif Abdurraqib

About the Author

Calum Jacobs is a writer, editor and creative practitioner from south London who draws on sociology, history and culture to explore the liminality of Black British life. In 2017, he launched CARICOM Magazine, a print and online platform dedicated to discussing football and broader culture through a Black lens. Jacobs is also a contributor to various sport and culture publications, and has worked on creative projects for agencies and brands. A New Formation is his first book.