When Billy Wright's Book of Soccer first hit shelves in 1958, English football was in the middle of one of its golden ages. The publisher, Stanley Paul, already had a knack for tapping into the public’s love of sport, producing accessible, photo-rich books that felt right at home on family shelves and school libraries across Britain.
Billy Wright, England’s first footballer to earn 100 international caps, wasn’t just a name on the cover. His “Book of Soccer” series—starting with that first edition in 1958—offered far more than drills and diagrams. Wright’s approachable style, his stories from the pitch, and his knack for bringing other footballing voices into the mix made these annual volumes a small but significant piece of English soccer culture.
Stanley Paul Publications, the firm behind the series, had been around since 1906. Founded by Stanley Paul himself in London, the company originally specialized in “cheap editions of thrillers and romances and some light non-fiction,” but by the mid-20th century, they were best known for sports books. Their ability to blend expert writing with mass-market appeal helped titles like Billy Wright’s Book of Soccer find a broad audience (Soccerbooks, Royal Academy, AustLit).
The first volume in the series was published in 1958 by Stanley Paul & Co. in London, and it quickly found success among young readers and football fans. The series continued with annual or near-annual installments—No. 3 in 1960, No. 4 in 1961, No. 5 in 1962, and No. 6 in 1963, each featuring not only Wright’s insights but contributions from other football legends of the era. These books were part annual, part scrapbook, and part how-to manual, packed with black-and-white photos and first-hand accounts from the game.
By 1963, with the release of No. 6, the series appears to have reached its end. There’s no record of further volumes beyond that year, which gives the collection a distinctly early-60s flavor—a snapshot of football before the game’s next revolution.
Stanley Paul Publications itself had its share of ups and downs. The original company went into liquidation in 1927 but was revived the following year, continuing its tradition of publishing sports, fiction, and popular non-fiction titles well into the second half of the 20th century (Royal Academy, Open Library).
Today, Billy Wright’s Book of Soccer is a collector’s item, a reminder of a time when football stars were approachable heroes and the written word was the best way to get inside the game. The books—and the publisher behind them—represent an era when the love of sport was something you could hold in your hands, flick through on a rainy afternoon, and share with friends at school the next day.
Billy Wright, England’s first footballer to earn 100 international caps, wasn’t just a name on the cover. His “Book of Soccer” series—starting with that first edition in 1958—offered far more than drills and diagrams. Wright’s approachable style, his stories from the pitch, and his knack for bringing other footballing voices into the mix made these annual volumes a small but significant piece of English soccer culture.
Stanley Paul Publications, the firm behind the series, had been around since 1906. Founded by Stanley Paul himself in London, the company originally specialized in “cheap editions of thrillers and romances and some light non-fiction,” but by the mid-20th century, they were best known for sports books. Their ability to blend expert writing with mass-market appeal helped titles like Billy Wright’s Book of Soccer find a broad audience (Soccerbooks, Royal Academy, AustLit).
The first volume in the series was published in 1958 by Stanley Paul & Co. in London, and it quickly found success among young readers and football fans. The series continued with annual or near-annual installments—No. 3 in 1960, No. 4 in 1961, No. 5 in 1962, and No. 6 in 1963, each featuring not only Wright’s insights but contributions from other football legends of the era. These books were part annual, part scrapbook, and part how-to manual, packed with black-and-white photos and first-hand accounts from the game.
By 1963, with the release of No. 6, the series appears to have reached its end. There’s no record of further volumes beyond that year, which gives the collection a distinctly early-60s flavor—a snapshot of football before the game’s next revolution.
Stanley Paul Publications itself had its share of ups and downs. The original company went into liquidation in 1927 but was revived the following year, continuing its tradition of publishing sports, fiction, and popular non-fiction titles well into the second half of the 20th century (Royal Academy, Open Library).
Today, Billy Wright’s Book of Soccer is a collector’s item, a reminder of a time when football stars were approachable heroes and the written word was the best way to get inside the game. The books—and the publisher behind them—represent an era when the love of sport was something you could hold in your hands, flick through on a rainy afternoon, and share with friends at school the next day.
Do you have a favorite edition or a memory tied to the annual? Share it in the comments! And if you’re lucky enough to still have a copy tucked away, give it a read. You might just find the magic’s still there.
Sold on this website: www.soccerbooks.co.uk/Billy Wright