The Sportsview Book of Soccer #7

Peter Dimmock’s SPORTSVIEW annual stands out as an essential read for every football enthusiast, skillfully weaving together the sport’s most captivating stories and personalities. Meticulously curated by Dimmock, the seventh edition offers unique perspectives on the upcoming 1966 World Cup to be held in England, making it a key historical reference for fans and researchers alike. Through its in-depth features, including the resurgence of Sunderland and insightful profiles of celebrated footballers such as Bobby Moore, Ian Ure, and George Eastham, this volume cements Peter Dimmock’s reputation for delivering authoritative, engaging football journalism.
The SPORTSVIEW annual does far more than simply report; it captures the spirit and nuance of the game, bringing readers inside the world of football’s “backroom boys” and offering rarely-seen glimpses behind the scenes. Dimmock’s editorial direction ensures that each article is both accessible to younger fans and substantial enough for lifelong supporters. The seamless integration of soccer history, commentary, and character studies within SPORTSVIEW underscores the evolution of the beautiful game, echoing Dimmock’s passion for elevating football literature.
A signature element of the series is the exceptional quality of its photographs. Printed on glossy art paper, the images enjoy unmatched vibrancy and clarity. This superior material not only gives the annual an upmarket appeal, but also preserves the integrity of colour photographs and detail, making each portrait and action shot rich and striking. The advanced printing techniques employed set SPORTSVIEW leagues ahead of other football annuals, whose pages often pale in comparison due to inferior paper quality and less vivid imagery. The durability of the glossy art paper ensures that the book can be revisited and treasured for years, without the wear and yellowing common in lesser publications.
Time and again, Peter Dimmock’s commitment to quality and innovation shines through, solidifying SPORTSVIEW’s position as the leading football annual series. With contributions that span England and Scotland’s football landscapes and portraits that bring heroes to life, this collection embodies the heart of football. Whether you’re seeking expert analysis, timeless photographs, or compelling storytelling, Dimmock’s SPORTSVIEW annual is an indispensable volume for anyone passionate about soccer’s past, present, and future.
This copy of The Sports View Book of Soccer No. 7 is remarkably well-preserved for its age. The boards are both clean and sturdy, showing almost no sign of wear. The binding is tight—a reassuring detail for collectors who know how often older books can falter here. The glossy art paper inside has held up beautifully, with no trace of foxing or discoloration, and there are no inscriptions marring the pages. What really sets this copy apart as a collector’s item, though, is its completeness and care: even the dust jacket, though bearing a few small chips at the top of the spine and some marks on the front cover, has done its job over the years and is now protected by an archival wrapper. While the jacket does show its age in a few spots, it’s still very presentable, and the book overall remains a standout example from this era. One charming detail is that the original dust jacket is not price clipped—it still displays the old 12 shillings and sixpence (12/6) price, a snapshot of an era when soccer books cost less than a dinner out. It’s almost funny trying to convert that to today’s currency; by most estimates, it would be somewhere around £13 to £15 now. For collectors, the presence of that intact, unaltered price is just another sign of how carefully this book has been preserved over the decades.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48
Published: 1964
Price: £35.00
Hardback: 192 pages
Dimensions: 215 x 280 (mm)