MAGNIFICENT J-LEAGUE: The respectful exuberance of the beautiful game in Japan. An English fan’s perspective on what sets the J-League apart from the rest.

The author Paul Stroud provides us with a fascinating insight into what it has been like following football, at different times, and in different places, over the past 50 years. It all starts in the 1970s on the terraces of Tottenham’s White Hart Lane, and the violent battles between fans that ensued there on a sickeningly regular basis. It all ends in England, with the worst violence ever seen at Brighton & Hove Albion’s Goldstone Ground when Chelsea came to town in 1983.We then get a glimpse of what it was like to see football, firsthand, in America, where stars like George Best, Gordon Banks, Franz Beckenbauer, and Pele plied their trade in the twilight years of their footballing careers. From there, we are introduced to the J-League in Japan, where the raucous atmosphere of modern football there is thriving, and where violence is virtually unheard of.Finally, we are presented with the many reasons why watching professional football on the Japanese archipelago often eclipses the experience of watching games in other parts of the world. After reading the book, we will know the best venues to see the J-League games, the best derbies to watch, and which places to visit when travelling to away games both domestically and internationally for the Asian Champions League.JリーグサッカグサッカRead more