Paul Rouse: Tale of football's working-class heroes a record of a different ball game

Gary Imlach’s book My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes documents a time before a Transfer Deadline yellow ticker.

TV presenter and author Gary Imlach. Pic: Johannes Simon/Bundesliga Collection via Getty Images)

The transfer window in the Premier League is about to close. This summer has seen English clubs spend a record amount of money on new players. By the time, it all ends there will be further extravagance as teams seek to set themselves up for the coming months.

The soap opera of summer sales is now an essential part of the whole production. The Manchester United aspect of it is spectacularly amusing: it’s a strange kind of glory to try and spend so much money on a system that doesn’t work.