England’s winning run at the World Cup has seen a football frenzy at all levels of the game, says Dave Phillips
What a match that was last night! Considering the player I reckon is England’s finest playmaker and set-piece specialist – Declan Rice – was ill and had to be substituted at half-time, it was a remarkable performance. As for Jude Bellingham, he was simply magnificent. He was still sprinting around the park at full pelt at the very end, despite the intense heat and humidity. Everyone raves about Messi and Mbappe, but neither can match Bellingham’s superhuman efforts when he pulls on his England shirt. I salute him.
Isn’t it amazing how England’s success on the pitch puts the nation in such a good mood? Everybody is talking about football – and it’s not just international football. Within minutes of going on sale, author Andrew Stephen’s new book about Cambridge United – The Season That Really Was – was already registering sales on Amazon.
Why is that? Well, like Andrew, I believe Cambridge United’s fans are a bit special. During his time as a supporter, they’ve endured a rollercoaster ride. The U’s have been relegated from the Football League, yet also ended up on the brink of promotion to the Premiership. A few years ago, they nearly lost their ground when two directors secretly sold it, at a time when the club was on the brink of disappearing for good. It was ardent, noisy supporters like Andrew Stephen who helped turn it around.
The Season That Really Was is about the 2025-26 season, when, for once, the stars aligned and nearly everything went right for Cambridge United. There’s certainly a feel-good spirit to the book, which supporters pick up on.
I’m proud to have played a small role in the creation of The Season That Really Was, by designing and publishing the book. So today, just to be different, I’m sharing the cover artwork with you. You can see it, above.
The cover “wrap” includes the front and back covers, plus the book’s spine, as it will be printed. I know, it looks all wrong with the front cover on the right-hand side, but that’s because in the Western world we read from left to right. If you pick up a book, open it out flat and check the outside, that’s what you’ll see.
I hope you like it. And if you like it a lot, you can buy it now, on Amazon, as a paperback or in Kindle e-book format. It should give you a nice football “fix” and keep you occupied until Wednesday, when we seek revenge on those pesky Argies. Maradona may have had the Hand of God all those years ago, but we’ve got the Spirit of Bellingham.!
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