On Wednesday 24th June 2026, from 7.30-9.30pm, Stroud Radical Reading Group will host a discussion of “A People’s History of Football”. The Men’s Football World Cup will have kicked off, and we’ll be looking at two versions of this book taking a global and diverse perspective from the origins of the sport to the present day (text and graphic novel versions of the book). We will meet at Redz Youth Hub, 6 Threadneedle St, GL5 1AF. Entry is free butplease bring some cash if you can afford to donate to cover venue costs.
“A People’s History of Football” is all about how the “beautiful game” had been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protestors around the world”.
Below in our resources section you can find a link to buy one or other of the versions of the book at a discount, and free text, audio and visual resources. There is also more information about the books and Stroud Radical Reading Group events.
Anyone interested in the books is welcome – we recommend reading one or other of the books but you don’t need to have read either to join us. You do not need to have attended any of our previous sessions. We do our best to make the sessions welcoming to people who have not been to reading groups or similar settings like university seminars before.
“Football has always been so much more than the billionaire buyers and seven-figure signing fees. With the women’s game now more popular than ever, one thing is clear: when it comes to football, only half the story is usually told. Would the Lionesses ever have roared without the Munitionettes? If you look beyond the men in suits at FIFA and the corporate World Cup, you’ll find a history unparalleled in the world of sport. “Football has always been so much more than the billionaire buyers and seven-figure signing fees. With the women’s game now more popular than ever, one thing is clear: when it comes to football, only half the story is usually told. Would the Lionesses ever have roared without the Munitionettes? If you look beyond the men in suits at FIFA and the corporate World Cup, you’ll find a history unparalleled in the world of sport.
From England, France and Germany to Palestine, South Africa and Brazil, A People’s History of Football reveals how the ‘beautiful game’ has been a powerful instrument of emancipation for workers, feminists, anti-colonialist activists, young people and protesters around the world.
This entertaining history from below is beautifully rendered by award-winning illustrator Lelio Bonaccorso, bringing players from history to life in vivid colour. From the game’s unruly feudal origins right up to the present day, immerse yourself in the stories of professionals and amateurs alike, and feel the powerful force of a game that is as generous as it is subversive.”
About the author, translator and illustrators:
Mickaël Correia is a journalist at Mediapart. He is the author of several books, and his work focuses on social and ecological struggles as well as working-class culture. He has written for Le Monde Diplomatique, Le Canard Enchaîné and La Revue du Crieur. His passion for football began when he was 4, with kickabouts on the streets of Roubaix.
Fionn Petch is a Scottish translator with a doctorate in philosophy from the National University of Mexico. As a translator, he has translated fiction, poetry, drama and children’s books. He also works on books and exhibition catalogues on art and architecture. Among his noted translations are A Straggly Smile by Vanessa Saint Cyr, The Distance Between Us by Renato Cisneros and Fireflies by Luis Sagasti.
Jean-Christophe Deveney is a French comic book writer whose many publications include adaptations of stories by Haruki Murakami.
Lelio Bonaccorso is an award-winning Italian comic artist and illustrator. He has published extensively in the international arena, including for major American comic book publishers like Marvel and DC.
Resources
Buy “A People’s History of Football” – £14.44 with discount (RRP £16.99, saving £2.55). To get the discount from The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: Look at your “basket”, and enter the “couponcode” 26stroudradical. Pick up your book from their Nailsworth, Tetbury or Chalford shops, or get books delivered to your door for £3.50 postage.
Buy “A People’s History of Football – A Graphic Chronicle” – £12.74 with discount (RRP £14.99, saving £2.25). To get the discount from The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: Look at your “basket”, and enter the “couponcode” 26stroudradical. Pick up your book from their Nailsworth, Tetbury or Chalford shops, or get books delivered to your door for £3.50 postage.
Stroud Radical Reading Group events are free to attend, though we will make a collection to cover venue hire costs – please bring some cash if you can afford it (a few pounds would be great).
We try to create a comfortable discussion space for everyone, including people who have not been part of a reading group or been to university. We do not want the sessions to feel like school – the idea is that everyone has something to contribute, even if primarily through finding the discussion texts difficult and having questions with other attendees can attempt to answer.
To ensure marginalised people feel welcome, we encourage care and thoughtful contributions that respect people’s identities and lives. We are an LGBTQ+ inclusive and anti-racist space.
Anyone is welcome to listen to the discussion, though we encourage contributions only from those who have read at least some of the book we are discussing.
The venue for this session is Redz Youth Hub, a hub for organising, creativity, and community building. It’s a free space for young people to host their own events, workshops, and meetups. They’ve been hosting sessions by Mutiny: Stroud’s Youth Assembly and The RYSE – the Radical Youth Space for Educations.
Redz is in central Stroud, close to the train station and bus station, with nearby stands to lock bikes, and parking for cars nearby at Fawkes Place or Church St car park. There is step-free access to the ground floor where we will meet. There is a toilet, and some comfortable seating as well as basic folding chairs. Please get in touch if you’d like to get more of an idea of what the sessions are like or if you have any accessibility needs.
There is an opportunity for more informal discussion after the session in the Ale House pub (around the corner) for anyone who wants to continue chatting after 9.30pm.
Stroud Radical Reading Group meets once a month. Here you can find details of sessions, links, and further information
Stroud Radical Reading Group 