Finn McCool's Football Club: The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of a Pub Soccer Team in the City of the Dead Hardcover - 2009

From the rear cover

"Stephen Rea's gripping tale of how he and his New Orleanian band of futbol player/friends survived Hurricane Katrina and regrouped is a study in tenacity. . . . Sports lovers, particularly those who dig soccer, can find plenty of action within the pages, as well. This is a book for fans of New Orleans, of the universal ball game, of ex-pats and of pubs. Score 10-nil for Rea and the McCools."
--The Irish American Post

"An uplifting account of friendship, football, and overcoming the odds in the face of tragedy. Stephen Rea has scored an impressive winner."
--Derek Rae, senior UEFA Champions League commentator, ESPN

"Finn McCool's Football Club is a must-read for soccer fans. The grit and determination displayed by these lads in the face of disaster is amazing. Their spirit and never-say-die attitude is captivating. When the history of soccer is written in the U.S., I hope the players, management, and fans of the Finn McCool's club will get proper recognition for the major role they were able to play in promoting 'the Beautiful Game.'"
--Tommy Smyth, "the Auld Onion Bag Man," ESPN commentator

"Great story about real characters bonded by a passion for football and life."
--Stephen Nicol, two-time MLS All-Stars coach and head coach, New England Revolution

From the jacket flap

"Stephen Rea uses one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history as the backdrop for a love story--not your average love story either, as it's also the love of a city, the ties that bind friends, and the passion for a sport. Soccer brings fans from around the globe together and that has never been proven more true than in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Rea's book brings one of the biggest stories of the century down to a touching, emotional, personal level in a solid debut effort."
--Phil Schoen, GolTV commentator

In 2004, Belfast-born Stephen Rea moved to New Orleans, a city where "football" means something entirely different than what it does for the British. After struggling to find a place to watch European soccer games, Rea discovered Finn McCool's pub and its mixed clientele of good-humored European ex-pats, charismatic New Orleanians, and assorted matchless personalities. Irishmen exchanged jokes with the Scots, and the Dutch, English, and South African sat together swapping stories over murky drinks. Rea the Ulsterman became a regular and before long he was playing on the pub's motley over-thirty-five fledgling soccer team.

Gathered at the bar on August 27, 2005, members of the team were discussing their upcoming match, untroubled by the impending storm and unknowing that their city and team would nearly be obliterated by Hurricane Katrina in a matter of hours. Days later, the lucky among them were scattered across the country; the others struggled to survive as they awaited rescue in New Orleans.

With clarity and compassion, Rea examines the disaster as he profiles the experiences of his teammates and their efforts to resurrect the team and pub that had become so central in all of their lives. A gripping and moving memoir about an unusual pub team and a devastating natural disaster, this work is a celebration of ex-pats and pubs, soccer and sportsmanship, and the strength it takes to rebuild a team, a city, and a life.

Media reviews

Citations

• Reference and Research Bk News, 05/01/2009, Page 81