Going to a Match

In 1953, the year Andrew Skiller was born, LS Lowry finished Going to the Match, his painting of matchstick figures leaving chimneys and terraced streets behind for a few hours at the football ground. Skiller cannot paint, so he wrote instead: a diary of the 2004/05 season, told by a man who has always felt that same pull away from work and home towards the turnstiles.

His plan was to see as many matches at as many grounds as he could. Then a move to a late shift cut out most evening games, and trouble with his leg made long trips and cramped seats difficult. He came to count it a blessing, turning to non-league grounds close to home that he had never visited, and looking back over a lifetime on the terraces. A modest, heartfelt book for anyone who would rather be at a match.