No one likes Millwall. They don't care. But what does it really take to be a part of this team, or a supporter? A British Sports Books Awards 2011 nominee, Michael Calvin's Family provides a unique glimpse into the soul of a real football club. Award-winning sports writer Calvin follows Millwall through an emotional promotion season. There for the first day of training, he was on the substitutes' bench at Wembley, 333 days later. He vividly portrays players and management as family men, close to their roots. In captain Paul Robinson's words : 'We're playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.' Forget the glitz of the Premier League - this is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory. Intimate and compelling, Calvin's unforgettable picture of lower-league English football is essential reading for anyone for whom football is far more than just a game.



Michael Calvin is currently chief sports writer with the Sunday Mirror, and has worked at the Daily Telegraph, The Times and the Mail on Sunday. He has twice been named Sports Reporter of the Year.



There is absolutely no requirement to be a Millwall fan to enjoy 'Family.' After all, no one likes them and they don't care.



'Family' takes you on a real tour of the beautiful game from behind the scenes of one of football's most real, honest and passionate clubs ... This book restored my faith in a sport that seems to fast be becoming more about entertainment than competition.



The latest and most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall account of a football club from its grassroots up.



{'Family'] offers a fascinating and entertaining insight into what is described as a 'proper club' by the book's subtitle.



No punches are pulled by either author or club, ensuring a frank and brutally honest - and at times very funny - account of life at the sharp end of football.



'Family' is the only book where you can get an accurate description, warts and all, of what goes on in the dressing room and should be read by football fans and players alike.



Calvin ... makes fantastic use of his material, turning the season's ups and downs into a compelling narrative of football.



The measure of Calvin's achievement is that after reading ['Family'] any fan would surely want something similar to be written about their club.



Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies.



An absolute gem - inspirational.



Brilliantly honest.



As up close and personal as it is possible to be.



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