Showing The Rough Guide to English Football by Dan Goldstein

"I believe in alien beings. I believe in Frankenstein. I believe in God." The Carlisle chairman Michael Knighton was almost lost for words but not quite. "Most of all", he went on, "I believe in on-loan goalkeepers who can score goals in the 91st minute."

It's easy to forget, while soaking up the big screen atmosphere in your local, or flicking between the game and Eastenders as you clip your toenails, that there's still quite a vogue for watching football matches at the stadium.

The Rough Guide to English Football is a timely reminder to the screen-bound that there's something special about the real thing and offers them a clued-up guide to experiencing some of it for themselves.

Covering every one of the 92 English football league clubs, this "Fans' Handbook" stays true to the principles of its excellent parent series by getting out in the field to bring back the latest intelligence. With sections on travel, ticketing, where to eat and drink, local papers, radio, the Internet and where not to go if you're an away fan, it's typically comprehensive.

Fortunately for the committed idler, it aims to be as readable as it is informative. The essay features on each club are a lively blend of sporting and cultural history as viewed from the stands and it's this sense of each club's unique identity that makes the book such a refreshing guide.

You'll find yourself seriously contemplating a trip to Halifax Town FC to taste the atmosphere of the Shay before it's redeveloped (£8 in and a pint in The Quays afterwards). Highly recommended. --Alex Hankin