Jamie Fahey is a British journalist, author, and soccer coach who grew up in Liverpool. His playing background includes informal street games and semi-professional soccer in northern England and Wales. He studied history at Liverpool University and later combined journalism with coaching and a particular interest in futsal. His books include a history of that indoor sport and a collaboration with former Everton player Billy Kenny.
Fahey’s first book, Futsal: The Story of an Indoor Football Revolution, appeared in 2020, with an updated American edition following in 2022. The Goodison Gazza, written with Kenny, appeared in 2026. Both subjects connect with his own background: the small-sided games he played in Liverpool and his lifelong support for Everton, including familiarity with the neighborhood in which Kenny grew up.
Jamie Fahey Books
| Book | Year | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Futsal | 2020 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
| The Goodison Gazza | 2026 | Description / Buy at Amazon |
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His work at The Guardian has included production editing and writing. He is a UEFA B licensed coach and coach mentor, and his own futsal participation continued into his forties. His website connects those roles with an interest in how players learn, the relationship between street play and organized training, and the particular demands of the five-a-side game.
In an account of writing the futsal book, Fahey explains that he investigated the sport’s politics, international development, and leading personalities as well as its rules and techniques. Its links with basketball and handball form part of that history. He also examines the relationship between futsal and eleven-a-side soccer, including the transfer of skills developed under the restrictions of a smaller playing area.
His work with Billy Kenny draws on another direct connection. Fahey grew up on the same Liverpool streets and played alongside Kenny when the future Everton midfielder was young. The collaboration therefore combines Kenny’s recollections with a writer who knew the setting before the professional debut. It follows the consequences of lost opportunity and personal difficulties across decades, extending beyond the brief playing career that first attracted attention.
Futsal Books
Futsal: The Story of an Indoor Football Revolution: Fahey traces futsal’s history, international growth, and relationship with eleven-a-side soccer. Reporting and personal experience as a player and coach introduce its tactical demands, governing institutions, and influence on developing talent. The book investigates why a small-sided indoor game became important in different soccer cultures, connecting grassroots play with prominent professional players who developed skills through it. First published in 2020.
Fahey devotes attention to Wayne Rooney and Roberto MartÃnez as figures who influenced his thinking about the game. His account also returns to childhood play in Liverpool, treating those memories as a starting point for investigating a distinct sport with its own history. The differences between futsal’s institutions and its relationship with FIFA form part of the wider explanation of how it developed.
Soccer Books
The Goodison Gazza: Whatever Happened to Billy Kenny: Billy Kenny recounts his emergence at Everton in 1992 and the collapse of a career that ended within a few years. Written with Fahey, the memoir follows injuries, alcohol and drug problems, imprisonment, rehabilitation, and family tragedy. The story continues beyond his early reputation to examine the difficult process of finding a more stable life after professional soccer. Published in 2026.