Steven Scragg

Steven Scragg is a British soccer writer, author, and podcaster whose work examines European competitions, international tournaments, and Liverpool. A senior writer at These Football Times, he has also contributed to The Athletic, The Anfield Wrap, This Is Anfield, and The Sportsman. His broadcasting includes BBC Radio Merseyside’s Total Sport program, and his writing has been featured in Guardian Sport.

Scragg’s first book, A Tournament Frozen in Time, began a trilogy on the European Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Cup, and European Cup. It was shortlisted for Football Book of the Year at the 2020 Sports Book Awards. Later books revisit the 1986 World Cup, Euro 88, Liverpool’s 2005 European campaign, and the rebuilding of the club under Bill Shankly in the 1960s.

Soccer Books

In the Heat of the Midday Sun: The Indelible Story of the 1986 World Cup: Scragg revisits the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, a tournament remembered particularly for Diego Maradona’s performances. The account considers the circumstances behind an event organized at relatively short notice and played after a devastating earthquake in the host country. Teams, matches, and personalities accompany the atmosphere of a competition whose images and controversies retained an unusually strong place in soccer memory. Published in 2022.

A Tournament Frozen in Time: The Wonderful Randomness of the European Cup Winners' Cup: Scragg traces the European Cup Winners’ Cup, a competition whose entry rules brought together a distinctive mixture of clubs. Domestic cup success could qualify teams outside the usual group of league champions, producing unexpected encounters and contrasting journeys. The book examines the tournament’s character through its participants and occasions, preserving the history of a European competition that no longer exists. Published in 2019.

Where the Cool Kids Hung Out: The Chic Years of the UEFA Cup: This history revisits the UEFA Cup during an era when its strength and variety made it a major European stage. Scragg follows clubs such as Borussia Mönchengladbach, IFK Göteborg, and Ipswich Town through defining campaigns. Interviews with players, journalists, and supporters connect the games with the experience of taking part, explaining the competition’s importance beyond its position alongside other European tournaments. Published in 2020.

The Undisputed Champions of Europe: How the Gods of Football Became European Royalty: Scragg examines the European Cup through the teams, managers, and players who won its most significant contests. The account emphasizes the distinctive atmosphere of a tournament once reserved for domestic champions, connecting achievement with the limited opportunities to participate. Celebrated sides and major occasions provide a history of the competition before expansion and reorganization changed the structure of European club soccer. Published in 2021.

The Evolution of an Empire Volume One: Liverpool in the 1960s: Scragg follows Liverpool’s transformation during the 1960s after Bill Shankly arrived at a club stranded in the Second Division. Tactical change accompanies alterations in expectations and working culture. The account traces the development of a distinctive approach to play and institutional identity, explaining how recovery became the foundation for a much larger period of success. Published in 2026.

Euro 88: The Football Purists' European Championship: Scragg revisits the 1988 European Championship through the players, teams, disputes, and dramatic matches that defined it. The tournament brings together figures including Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Gianluca Vialli, and Jürgen Klinsmann. The account considers a compact international competition at the end of the 1980s, preserving its particular sporting atmosphere before later changes transformed European soccer. Published in 2024.

There Are Places I Remember: Liverpool FC and the Miracle of Istanbul: Scragg follows Liverpool’s uneven first season under Rafael Benítez, culminating in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. Domestic frustration and unpredictable progress in Europe run alongside each other as a new team searches for consistency. The narrative connects the difficulties of the season with its extraordinary conclusion, explaining how an apparently unstable side reached and won the continent’s leading club competition. Published in 2025.