Not your average football-themed tome, this one, drawing as it does parallels and connections between the Dutch approach to football and characteristics of the Dutch people and nation, even extending these analogies to its geography and topography. People may view some of Winner's arguments and theories as outlandish, or even pretentious, but they are so well presented and reasoned that they demand recognition and serious consideration.
The author observes how changes in post-war society, including some peculiar to Holland, affected the path which the game followed there. Much attention of course is focussed on the imperious Ajax team of the early 1970s, and the enigmatic and iconic Dutch national team from the same decade. The 1974 World Cup Final is analysed, both for how its outcome was determined by Dutch idiosyncrasies, and how that outcome in turn impacted on of generations of Dutchmen and women.
Another virtue of this book is its relative brevity. It says what it wants and needs to say without being excessively earnest or self-conscious. It is certainly not as laborious a read as some other books of its type. It employs diverse topics to get its point across. One is left in some awe of how the tale has unfolded,and with a much enhanced understanding of why it unfolded as it did....
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