Books by Steven Scragg

In the Heat of the Midday Sun is a love letter to the 1986 World Cup. A tournament viewed via the shimmering satellite images of an age before the dawn of high-definition coverage - which was introduced four years later, at Italia '90 - it was the last World Cup where the commentaries sounded like they were broadcast from the surface of the moon. Mexico took on the tournament after Colombia failed to deliver on their host candidature, relinquishing the rights in 1983. With a devastating Mexico City earthquake just eight months before the big kick-off, it was a miracle that the Estadio Azteca was still able to be the venue of Diego Maradona's greatest and most infamous hours. As well as Argentina's most gifted son, Mexico '86 was blessed by the presence of Socrates, Platini, Francescoli, Butragueno, Belanov and Elkjaer to name but a few of the icons on display. This is the story of an evocative World Cup that seemed to be held together by Sellotape.

The Undisputed Champions of Europe celebrates the iconic teams, managers and players who scaled European club football's greatest mountain. A tournament that was played out in a more rarefied air than its siblings - the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup - the European Cup owned an unmatched sense of occasion.

The definitive story of the UEFA Cup's glory years when the tournament made legendary names of the likes of Borussia Monchengladbach and IFK Goteborg, and provided Ipswich Town with arguably their finest moment. The book includes interviews with players, journalists and supporters who lived and loved the competition.

The Wonderful Randomness of the European Cup Winners' Cup is a homage to the awkward sibling of the European Champions' Cup (for high achievers) and the UEFA Cup (where the cool kids hung out). Domestic cup success was what gained entry to this hipster tournament, attracting a richer diversity of competitor than its more celebrated counterparts.