johnleonard1908

[johnleonard1908]

As the world marks #HolocaustMemorialDay maybe worth noting international sports’ response to the growing Nazi threat during the 1930s. How successive failures led to the infamous Salute! The Inside Story of England’s Own Goal at Berlin’s Olympiastadion

Out now at usual outlets

[johnleonard1908]

Salute! The Inside Story of England's Own Goal at Berlin's Olympiastadion

A fraught tale of botched diplomacy, the cynical manipulation of sport and poltics, and salvation for a football fan seeking freedom

Now out in hardback & ebook at usual outlets

[johnleonard1908]

Many thanks to @WSC_magazine for a review of Salute!

‘While the infamous salute, serves as the cover image and focal point of the book, there's much more to this story than a gesture that would haunt the players forever more.'

Mag & Book out now!

[johnleonard1908]

Lies, conspiracies & political propaganda

How to get through the UK #GeneralElection aside from some welcome relief from #euro2024   in Germany.

Salute! The Inside Story of England’s Own Goal at Berlin’s Olympiastadion from @PitchPublishing Out now!

pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/salute

[johnleonard1908]

Salute! The Inside Story of England's Own Goal at Berlin's Olympiastadion A fraught tale of botched diplomacy,cynical manipulation of sport and poltics, and salvation for a German-Jewish football fan seeking freedom

Out from @PitchPublishing May 2024

[johnleonard1908]

Threats of an Olympic boycott of Paris2024 over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? The IOC’s response? Here’s how it went after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

From #TacklingPoliticsinSport

[johnleonard1908]

Sport is war minus the shooting - a classic Orwellian phrase. The novelist, George Orwell, cared little for organised sport – especially international competition. Orwell cited in the British socialist newspaper Tribune ‘Hitler’s Games’ – the infamous 1936 Olympics in Berlin - as a ‘concrete example’ of international sporting contests leading to ‘orgies of hatred’. Much the same can be applied to Vladimir Putin's Games of Sochi 2014. More importantly how his doping scandal echoed the drumbeat to war ….

https://johnleonard1908.wordpress.com/2022/03/17/putins-dirty-war-on-sport/

[johnleonard1908]

Kremlin campaign of disinformation since its forces invaded Ukraine. Sounds familiar? Here is an analysis of Putin’s decade long dirty war on sport.

https://johnleonard1908.wordpress.com/2022/03/17/putins-dirty-war-on-sport/

[johnleonard1908]

As the Olympics open at Tokyo2020 - the Games living in infamy.

[johnleonard1908]

On This Day (4 July 1954) West Germany won the FIFA World Cup for the first time. Were they on drugs? The controversial story from Fair Game? (Pitch Publishing 2016)

https://johnleonard1908.wordpress.com/2019/07/02/the-miracle-of-bern-how-germany-became-a-nation-once-again/

[johnleonard1908]

Delighted and pleasantly surprised that my little tome ‘Flight to Bogotá’ has made the longlist for Football Book of the Year in the Sports Book Awards 2021.

[johnleonard1908]

Just one of the quirkier tales of those who worked to help save D-Day 6 June 1944 - one from hundreds of miles away in neutral Ireland.

#DDay

[johnleonard1908]

Next weekend marks the anniversary of the most infamous episode in English football - England’s players making the Nazi salute 14 May 1938 before playing Germany.

[johnleonard1908]

The most infamous Olympics in history

[johnleonard1908]

Pressure may grow over the coming months for a boycott of next year’s Winter Olympics, Beijing 2022. Here’s a look back at the Cold War boycotts of 1980 & 1984.

[johnleonard1908]

How a sport fresh to the Olympics is making a mockery of doping sanctions against Russia.