We’re delighted to announced our first book under The Stand Publishing brand, entitled Missionaries: the Brits and Irishmen at the Centre of Asia’s Footballing Revolution, and written by Asian football journalist Chris Foley. Chris has worked in Ireland and Hong Kong, covering football and the GAA for the likes of the Kildare Nationalist, Offside, and is the former sports editor of The College Tribune. Born and living in Irealnd as he wrote his book, he has lived in Hong Kong and Thailand, and developed a passion for unlikely football sides like Bangkok side Port FC and the Hong Kong national team.
Chris’ book is inspired by his own Asian experiences, but written about those of others: those from the UK and Ireland who have ended up inspirational in the increasingly progressive and modern world of Asian football, his book covers ten stories, ten countries, and ten fantastic ‘Missionaries’, each with their own story to tell.
Association football, from humble beginnings, now has a foothold around the globe. From modest beginnings on the fields of British public schools, the early work of footballing missionaries has succeeded in spreading the game worldwide. International football competitions of today are incredibly competitive affairs, with national sides from Europe, the Americas, and to a lesser extent Africa, enjoying a taste of the glory on offer.
However, there remains one vast portion of the world which almost never achieves podium finishes at a global level. To this day, no Asian international or club team has ever been crowned world champion, and just one Asian footballer has ever been part of a victorious team in the UEFA Champions League.
Much like the burgeoning European powers of the early 20th century, Asian football is now beginning to see an influx of foreign talent in the hope of sparking improvements in nations with a broad scope of sporting ambitions.
Across ten chapters, Missionaries examines the footballing ambitions of various regions in Asia, with a specific focus on the British and Irish men who have somehow found themselves playing a central role.
These characters range from players competing at the elite level, coaches working in grassroots development, and even executives driving decision-making in the boardrooms.
Meet the Limerick-man taking Cambodia by storm, the non-league defender playing at the request of a petrostate’s royal family, the university graduate who became the world’s youngest national team manager (sort of), and many other unbelievable tales of footballing nomadism.
Chris’ Asia-wide stories visit: Cambodia, Mongolia, Guam, Pohnpei, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh, South Korea, The Phillipines, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Brunei.
To buy copies of Chris’ book, please click on the sales links below:
Press images are available here.
Chris can be contacted by email here and is happy to take part in promotional press related to the book on request.
Practical information:
Publisher: The Stand Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-7396989-0-4
Editing by James Hendicott, cover design by Sarah Ryan
Released: May 2022.
Retail in Ireland:
Personal Website – €9.99 + postage.
Amazon – €14 + postage