Up There

Throughout the 20th century the north-east of England was synonymous with heavy industry and football. Coal mining, railways and ship-building provided an economic base upon which football - professional and amateur - flourished. Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Sunderland all established themselves as national forces by winning League titles, FA Cups and by breaking records in the transfer market and in stadium attendances. They helped shape the area's identity, its sense of itself and the country's idea of the north-east. By the end of 1990 north-east influence had peaked. The mid-1980s saw the break-up of the coal industry and the end of ship-building on the Wear and the Tyne. The industrial landscape had changed forever. In 2014 unemployment in the north-east is twice the national average. Yet north-east football culture remains as vibrant as ever. Despite consistent failure, decades-long, the north-east's appetite for football remains strong. For nearly two decades, author Michael Walker has chronicled the ups and downs of this hotbed of soccer for several national newspapers. In Up There he shows how football is the area's great uniting thread and uncovers stories about the game's rich lore. Part social history, part travelogue, Up There examines that fascination, the connection to industry and the economy, and charts some of the individuals and clubs who have helped define a region.