Book review: Beautiful Grounds 2, by Ray Margetson

The Beautiful Grounds 2, by Ray Margetson; published by Margetson Publishing; price: £15

If you’ve found the right recipe, then why not make the most of it? After the success of The Beautiful Grounds – a whistlestop humorous review of 180 different Non-League games in this country and Spain – Ray Margetson returns with a second helping.

A Non-League footballer in his playing days and later a coach, Margetson travels up and down the country to take in matches at various levels. There are usually two or three pages on each match and that allows him not just to talk about the game he’s attending but also give a potted history of the home club and look at their future plans.

There are a good selection of pictures dotted around the book and the attractive front cover is another plus point. It’s one of those books that you can dip in and out of at your leisure and there is plenty of reading matter within the 200 pages.

For Non-League afficionados, this will be a treat as Margetson captures the spirit of clubs at the heart of their communities. And for those who enjoy it, the good news is that The Beautiful Grounds 3 will be coming out soon.

John Lyons

Rating: 7/10