The hosts recalled the book as a vivid, first‑hand chronicle of the 1990 World Cup, highlighting a passage where the author collapses from exhaustion in his hotel room. James Richardson mentioned reading it twice, and Tom Williams referred to the experience as the archetypal tournament grind. Their discussion conveyed a nostalgic appreciation without explicit endorsement.
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All Played Out is a book about the 1990 Italia 90 World Cup. The author, Pete Davis, is embedded with the England team. In the book, Davis describes his experience of the tournament, including his exhaustion and lack of sleep.
Do you remember that section in All Played Out where Pete Davis gets towards the end of the tournament and he just he has kind of just a moment in his hotel room where he's sweating and just falls asleep.
No I don't think so. I think every day that basically every chapter is I have my 11th espresso. He had his coffee and he didn't get more than like two hours sleep but he just he reached about the quarterfinal stage and that was it.
His body just gave up and that kind of I grew up with that as a sort of the archetypal tournament experience.
So when did you read that book? I read it first.
From the context of England and English football now. It's from another galaxy. I suppose I read it I can't remember when I first read it but I read it for a second time probably around 2000. I think I might be wrong.