Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football's Centre-Half

Thou Shall Not Pass is a celebration of the often overlooked and misunderstood football position of the centre-half, exploring the unique mindset and last-ditch tackles of the traditionally bruising hard man. It features exclusive interviews with Virgil van Dijk, Jamie Carragher, Terry Butcher, Mark Lawrenson, Darren Moore, Steph Houghton, Tony Adams, Frank Leboeuf and Dion Dublin, and is packed with rich and entertaining anecdotes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 18 February 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

NOMINATED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2022, Leo Moynihan's "Thou Shall Not Pass" is a brilliant read that explores the unique mindset and last-ditch, bone-crunching tackles of the traditionally bruising hard man in football. The book celebrates the football position where brutal characters are loved for their hard-hitting tackles and bruising mentality, but laughed at for their apparent lack of skill. Covering the long and illustrious history of the centre-half, the book takes the reader into the muddy penalty area frequented by our protagonists, into their domain. What makes a defender approach the game the way they do? What makes them different from those whose sole purpose is flair? Featuring exclusive interviews with Virgil van Dijk, Jamie Carragher, Terry Butcher, Mark Lawrenson, Darren Moore, Steph Houghton, Tony Adams, Frank Leboeuf, and Dion Dublin, the book explores all aspects of the position and is packed with rich and highly entertaining anecdotes.

Weight: 488g
Dimension: 162 x 241 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472972910