Book Description

An Arsenal fan is forced to ditch his first love and switch allegiances to a new team. Handed a Foreign Office posting to Belgrade, James Moor gives up his season ticket and looks for a new Serbian team to support. Being a veteran of the Congo and Helmand Province war zones stands him in good stead for what follows. Having chosen Partizan over Red Star, James enters a scene awash with nationalism, xenophobia and conspiracy theories. He lifts the lid on Serbian fan culture, Partizan's internal disputes, violence between the club's own Grobari (Undertakers) supporters as well as with their hated local rivals. Moor attends matches among crowds of 50,000 and 2,000, and sees games interrupted by stadium fires at a club permanently at war with itself. And this is before former Chelsea boss Avram Grant takes over midway through a tumultuous season at home and in Europe.

About the Author

James Moor's born in Crawley, West Sussex, and brought up an Arsenal fan, he now lives in Belgrade where he works in the British Embassy. His arrival in Serbia in 2011 followed posts to DR Congo and Helmand Province. James lives with his girlfriend, Jenny, and can be found in the east stand at Partizan every other weekend.