In Rattles and Rosettes, miner Tom, 16, looks forward to fulfilling his dreams of playing football for England against a backdrop of grinding poverty. He falls for a rich girl out of his league, militant suffragette Emily. The young couple travel to the Crystal Palace, venue of the FA Cup Final. It is the first time a reigning monarch has attended a major football match and police are on the look out for Emily. Months later, Tom finds himself in the trenches on the Western Front.
The book also tells the tale of Crystal Palace supporter Dan, 23, who runs a 60s covers band called Born Too Late. Dan looks back nostalgically to a golden age of football and music he has never known. Disillusioned by Palace's predicament, he sets out on a one-man mission against modern football - a devotion that comes between him and girlfriend Sally, lead singer in the band.
''I hoped Nick Hornby would write Fever Pitch 2, documenting the effect on fans of post-Premiership football,'' said author Steve Goddard, a freelance journalist from Merseyside and former sub-editor on the sports pages of the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo. ''He's shown no signs so I decided to have a go myself. Comparing the country prior to WWI with credit crunch Britain of 2010 seemed the most engaging way to do it.
''It also gave me an opportunity to research and interpret what happened on Christmas Day 1914 - and that famous match between England and Germany in No Man's Land.
''It's designed to stir the passions of all of us, on whatever terrace (those were the days!) who feel sold down the river by those in charge of our national game.''
Dan's one-man campaign aims to change the ''fit and proper person'' test for club ownership. He argues that potential buyers must have personally supported the club for a minimum of five years, with ticket stubs to prove it.
''A pipe dream but that's Dan - the voice of one chanting in the wilderness,'' explains Goddard, who runs his own PR consultancy in St Helens.
Rattles and Rosettes was published by Ship of Fools Ltd on Fri 25 April, price £7.99.
The book has its own Rattles and Rosettes web site and should you prefer an e-version of the book it can be purchased from Amazon at £3.56