Tom English: The Grudge

Tom English’s book The Grudge, first published in 2010, tells the story of the Calcutta Cup match between Scotland and England in March 1990. Memorably, Scotland beat their old rivals at Murrayfield to win the Grand Slam. But this was more than a match. And more than a rare Scottish sporting triumph. It was one of the most memorable rugby matches in modern history, set against a wave of anti-English sentiment fuelled by Margaret Thatcher’s imposition of the Poll Tax on Scotland. History, politics, class, it is all brought to life through incredible interviews with not just the victorious Scots, but controversial figures such as Will Carling and Brian Moore. Tom breaks down his audience with those key characters and reveals the agonising structural and stylistic decisions which made this one of the best sports books of the last 20 years. And one which has now been updated for a special 30th anniversary hardback edition. Buy the new hardback edition of The Grudge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit backpagepress.substack.com