Greatest of All Time

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What to expect

'A charming and tender look at love and the beautiful game.' Eliza Clark

'A raw and propulsive book about love, football, and the pleasures and frustrations of the body.' Lara Williams

'A brave and beautiful book . . . Delicate, devastating, brilliant - I loved it.' Ashley Hickson-Lovelace

'Call Me by Your Name meets Goal! An exploration of obsession, identity and belonging which sheds light on the hidden stories that must unfold within the world of our beautiful game.' Bruce Omar Yates

Samson Kabarebe is on the verge of stardom. At just nineteen, he's poised to take the football world by storm. Joining a struggling Premier League team, he steps into the spotlight, taking over the position-and squad number-of a rising homegrown talent who is wrestling with his own dreams and desires.

What begins as resentment between the two young athletes quickly evolves into an intense, undeniable bond. Samson's fiery drive, electrifying skills and irresistible charm spark a transformation, not just in the fortunes of the team, but in the lives around him. As their connection deepens, the story hurtles into a high-stakes world of competition, passion and raw want. Both men are forced to confront the pressures of masculinity, the ever-present threat of scandal, and the fragile balance of living in a body that could betray you at any moment.

With humour, heart and a touch of rebellion, this tender novel explores queer love and the trials of growing up in the hyper-masculine world of sport.

'Hypnotically compelling, tender, bleak, beautiful and perturbing, often all at the same time. Alex Allison has such a strong voice, and is such a remarkable talent. I hope to be reading his work for many years to come' Naomi Ishiguro

'Compelling . . . a gentle reminder of what we allow ourselves to suffer in the name of love when we're young and don't know any better.' Justin Myers

Critics Review

A charming and tender look at love and the beautiful game.
Eliza Clark, author of BOY PARTS, PENANCE and SHE'S ALWAYS HUNGRY
A raw and propulsive book about love, football, and the pleasures and frustrations of the body.
Lara Williams, author of THE ODYSSEY
Call Me by Your Name meets Goal! An exploration of obsession, identity and belonging which sheds light on the hidden stories that must unfold within the world of our beautiful game.
Bruce Omar Yates, author of THE MUSLIM COWBOY
Efficiently portrays closeted desire simmering amid the dressing room's brittle laddishness . . . There's an impressive range of themes folded into the action, with a number of vivid scenes. Sincere and sharply observed.
Daily Mail
Hypnotically compelling, tender, bleak, beautiful and perturbing, often all at the same time. Alex Allison has such a strong voice and is such a remarkable talent. I hope to be reading his work for many years to come.
Naomi Ishiguro, author of COMMON GROUND
A brave and beautiful book . . . Delicate, devastating, brilliant - I loved it.
Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of YOUR SHOW and WILD EAST
Compelling . . . A gentle reminder of what we allow ourselves to suffer in the name of love when we're young and don't know any better.
Justin Myers, author of THE LAST ROMEO and THE GLORIOUS DEAD
Greatest of All Time is . . . much more concerned with what passes by unnoticed and is forced to exist in the shadows . . . Turning the grand narrative of global sport into something smaller and more humane.
Guardian
You don't have to be interested in football to appreciate [Greatest of All Time] for it's less about sport than it is about passion. Passion for a club and passion for another person . . . A novel that hits the back of the net.
Irish Times
We are in uncharted territory for a football novel . . . In the sections of the novel dedicated to yearning, to our narrator's confused longing for his teammate, [Allison] gives us some of his absolute best writing.
The Big Issue
Looks at queer lust, sex, stealth and confusion, in and out of the locker room, capturing the embarrassingly all-consuming experience of having a crush in your teens. There's some lovely bittersweet scenes throughout including what it's like playing FIFA as yourself, hiring your Dad as your manager and having a truly terrible time in the VIP section of the club.
Shortlist
A celebration and criticism of football, told with warmth and humour.
Dazed

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