What the media and readers are saying about
The unseen Sir Alf
In Press | Reviews
SEPT 2025 : THE TIMES
“The Unseen Alf is a welcome and genuinely original addition to the Ramsey canon. With scrupulous archival research and a quick social imagination, Bage explores and explains corners of Ramsey’s life where others have accepted accumulated myth and misinterpretation. His account of Ramsey’s accent, social origins, demeanour and costive emotional life is without parallel."
DAVID GOLDBLATT: WRITER, ACADEMIC, BROADCASTER, AUTHOR OF 'THE AGE OF FOOTBALL' AND 'GAME OF OUR LIVES' - NOV 2025
‘Bage’s research is comprehensive and his method quietly effective, as he carefully builds up evidence through continual cross-referencing and contextualisation.’
‘Much of the book is focused on challenging established assumptions and unsettling what we think we know about Ramsey.’
‘His claim that Ramsey was a patriot but not a nationalist or a xenophobe is intriguing and speaks to the nuance and critical complexity that pervades the whole book.’
‘Original material alongside new interpretations ... a worthwhile book with plenty of new insights that deserves to be read.’
PROF MATTHEW TAYLOR: WHEN SATURDAY COMES - NOV 2025
[Bage] has achieved something remarkable: a biography that honours its subject while simultaneously challenging readers to reconsider their understanding of leadership, difference, and national achievement. This is more than a sports book—it's a profound meditation on human potential, resilience, and the often-overlooked stories behind our national heroes.
BOB STACK: SOCCER BOOKS - SEPT 2025
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"The Unseen Sir Alf" is one of the best books I've ever read. It shows England's best ever manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, in a completely different light. The painstaking research Grant Bage has put into this book is incredible. It really is a masterpiece in explaining the complex nature of a complex - yet very simple - man. History will treat Ramsey differently now. England fans, the Football Association, Ramsey's own family and all football supporters owe Bage a huge debt of gratitude.
ANDY LINES: CHIEF REPORTER, DAILY MIRROR - AUG 2025
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It might be impossible to get right to the centre of Alf Ramsey, but Grant Bage has taken on the noble challenge with distinction. You end the book both royally entertained and having a much clearer picture of the ever enigmatic Alf, beautifully placed in the context of his time.
TIM VICKERY: BBC SPORT SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT - OCT 2025
Well dressed, well-spoken, a traditionalist. A tactical genius, but someone who could come across as cold, detached, aloof. That’s the image I’ve always had in mind.
Then I read Grant Bage’s fascinating new book, ‘The Unseen Sir Alf – A Different Kind of Hero’ and developed a whole new appreciation of the man.
STUART WATSON: CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER, EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES - SEPT 2025
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‘A different take on Sir Alf Ramsey ... insights into the personality of one of the game’s most misunderstood characters ... meticulously researched and throws some much-needed light on a man who was always something of a mystery. It is a valuable addition to what we already know about the 1966 World Cup.’
NEIL jENSEN: GAME OF THE PEOPLE - SEPT 2025
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Radio Interviews | Podcasts | Talks
The National Army Museum 17 | 10 | 2025
Sir Alf Ramsey: How The Army Shaped Him - Talk by Grant Bage
'The Army, in short, proved a wonderful education.' Alf Ramsey 1952
BBC Radio London 31 | 10 | 2025
Robert Elms Interview with Grant Bage
"Alf Ramsey, arguably the greatest English football manager of them all ... but a man about whom many of us, even football fans, don't know very much. Well, you will if you read the book called The Unseen Sir Alf by Grant Bage."
TALKsport 9 | 9 | 2025
Paul Ross Interview with Grant Bage
"A really timely book. I thought I knew a lot about Sir Alf Ramsey, but this is full of revelations… it’s a wonderful book Grant Bage has written."
The Brazilian Shirt Name Podcast 18 | 9 | 2025
Doton Adebayo and Tim Vickery Interview with Grant Bage
Doton - "Grant, have you done enough to correct the misapprehensions about Sir Alf?"
Tim - " Well he's put me right!"
TALKsport 2 | 9 | 2025
Paul Hawksbee and Charlie Baker Interview with Grant Bage
" This new book by Grant Bage tells a very different story about Alf Ramsey, tells what shaped him as a coach"
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