Additional information
by Gary Thacker (Author)
Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed in Oranje: The Unfulfilled Glory of Dutch Football is the story of a dazzling football dream. Built on the club successes of Ajax and Feyenoord, it's a utopian ideal that blazed with a bright but ephemeral Oranje flame, scorching the football pitches of the world in the 1970s. Although Dutch clubs dominated the European Cup from 1969 to 1973, until 1974 the Oranje had failed to qualify for a World Cup for 36 years. Two finals then followed in successive tournaments, as 'totaalvoetbal' burst from its chrysalis, proudly revealing to the world its wings adorned with vivid shades of Oranje. The winners were the brides. It was their day, but the Dutch sides were more beautiful, yet so fragile, and football loved them for it. This isn't merely a tale of bridesmaids who came so close yet failed gloriously. It is the celebration of a footballing counter-culture, a revolution, a flame that burned so brightly, but so briefly. It's the story of those Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed in Oranje.
Author Biography
Gary Thacker is an author and journalist who writes for numerous magazines and websites. His work has featured in The Guardian, Sports Network and the Spanish press. He was shortlisted for 'Blogger of the Year' by the FSF in 2017, and has guested on BBC and talkSPORT radio. A member of These Football Times' senior leadership team, he also appears on podcasts and hosts the popular 'Political Football' series. This is his fourth book.
