Relegated

One American's Pints-and-Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of English Football

By: Todd Smith

Narrated by: Kyle Tait

For fans of Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham, this rollicking travel memoir by a middle-aged Midwesterner is a hilarious and heartfelt journey through the United Kingdom, its football clubs, and the rich traditions of English football culture.

Relegation, the devastating consequence English football teams face when they underperform, is something Todd Smith kept seeing in his own life. He grew up surrounded by soccer: his father was the head athletic trainer for the Minnesota Kicks of the 70s-era North American Soccer League, and Todd played into college. But while his family life was happy after that, his professional life didn’t go the way of his dreams. He spent two decades working tirelessly in blue-collar jobs while trying to break through as a writer. He often felt discouraged, like he’d never really made it, like he himself had been demoted to a lower league.

In Relegated, Todd embarks on a trip of personal and professional discovery. Looking for a change and a chance to write about something that really matters to him, he takes off for a multi-month, immersive expedition through the world and culture of English football. He visits not only the best clubs but also the most out of the way and forgotten ones. In these places, like the Old Spotted Dog Ground in East London, the port town of Grimsby (once voted the worst city in England), and Arbroath on the north coast of Scotland, he begins to understand what it means to be a “true” supporter of this historic and cherished game. He meets pub owners, groundskeepers, fan club organizers, and professional and amateur players who show him a deeper love of the sport. He learns how communities rally around a club, how much joy and suffering they can take, and how football clubs—even the lesser-known ones—can bond people together in memories that last a lifetime.

A heartwarming account featuring pints, meat pies, a rainbow of team scarves and banners, and some very colorful slang, Relegated is the story of a man looking to transform himself while discovering the true meaning of English football.

Good story poorly narrated

A great story that opened a new view of the full football association in England. A nice combination stories and travelogue. Unfortunately, the reading was dull and lifeless. Honestly thought it was a computer. Too bad.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I found myself looking forward to picking up where I left off last time. I finished the book quickly. Always a sign of a good book.

The writing style and phraseology were extremely entertaining. I found it very interesting getting to know the supporters, British towns, and how they are woven together.

Well done mate!

Thanks, Todd From America!

This is such a well written, authentic story about more than football. I enjoyed the book!

Creative effort; awful narrator

Being new-ish to English football, I appreciated the effort and creativity with the book. It did drift a bit from the premise, but was generally entertaining. I did grow tired of hearing “I’m Todd from America,” however.

I’d give this book zero performance stars if I could. I had to check to ensure it wasn’t read by AI, as his performance was beyond robotic. Awful and lazy efforts with English, Scottish accents worsened the performance.

Generally a cool book about English football if you can tolerate the narrator.

great overview of English football

but the narrator REALLY has to stop doing English accents. it's not necessary for the story to have authentic English accents. and he's not even close.