With thanks to the author, publishers Bloomsbury Sport, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This book is a well researched and written account of how the position of the football centre-half has evolved since the origins of the game, and how the different physical and mental attributes required to play the position effectively through the decades and right up to the present day have also changed to reflect that.

The intricacies of the relationships between the centre-halfs and their central-defensive partners, their goalkeepers and even their midfielders and forwards are examined in great detail, and I really enjoyed how the book was littered with anecdotes from some famous and some not-so-famous players from the past and the present day to elaborate on these relationships, even if there was a bit of repetition in the stories and storytellers.

Overall an informative and enjoyable read and something every football fan will enjoy, but particularly those with an interest in the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) art of defending!

A good book though probably niche interest for those already interested in the sport, and reading about it. With the focus on the central defender, the book covers a scope of history, evolution of the sport and position through to the modern era, sections on 'dark arts' great pairings, etc. An interesting read with insights from many who played the game. Well written book.

Flaws: some repetition. Perhaps unavoidable when covering aspects of the same area in different chapters, but it did feel I'd read more or less the same quotes more than once. And a little short; I felt some more detail in places and perhaps differing approaches and ideas, e.g. on the tactical nuances, may have added a little more depth and variety.

Overall I think the book is fine in itself, covering a position perceived as less than glamorous by most and worthy of attention.

I never played football to any level of note, but when I did play I was a centre half. I was tall and so in the imaginations of football coaches it made sense to put me in the heart of the defence to head away opposition attacks. I wasn’t big though. I was no Kenneth Burns who was one-half of a formidable partnership for my club when they were winning European Cups. Nor was I Des Walker with his graceful speed and timing. If I was searching for an appropriate Nottingham Forest analogy, I was a rubbish Carl Tiler, or to put it another way, Carl Tiler (I jest).

In this entertaining book, Leo Moynihan delves into the history of the role. He talks to a number of former players about what made them different, why the position often provides captains and how the position has developed as football has become more possession based and technical, demanding a more rounded exponent than old style blood and thunder defending. This format is its great strength. The author doesn’t bog us down in too much historical detail, though he references good sources for that type of information, but rather presents stories from the field of play.

For Forest fans, such as myself, there is the added bonus of representation from Kenny Burns, part of the club’s European Cup winning team under Brian Clough, and Joe Worrall, academy graduate, lifelong Forest fan and current occupant of the centre half berth. Worrall maybe doesn’t enhance his (potential) transfer fee by explaining that he is far more focused on his defensive duties than the more modern technical skills sought after by top flight clubs, but both add colour to the book with their views on the part their position plays in the game.

Burns even gets the last word in the book, not a flattering one as it turns out, whilst his defensive partner from the late 70s, Larry Lloyd, also gets plenty of mentions, pushed out of Liverpool by their desire to play more cultured defenders he moved on to Forest and helped them steal both their domestic and European crowns. This is not a book about Forest though, however much I may have enjoyed those aspects personally, there is lots for football fans across the pyramid to enjoy.

Partnerships play a significant part, not least that between Bobby Moore and Jack Charlton that formed the bedrock of England’s World Cup winning side, and Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister who played a major part in Alex Ferguson’s success at Manchester United. There are also lovely nuggets of asides, such as Ferguson’s feeling that Rio Ferdinand ball playing skills were a potential distraction rather than a key appeal of his talents and Frank Lebeouf insight into moving to English football and the difference in perception of him in his new country compared to his own.

For a relatively short book, at 224 pages, Thou Shall Not Pass delivers an awful lot. Moynihan celebrates the position with enthusiasm and brings life and colour to the men and women who have made it their own. This is an entertaining and insightful read for any fan of the game.

This is a celebration of an underrated football position.

The book starts off with paying tribute to the art of defending before going onto explain the history of how the position developed tactically. It also covers the more ballplaying centre half as well as the more stereotypical British get your head to it and get stuck in and clear type. This also covers partnerships and the relationship with their goalkeepers among others.

I really enjoyed this having a fascination with the position myself. What I enjoyed about this it would make a point and then illustrate it well with quotes from former and current centre halfs plus quotes from the odd manager too. Where this excels is that it's not packed with quotes which sometimes can be the danger with quotes from research or interviews. There is a great balance of this here. Looking at the bibliography, it shows it was well researched and it really shows. Is he up for doing one on any other positions?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

Leo Moynihan has good genes as his father was the celebrated author, John, whose “Soccer Syndrome” is still relevant and memorable over 50 years on.

Leo has already amassed an excellent portfolio of work and this is a worthy addition.

Brilliantly researched, witty, well written and authoritative, this provides a thorough and comprehensive history of central defenders, how they’ve evolved tactically and the different styles of play they employ.

Anything you want to know about defending is covered and the book will be required reading for students of the game who want to be entertained and educated.