Danish Dynamite: The Story of Football’s Greatest Cult Team Paperback – July 22, 2014

Danish Dynamite: The Story of Football's Greatest Cult Team (2014) by Rob Smyth, Lars Eriksen and and Mike Gibbons looks at the wonderful Danish team of the 1980s and early 1990s.Denmark didn't get a professional league with reasonable rules until the 1970s. Despite football being the big game in Denmark the national team had never managed to be good prior to the late 1970s. Kurt Nielsen was one of the first Danish managers of the National team who was a full manager in the modern sense and who could select his own team. He was friendly and allowed the players too much freedom. His successor, Sepp Pointek was a former German international who was serious about creating a good team. When he moved to Denmark he was very lucky and got a fantastic group of players who with more serious coaching became one of the best teams of the 1980s featuring the fantastic Laudrup brothers, Elkjær, Olsen and a host of others.The team really was thrilling and would go on to remarkable success at the 1984 European Championship and the 1986 World Cup. The team then declined and went on to cause a great upset and win the 1992 European Championship.If you like reading about soccer and great teams of the past the book is well worth reading. However, it would be better as a documentary. Apparently there is a documentary in Danish and perhaps English which would be great to see. For anyone who vaguely remembers the team but not in great detail it's a bit of a stretch. Hopefully the documentary will be released like the Kindle copy of the book.

I have waited for a book on the Danish Dynamite side for a long time and thanks to Rob Smyth it has been worth the wait. The matter is very rich and the book is well researched and written. There are a couple of complaints. The writers should have delved more into the personalities of the key players. Also get more of the players perspectives. But still a page turner. Finished it in one day. I am from India and never saw 1986 World Cup. But I just love this great side.

One of the book's strengths is its exploration of the cultural and social impact of Danish Dynamite. It examines how the team's success influenced the nation's collective identity, uniting Danes from all walks of life in their shared passion for football. The book delves into the fan culture, the atmosphere at matches, and the indelible mark left by Danish Dynamite on the country's sporting landscape.The authors' meticulous research is evident throughout the book, drawing from interviews, archival material, and firsthand accounts to present a comprehensive and detailed narrative. The book is also supplemented with captivating photographs, providing visual context to the team's journey and achievements.Overall, "Danish Dynamite: The Story of Football's Greatest Cult Team" is a captivating and informative read. It pays tribute to a team that defied expectations and left an indelible mark on Danish football history. Whether you're a fan of Danish football, a lover of football nostalgia, or simply interested in captivating sports stories, this book is a must-read.

as a Dane myself, I was looking forward to the book before it came out. Glad I got it. Learned of some other players from the 80's I didn't know of.

Danish Dynamite is such an enjoyable book.One of my favorite football books that I have read in a while! I was sad when it was over.

Good book, well written

Excellent book. Will leave you feel nostalgic, such teams are rarity nowadays.

I miss those players.

Its been a while but finally someone has taken the time to write about one of football's lesser lights. In the last few years there have been a deluge of books about the triumphs of the Spanish national side. At present South American football is under the spotlight (Hmmm and I wonder why) so a big thank you to those involved with Danish Dynamite. For me personally, Mexico 86 brings back my earliest memories of international football coupled with the fact it was the last major finals that Northern Ireland managed to qualify for. Anyhow back to the subject at hand......Anyone who loves beautiful football will surely remember the great Danish side of the 1980's. They came virtually from nowhere to become a neutrals favourite team and the one you looked out for when your own nation was getting humped. From the opening chapter the reader is quick to grasp that there is a real love and passion behind the research and writing. This isn't just a quirky project, this is a book written by those that adored the Denmark team of the era. Its very well researched and treats the subject with the respect it deserves. So no jokes about The Killing every few pages either.The book covers the humble beginning of the Danish Football Association and the transition from amateur to professional standings. Its a fine example of a smaller nation putting the big boys to shame in style and substance. The World Cup in Mexico 1986 is perhaps the pinnacle of this particular side and the book. In the years leading to the tournament, Europe and the rest of the world began to take notice of the spell binding football being played by the Scandinavians. A team devoid of prime donna's yet full of technically gifted players who bonded as a unit. They burned bright but alas not for long enough.The triumph of Euro 92 in Sweden is merely a footnote as the book is a celebration of the team which finally helped put Denmark on the footballing radar. Perhaps the writers could squeeze out another book based upon the events of 1992?So for those of you in the know, the book is a great reminder of just how good this team really was. For those that don't......its a great way to learn about one of the under appreciated teams in modern football.

This book is for the football romantics, and specifically for the football romantics who adore the Danish national team of the mid-80s. I am myself one of the fans with fond memories of that side: notably the 1986 World Cup, which was the best World Cup of legendary sides, where the Danish team is one among many. In that sense I do not see this book as totally objective: it is a declaration of love to this team, and as many declarations of love, it overplays the superlatives and fails to mention some of the darker sides: surely the 1980s were other times, but they were not always good. The game was harsher, and some of the Danish players did not hesitate to play as harsh as anyone, with tasteless tackles and acting. This is only mentioned superficially (specifically on Klaus Bergreen's excessive attack on Charlie Nichols in 1986), and only excused. The same can be said for the Danish Roligans; indeed, great fans that became very popular at a time when Hooligans were overshadowing fan culture. But that is also why they became so popular, and one cannot ignore some of the more tasteless aspects of Roligans such as rowdy drunken behaviour (without getting violent admittedly) and a general disrespect for opposition, mostly seen in the tradition of whistling during other team's national anthems.The most interesting parts of the book are about the role of Sepp Piontek as a coach who inculcated discipline and a new offensive strategy based on a very talented generation of Danish footballers. There is nevertheless little about the football tactics behind this, where Piontek indeed used a strong midfield that both looked back to Total Football, but also looked ahead at more modern use of holding midfielders and a hanging striker.The last chapters of the book were the most interesting in terms of the legacy of the team: when the 1980s team ended, Denmark went on to win the Euro 1992 under coach Richard Moller Nielsen, playing a style of football that in many ways seemed the antithesis of the 1980s team. In some ways Danish football has suffered from this, as Denmark now seems light years away from producing players of the technical level of the 1980s side, but seems intent on producing technically mediocre work-men, like some of the players that won the 1992 Euro. It is mentioned shortly in the last chapter, but it seems that Denmark is stuck between what in Argentina is the Menotti-Bilardo schizophrenia. This was perhaps illustrated by the role Morten Olsen played as national team coach: surely he wanted to play something similar to what the 1980s side he captained played, but there were not sufficient players for it, and also, a focus on results, rather than “glory”... In that sense, the heritage of the legendary 1980s Danish side appears as little more than fond memories, and that is truly a pity for Danish football.But if you are a romantic about the 1980s side, this is your book.

This was a fantastic book about the great team from 86 world cup who won the group of death West Germany Uruguay Scotland and Denmark but then were convincingly beaten by Spain in next round.The behind the scenes in the build up fascinating Laudrup,Elkiar-Larsen,Molby and co great team.Brought back memories of the 1986 tournament.A must for Football fans.

Fantastic book, I couldnt put it down. Just as the other reviewers said, it was a great book. Fantastic team. Its well written from beginning to end and there were some valuable football lessons here, namely i thought that you dont have to win things to be great. Like the dutch in 74 and brazil in 2982 and kevin keegans newcastle, great teams live long in the memory because of the way they played football. This was one of those great footballing teams.

In a way the great Danish team of the mid eighties were the victims of poor timing for three reasons - peaking as they did for a european championships where the great Platini-led French team were at home, a world cup in the distinctly un-Nordic land of Mexico, and appearing as they did in the pre-internet era. As such you won't find them in lists of tournament winners, and most non-Danes won't have ever seen clips of them.This superb book returns the spotlight on to a fantastic team with an amazing story behind them - a nation that within a decade went from having a purely amateur international side to being talked of as the best in Europe in less than a decade. Lose any notions of them being 'plucky minnows' - this was a team who should be listed alongside Hungary in the 50s, the Dutch of the 70s and Brazil of the 80s - teams who claimed the glory if not the trophies.A great book for anyone interested in pre-90s football, whether you remember them or not!