Description
More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs Apartheid by Chuck Korr & Marvin Close is an extraordinary true story about how football became a powerful act of resistance in one of history’s bleakest places — Robben Island prison.
Starting in 1964, political prisoners repeatedly demanded the right to play soccer, facing punishments, starvation, and isolation for their requests. After three years of perseverance, they won that right — and went on to create an organised, highly disciplined league, complete with fixtures, committees, referees, and written regulations. For over 20 years, this league became a crucial symbol of dignity, unity, and defiance under apartheid’s brutal regime.
This moving book tells not only the history of this unlikely football league but also reveals how the simple act of playing a game can be an act of rebellion and a means of survival. As Nelson Mandela himself said: “Soccer is more than just a game… it made us feel alive and triumphant despite the situation we found ourselves in.”
