In 'The Penalty Kick: The Story of a Gamechanger,' author Robert McCrum delves into the fascinating history and dynamics behind the penalty kick in soccer, linking it closely to his family’s legacy through his great-grandfather, the rule's inventor. The narrative intertwines personal reflections with broader developments in soccer, highlighting how McCrum's realizations about his roots and the evolution of the game are influenced by the socio-economic backdrop of his ancestral village, Milford. The book presents a unique exploration of sports history alongside generational narratives.
The answer begins with the village of Milford itself, which is where the family had the mill. The first time I went there, I was shown what was then a muddy field, which is where the kick had been pioneered.
It was only with the Good Friday Agreement and the economic rejuvenation of the North, and the pressures on the village from developers, that they began to see this might be a solution to the problem of how to cope with developers: to make the village a historic site.
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