Literally On Fire

“As a result of not smoking I’m now fitter and have more money. And that works just fine, until you see a picture of Berbatov or Özil or Socrates puffing away on a cigarette and looking like the coolest bastard in the world. Berbatov is not only cooler than me, but is also fitter and has more money. So what was the point of giving up?”

In Episode Twenty One we feature ‘Literally on Fire’ by Jonathan Liew, looking at the complicated history of smoking and football. From collectable cigarette cards in the late 19th century to Dixie Dean and Stanley Matthews endorsing cigarette brands, to long-lens paparazzi snapping pictures of stars on holiday taking a puff on a cheeky fag, the relationship between sport and smoking has changed completely.

Jonathan Liew writes about sport for the Daily Telegraph and is a former Young Sportswriter of the Year, as wistfully sepia-tinted as that sounds. Twitter: @jonathanliew

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