WITH Christmas approaching when many people are struggling for those all important stocking fillers, why not invest in a sport-related gift for your nearest and dearest?

Sport gets so much coverage in the newspapers every day that you would think that there would be little left to say on most topics.

But that has not prevented a number of stars putting pen to paper over the last 12 months as they share their memories.

The most controversial book of the year was without doubt Roy Keane's autobiography which landed the Manchester United captain with a suspension after he revealed his intention to injure Alfie Haaland.

The disclosures about Haaland and Mick McCarthy may have been the big stories that the newspaper serialisation latched on to, but there is plenty more to Keane than those recent events and 'Roy Keane: The Autobiography' would make an ideal gift for football fans regardless of their affinities.

McCarthy's own 'World Cup Diary 2002' is another excellent book, which shows the other side of the argument.

Another manager with a story to tell is Sven Goran Eriksson, whose authorised biography by Joe Lovejoy is currently on sale.

Despite the Ulrika factor, there is still little known about the man behind the specs but this book documents his rise from a moderate playing career in his native Sweden to an outstanding managerial career in Portugal, Italy and now as England boss.

A few old-timers have had their say, with Brian Clough revising his first autobiography and releasing 'Walking on Water' (£18.99). Although still a cracking read, I am unsure as to whether a second attempt was completely necessary - more like treading water, really.

Nearer home, Simon Marland, Wanderers' official statistician, has chronicled the history of the club in his latest offering, 'BWFC: The Official History' (£23.95).

My favourite football book of the last few years is still Tony Cascarino's 'Full Time' (£6.99), and a similarly less celebrated player has written one of the best of 2002.

Simon Garner may be a hero in Blackburn but not really headline news anywhere else, however his autobiography 'There's Only One Simon Garner' (£9.95) is a riveting tale of an honest pro in the pre-prawn sandwich era of football.

Two books to put on your Christmas list are Mike Atherton's 'Opening Up' and Bill Borrows' 'The Hurricane' on Alex Higgins.

The latter is predictably 300-plus pages of sex, drugs, rock n roll and snooker, but its good to see all the famous stories in one text. Atherton may be short on the anarchy story-count, but his recollections of his period as England cricket captain are brilliantly written.

And don't forget the video goodies

BOOKS are not the only sport-related gifts with videos also taking a big share of the Christmas market.

Manchester United are featured in two rush-released videos - but not in the way they would like.

The first 'Lightening Strikes Twice' (£9.99) heralds Bolton Wanderers win at Old Trafford earlier in the season when Kevin Nolan scored the all-important winning goal while Manchester City have not been slow to record their derby win over the Reds with a video entitled 'Remember, Remember 9th November!' (£14.99).

Back to the Reebok and one of Wanderers' most popular overseas stars, Gudni Bergsson, is featured in his own video 'Gudni Boltonsson' (£12.99) which charts not only his football career but also his early life in Iceland.

Yet you cannot forget the men from Old Trafford and one of their legends is featured in the 'George Best Story' (£13.49) while another, 'Classic Matches' (£13.49), looks back on some of the club's more memorable games over the last four decades.

... or the latest games

COMPUTER games are also a big seller and one recent release is TIF Football on the PlayStation 2.

There are many footie games around, but this one boasts 13,500 real-life players, photo realistic graphics and a sophisticated managerial element. There are a variety of competitions to take part in and some spectacular goals to score, but perhaps the best feature is the coaching career mode. This allows you to come through the ranks of the lower divisions as a manager until you reach the higher reaches of professional football.