'67 SKY BLUES BOOK EVENT THIS SATURDAY

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint.
They do all the great Got, Not Got series
and plenty of other retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising
sports book publishers and remains a beacon
of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect"
commissioning of boxing material stands
as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining
and clever ideas. They work out what the aficionado
would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most.
Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching
designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Orient to the Emirates, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative
ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books.
They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise
to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands
around the world to get into the sport of triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run & Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads
was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing
expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't
and realise that interest in football extends beyond the
Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious,
seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and
matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!, Natural

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with,
contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge
and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it,
using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped
make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got series of books

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football,
channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping
some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

07 Nov

'67 SKY BLUES BOOK EVENT THIS SATURDAY

STOP PRESS: Sky Blues fans! If you're attending this Saturday's home match against Mansfield, be sure and drop in to the casino either pre- or post-match to catch a unique Play Up Sky Blues signing event. Author Jim Brown will be appearing with stars of the '67 season including Ron Farmer, Mick Kearns and Dietmar Bruck, who will be signing books and chatting about their exploits 50 years ago. The event starts at 1.30pm, then continues after the match until 6.00pm.

Coventry City: Champions 1967 tells the story of Coventry City's finest season, when they reached the First Division for the first time in the club’s history.

Under their charismatic manager Jimmy Hill, the Sky Blues had narrowly missed out on promotion in 1966 and, strengthened by the arrival of record signing Ian Gibson, were the favourites to go up the following season. The story tells how, after a mixed start, the team had a crisis in October with Hill and Gibson falling out and the Scot asking for a transfer – at which point the team was dumped out of the League Cup by Third Division opposition.

For a time 'JH' was under pressure until he and 'Gibbo' settled their differences, and the fans' hero was recalled. His return sparked a run of 25 unbeaten games and secured promotion. With success guaranteed, the 'Midlands Match of the Century' with Wolves would decide the title: over 51,000 watched as the Sky Blues triumphed and went on to clinch the Second Division championship.

Play Up Sky Blues focuses on Coventry City’s Second Division title win of 1967, a famous landmark on the club’s route to the top. Read the book and discover:

Why manager Jimmy Hill and record signing Ian Gibson fell out in the Carlisle dressing room
How City's stuttering start to the 1966-67 season and a shock League Cup defeat piled pressure on Hill
How Jimmy steered the club out of crisis and on to the Second Division title
How many fans had written off the Sky Blues’ promotion hopes in November, with just a few hundred fans travelling to away games
How the battling Sky Blues went behind on nine occasions and fought back to win or draw
How their never-say-die attitude contributed to a club record 25-game unbeaten run
Which Coventry City player received death threats following the FA Cup defeat to Newcastle
What happened at Highfield Road in the ‘Midlands Match of the Century’ against Wolves
How local kid Bobby Gould won over the knockers and finished as Division 2’s leading scorer

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Play Up Sky Blues.