BAND OF GOLD

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

06 Sep

BAND OF GOLD

The story of boxing’s prestigious Lonsdale belt, intriguingly told by sports historian John Harding – from the belt's origins and development to an unambiguous measure of excellence in the chaotic and often murky world of British professional boxing.

For more than one hundred years the Lonsdale Belt has encircled the waists of all the great names in British boxing history: Freddie Welsh and Ted 'Kid' Lewis; Benny Lynch and Jimmy Wilde; Freddie Mills, Randolph Turpin and Terry Downes; Henry Cooper, Barry McGuigan, Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe.

In Lonsdale’s Belt you will discover:

The origins of championship boxing belts; the role of the old National Sporting Club in using the Lonsdale belt to establish boxing’s legality at the dawn of the 20^th century.
The controversies and the battles between promoters, managers and administrators that almost destroyed boxing in the 1930s after the British Boxing Board of Control was formed.
The rise and fall of British boxing’s premier promoters such as Jeff Dicksen, Jack Solomons, Harry Levene, Frank Warren and Barry Hearn.
How every great British boxer has fought for a Lonsdale belt, but some great champs – Joe Calzaghe, Frank Bruno, Ricky Hatton – have come to regret not securing one.
Who are the outright belt winners? Who won a belt outright the fastest? Who won Lonsdale belts at different weights? How many brothers won belts? Fathers and sons?
How black boxers came to be banned for decades from fighting for the belt.
How legendary champs such as Jimmy Wilde and Freddie Welsh fell on hard times – but the promise of a ‘pension’ that accompanied winning a belt for keeps was never kept.
Where almost all the precious original belts have gone – some stolen, some sold, some lost – and the stories behind them.
Why the Lonsdale belt remains the prize most coveted by British boxers. How much the prize means today – and has come to the aid of many troubled young men seeking redemption in the ring.

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Lonsdale’s Belt.