COME AND MEET COV'S CLASS OF '81!

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

22 Nov

COME AND MEET COV'S CLASS OF '81!

This Saturday, 25 November, Sky Blues fans at the Crawley Town match have a chance to meet players from the famous 1980/81 squad. Go along to the casino before the match, where 29 Minutes from Wembley author Steve Phelps will be chatting with fans and signing copies along with five stars of the era. Then you can drop by Lady Godiva's after the match and get Garry Thompson to sign your other arm!

* * *

On 10 February 1981 Coventry City stood 29 minutes from Wembley in the League Cup semi-final second leg at West Ham United's Upton Park. Victories over Manchester United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Cambridge United and Watford had taken Gordon Milne's side to the first semi-final in the club's 97-year history. City's youngsters missed out on a trip to Wembley in the cruellest of circumstances after a fantastic first leg at Highfield Road in front of 36,000 fans.

29 Minutes from Wembley: The Inside Story of Coventry City's 1980/81 Season features exclusive interviews with players, management, supporters and opposition stars. Contemporary media reports appear alongside memories and retrospectives to recall a wonderful time in Sky Blue history, the team's age averaging just 21.

By the summer of 1983 the majority had left the club; here, they tell their individual stories of their time at Coventry City, a club still close to their hearts after all these years. Just how good could that team have been?

For the first time, the cast of 1980/81 are reunited to tell their stories:

Voted the most popular player in the top flight era, Tommy Hutchison, takes us through his Sky Blues career
England internationals Mark Hateley and Danny Thomas look back to where it all began
Gordon Milne links player memories with his own recollections of nine seasons as manager
One of the club's best centre-back pairings, Gary Gillespie and Paul Dyson, take us back in time
Garry Thompson, Peter Bodak and Andy Blair on the wonderful opportunities presented to them all at Highfield Road
The first player to score wearing the Admiral brown kit, Steve Hunt, on the Cosmos and much, much more
'The goal that never was', Clive Allen's 'goal' for Crystal Palace and the referee who said 'NO'!
Ian Wallace and Mick Ferguson, one of the most prolific strike partnerships to wear sky blue
Memories of the late Les Sealey, City's 'vocal' goalkeeper, and number one in 1980/81
Cameos from John Sillett, John Motson and Keith Hackett

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from 29 Minutes from Wembley.