HOUSE OF COMMONS LAUNCH FOR FREDDIE

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

20 Sep

HOUSE OF COMMONS LAUNCH FOR FREDDIE

Last week saw the successful House of Commons launch of Christopher Evans MP's Fearless Freddie: The Life and Times of Freddie Mills.

An excellent turnout at the Terrace Dining Room enjoyed drinks and canapés, and were then treated to a speech by legendary sports promoter Barry Hearn. Chris then read a passage from the book, explaining his long obsession with the great Welsh boxer and 50s media figure who suffered a tragic and mysterious death.

Barry Hearns paid tribute to Freddie Mills and threw some light on the enduring attraction of the man as a fighter, as an early media celebrity and ultimately as a great enigma. "I'm not going to spoil the end of the story," he said finally. "But I would thoroughly recommend reading it. Enjoy the life and times, the tears, the happiness, the laughter, the success and the failure of one of Britain's great sportsmen."

Author Chris Evans explained how the book was borne out of many visits made by his cockney great auntie Joyce - who grew up on the same East End street as the Kray twins - to his grandmother's house in the Rhondda.

"She told us Freddie Mills was the greatest fighter in the land who got in with some right wrong 'uns up west, who did him in. Researching this book I learned this was one of the tamer stories about how Freddie met his demise..."

As Britain’s first true sporting superstar, few figures have been subject to more rumours and gossip than Freddie Mills, ever since his mysterious death in 1965. Was Mills killed by the Krays or the Chinese Triads? Was he a serial killer responsible for the deaths of six prostitutes in the Hammersmith area? Fearless Freddie cuts through the myth to reveal:

The true, inspirational story of Mills’s rise from the backstreets of Bournemouth to the top of the boxing world
His start in the boxing booths of the South West, and the fear that one day he would return there
The truth about his mysterious disappearance after one of his biggest fights
How he won the world title with a broken neck – just one punch away from paralysis, or worse...
Mills's bizarre relationship with his wife, Chrissie, and her first husband, who accompanied the couple on their honeymoon
How the death of his friend, Michael Holliday, set off a chain of events which resulted in Freddie’s own death
The true nature of his relationship with gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray
Finally, what really happened in the early hours of 25th July 1965, when Freddie was found shot in the back of his car at Goslett Yard...

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Fearless Freddie.