MY TOP THREE: ADRIAN DURHAM

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

09 Apr

MY TOP THREE: ADRIAN DURHAM

With several our eBook prices cut, we are asking authors to nominate their three favourite Pitch titles.

Kicking off is TalkSPORT Drive Time host Adrian Durham, who ghost-wrote Paul Cooke's autobiography Judas.

He picks another former Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers star's biography for one of his top three books, along with an Ali classic and an offering on Spanish football. Here are his picks and the reasons why.

The Ali Files by Norman Giller: the research and detail make this a joy to read. The book goes through every one of Ali's fights, describing the build up, the fight itself and the fall out, plus details of what happened to every opponent after the fight.

True Professional by James Oddy: this is the story of Clive Sullivan, brilliant rugby league player, flying winger, World Cup winning captain, starred for both Hull clubs and is loved by both sets of fans. It's a riveting story of a true great in British sporting history.

The Frying Pan of Spain by Colin Millar: if you've had the pleasure of visiting Seville, then you know. It's a wonderful place, and to make it even more amazing it also boasts a brilliant football rivalry. The author's passion for the city and the football shines through on every page. It's a fantastic read.

All three are available in eBook format, along with Adrian and Paul's book.

If you're from Hull you're either black and white or red and white. No ifs, no buts. Judas is the story of Paul Cooke, a gifted rugby league player who enjoyed glory at Hull FC on the west side of the city's rugby league divide - but caused outrage when he walked out of the club to join bitter rivals Hull Kingston Rovers.

Magical on the pitch, Cooke was often in trouble off it. Growing up he loved Hull Kingston Rovers, but joined rivals Hull FC. His career flourished, but in 2007, Cooke walked out over a contract dispute.

He made the switch to hated rivals Rovers; and became an instant target for abuse. His time in East Hull was dogged with more controversy, and while there were good times, he moved on to Wakefield before eventually turning his back on the game, to spend his time with his mother who had been diagnosed with cancer.

After she sadly passed away, Cooke returned to rugby a changed man, to finish his playing career and embark on a new path in coaching. Brutally honest and self-critical, Cooke tells the painful truth in this book, alongside some glorious memories of sporting brilliance. It's the story of the player called 'Judas', Hull's most-hated rugby league son.