FOUR TITLES UP FOR FOOTBALL AWARD

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

23 Mar

FOUR TITLES UP FOR FOOTBALL AWARD

Congratulations are in order for four Pitch Publishing authors, after Telegraph Sports Book of the Year judges selected four of our titles for the 2020 Football Book of the Year long-list.

A Tournament Frozen in Time by Steven Scragg, Natural by David Tossell, Tangled Up in Blue by Stephen O'Donnell and The Pride of the Lionesses by Carrie Dunn have all made the list.

Members of the the Football Writers' Association formed the judging panel, and will next select a shortlist, which will be announced in early April, and ultimately select a winner.

The winner of the award will be revealed at Lord’s Cricket Ground on June 2nd 2020.

Pitch now have five titles in the running at the Telegraph Sports Book of the Year, with more long-lists to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

It was announced before Christmas that Emile Heskey's autobiography Even Heskey Scored was long-listed for the Sports Autobiography of the Year at this year's award.

A Tournament Frozen in Time by Steven Scragg

A Tournament Frozen in Time is a homage to the awkward sibling of the European Champions' Cup (for high achievers) and the UEFA Cup (where the cool kids hung out).

Domestic cup success was what gained entry to this hipster tournament, attracting a richer diversity of competitor than its more celebrated counterparts.

Steven Scragg is a senior writer and podcaster for These Football Times. He has been featured in Guardian Sport and was shortlisted for the Blogger of the Year category at the 2017 Football Supporters' Federation Awards.

Steven has also written for The Anfield Wrap, This Is Anfield and The Sportsman, travelling far and wide in the pursuit of football both as a fan and a writer.

Click here for more information or to read a sample from A Tournament Frozen in Time

Natural by David Tossell

Jimmy Greaves remains the greatest goalscorer in English football history with 357 top-flight goals, although his England career was defined by the heartbreak of missing the 1966 World Cup Final.

After slipping into the grip of alcoholism, he reinvented himself as a popular TV personality. Natural is the definitive biography of a sporting legend.

David Tossell has been a sports journalist for almost four decades. Long-time head of European Public Affairs for the NFL (National Football League) and former Executive Sports Editor of the Today newspaper, he is the author of 15 previous sports books.

A renowned biographer and historian, five of his books have been shortlisted in the British Sports Book Awards and two for the MCC/Cricket Society Book of the Year.

Click here for more information or to read a sample from Natural

Tangled Up in Blue by Stephen O'Donnell

Tangled Up in Blue explores the stories behind two of Scottish football's defining issues, which are separate but closely linked. First, the historic and fractious rivalry, based on a religious divide, between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic; and, second, the recent catastrophic financial collapse of Rangers, which ultimately led to the club's liquidation.

Stephen O'Donnell is an author and freelance writer of football-themed fiction and non-fiction, based in Glasgow.

His novels Paradise Road and Scotball were published to critical acclaim. Recently, he has switched to non-fiction, focusing his work on the reasons for the apparent decline of Scottish football in recent years. Stephen is also a contributor to The Blizzard and Nutmeg magazines.

Click here for more information or to read a sample from Tangled Up in Blue

The Pride of the Lionesses by Carrie Dunn

While England's Lionesses headed to France for the 2019 Women's World Cup as superstars in search of silverware, FA upheavals back home were moving the goalposts for the newly all-pro elite teams, for part-timers and amateurs alike.

Is women's football in England actually growing from top to bottom - or is it just another slick PR campaign?

Carrie Dunn is the author of The Roar of the Lionesses - named one of The Guardian's best sports books of 2016 - and Football and the FA Women's Super League (with Joanna Welford).

Carrie has reported on the last two Women's World Cups for The Times and for Eurosport.com, and regularly features on BBC radio discussing and commentating on women's football.

Click here for more information or to read a sample from The Pride of the Lionesses