A TUMULTUOUS TOUR – AND A FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER!

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

18 Apr

A TUMULTUOUS TOUR – AND A FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER!

In the Shadow of Packer is David Battersby’s gripping story of England's 1977/78 winter tour of Pakistan and New Zealand, which coincided with the revolutionary first season of World Series Cricket.

It’s a tumultuous tale, taking in coups, riots and controversies, landmark losses and the rise of future stars under the stuttering leadership of Geoff Boycott.

Take a step back in time to 1977 – to the days of punk rock, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and a winter tour that was historic for so many diverse and unpredictable reasons…

The inaugural season of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket coincides with the tour. Ex-England skipper Tony Greig along with Dennis Amiss, Bob Woolmer, Alan Knott and Derek Underwood sign up and play for Packer.
Promising 21-year-old all-rounder, Ian Botham, is included in an overseas Tour party for the first time. Botham scores his maiden Test century, in the second Test in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Tour squad includes uncapped players, future England captain Mike Gatting and future England Managing Director, wicket-keeper Paul Downton.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party wins the General Election. Rioting erupts after allegations of vote-rigging. General Zia Ul-Haq stages a military coup and seizes power.
Rioting seriously disrupts the first Test in Lahore. After an appearance by Bhutto’s wife, Nusrat, and daughter, Benazir, the third day is abandoned early and puts the tour into jeopardy.
The Lahore Test would see Pakistan’s Mudassar Nazar record the slowest ever Test century, a record that still stands to this day. His century was reached in 557 minutes off 419 balls.
With Mike Brearley injured and homward bound, Geoffrey Boycott captains England for the first time in the Third Test in Karachi and for the rest of the Tour
The book includes the story of how New Zealand historically record their first ever Test victory over England in the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from In the Shadow of Packer.