TRACKING DOWN RANGERS' NINE-IN-A-ROW HEROES

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

10 May

TRACKING DOWN RANGERS' NINE-IN-A-ROW HEROES

The Bear Hunter is the fascinating and unlikely seven-year story of one football fan's devotion to his team. In 2009, John Irwin began a mission to track down every one of the 86 players who featured in Rangers' nine league title wins between 1988 and 1997 and have them sign his favourite strip. From legends such as McCoist, Laudrup and Gough to journeymen, loanees and youngsters who only turned out for one match, John vowed to find them all.

His obsession took him around the world. From a nightmare trip to Ukraine and a whistle-stop tour of Dubai, to a mayor's office in America and 13 trains across Holland, the number of John's adventures was equalled only by the miles clocked up. Whether it was a fire station in Sheffield or a shortbread factory in the Highlands, amateur detective John left no stone unturned to find each of his heroes.

On the 20th anniversary of Rangers' greatest achievement, this is the nine-in-a-row squad then and now – seen through the eyes of one super-fan who turned Bear Hunter to meet his heroes.

In the famous lyrics of the Rangers anthem, 'Follow Follow', John Irwin went everywhere and anywhere to track down his heroes. His obsession took him around the world and provided him with adventures and memories he’ll never forget, such as:

The overseas journey to hell that left John lost, alone, penniless and fearing for his life
The whisky dinner with an ex-striker that caused John to pass out and wake up in another country
The important medical operation John postponed in order to meet a player who featured in just one nine-in-a-row game
The fans’ favourite who invited John into his beautiful American home for a Sunday roast dinner with his family
An airport security scare in one of the most conflict-heavy countries in the world
An epic diversion that started with a drive to Great Yarmouth and ended in a five-star Dubai hotel
The tale of a phone book, perseverance and a helpful sister that led to a meeting with a genuine football icon
A return trip to hell to secure the final signature, but would John’s health hold out as the stress became too much?

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from The Bear Hunter