Search results for ""pitch publishing ltd""
Pitch Publishing Ltd Gentleman and Player: The Story of Colin Cowdrey, Cricket's Most Elegant and Charming Batsman
Colin Cowdrey is remembered for the elegance of his strokeplay; but there was more to this complex man than a classical cover drive. Successes were numerous: 114 Test matches, 22 Test hundreds, 100 first-class centuries, countless famous victories and unforgettable innings. There was controversy and disappointment too, chief among them being repeated snubs for the England captaincy and the D'Oliveira Affair. Cowdrey was involved in three of England's most memorable Tests: Lord's in 1963 against the West Indies, batting at 11 with his arm in plaster, two balls left and all four results possible; Trinidad in 1968 in which England secured a famous victory against the West Indies; and The Oval in 1968 when England gained an improbable final-over win against Australia. In later life, he shone as an administrative leader - as president of Kent and of the MCC, and as chairman of the ICC - and was made a Lord. Sir Garry Sobers spoke for many when he said at his memorial service, "Colin Cowdrey was a great man."
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Whose Game Is It Anyway?: Football, Life, Love & Loss
Football has never seemed so distant from its fans. Many have been alienated by the greed and shameless self-interest of the Premier League, and no one can predict how the global game will look post-pandemic. In Whose Game Is It Anyway?, Sunday Times best-selling author Michael Calvin searches for a reason to believe. Written at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, the book is a thought-provoking, deeply personal account of the role sport - and particularly football - plays in everyday life. Part memoir, part manifesto, it takes the reader on a tour of the world's greatest sporting occasions and into its outposts in sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazon Basin and the Southern Ocean. Drawn from Calvin's experience as an award-winning sportswriter, covering every major sports event over 40 years in more than 80 countries, it offers first-hand insight into such icons as Muhammad Ali, Maradona and Sir Bobby Charlton. With settings ranging from a jungle clearing to a township in apartheid South Africa, this is sport as you've never seen it before.
£19.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd When You're Smiling: Life, Love, Leicester City and Football's Greatest Fairytale
When You're Smiling is the story of a football team's journey from also-rans to champions and a football fan's journey from boy to man, through laughter, loss and home defeats. Monday, 2 May 2016 was a day Matt Bozeat thought he would never see. It was the day Leicester City, the team he had supported through thin and thinner all his life, were crowned Premier League champions. The story of the 5,000-1 outsiders winning one of European football's top prizes put a smile on the face of millions worldwide. Three days earlier, Matt had experienced an even greater miracle. When You're Smiling is a nostalgia-filled treat brimming with memories of football and the wider world in the 1980s and 90s. It's a book about belonging and thinking your dreams will never come true - and then they do come true.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Iberia Chronicles: A History of Spanish and Portuguese Football
Iberia Chronicles is a fascinating compendium of all things Spanish and Portuguese football. From the glory and grandeur of Spain's biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, to the rise of Portugal's Boavista and Braga along with everything in between, this is a comprehensive guide to the highs and lows of the game in two football-mad countries. The two nations have a vast history in the sport - Portugal started playing in 1875 and Spain 15 years later. Today they are two of the world's top footballing nations. Despite political issues, the Basque region dominated Spanish football in the 1980s, while great managers such as John Toshack and Luis Aragones made their mark in the country. In nearby Portugal, the late bloomers in the sport had an era to be proud of in the 1990s, but it wasn't until 2016 and the European Championships that they tasted true glory. Iberia Chronicles is penned by a collective of 22 writers. Learn about the key players, managers, glories and downfalls that have shaped the sport in Spain and Portugal.
£12.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Football Fans Quizbook: The Ultimate Football Quizbook
The Football Fans Quizbook is the ultimate test of all-round football knowledge. With over 1000 questions covering domestic, international, Continental, and world competition, some questions are straightforward, some are hard and others cunningly cryptic. Ideal for family, friends, or fellow fans on that tension-filled journey to a crucial away game, The Football Fans Quizbook will always give fans' brains a taxing workout!
£5.80
Pitch Publishing Ltd Ipswich Town On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year
Ipswich Town On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the Tractor Boys' illustrious past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable blue-and-white diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From Town's Victorian formation through to the Premier League era, the Portman Road faithful have witnessed promotions and relegations, League and Cup triumphs, hard-fought derbies and unforgettable European nights - all featured here. All-time greats including John Wark and Ray Crawford, Billy Baxter, Arnold Muhren and Mick Mills all loom larger than life. Revisit 18 January 1969: Bobby Robson's first game in charge, a 2-2 draw away at Everton. 30 October 1926: Barclays Bank beat Town 3-1 at Portman Road, the game being held up to clear an invasion of rats. Or 20 May 1981: The night that Town won the Uefa Cup in Amsterdam!
£9.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Eighty at Eighty: An A to Z of Masters from Ali to Zidane
1966 legend Sir Geoff Hurst is the only footballer in history to score a World Cup final hat-trick. To mark his 80th birthday, he has named the 80 sportsmen who most inspired and motivated him throughout his life. Sir Geoff, who scored 24 goals in 49 England games, also had a talent for cricket, and has an in-depth knowledge of all the major sports. His A to Z of sporting heroes covers multiple sports and decades, from Muhammad Ali to Zinedine Zidane. The book is filled with surprising facts, and Sir Geoff challenges you to count how many times you exclaim, 'I didn't know that!' when reading his entertaining and enlightening breakdown on his sporting idols. Writing in collaboration with renowned sports historian Norman Giller, who reported Sir Geoff's West Ham debut in 1960, Hurst personalises each profile with anecdotes that offer a unique insight into the individual. Pitch Publishing are planning a similar book on the greatest post-war sportswomen, but for now enjoy Sir Geoff Hurst discussing his 80 greatest sportsmen.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Marcelo Bielsa vs The Damned United: The Extraordinary Story of a Club Reborn
Marcelo Bielsa vs The Damned United is a fan's account of two extraordinary seasons at Leeds United, which culminated in the club's return to the Premier League after a 16-year exile. Bielsa, one of the most revered managers in world football, quickly transformed a mediocre group of players into would-be title winners and raced to the top of the Championship.But his biggest foe was the very club he had come to save, a club where controversy and calamity are never far away. The controversial 'Spygate' saga derailed the seasonand the team collapsed at the finish line in heartbreaking and calamitous fashion. The following season Bielsa faced more controversy, more chaos, and just as his team reached the finish line again, along came a global pandemic.This book captures the essence of a unique football genius, and the trials and tribulations of a long-suffering fan base - in love with their manager, electrified by his football and often deranged by a rollercoaster two-year promotion race.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Tommy Lawton: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest
During a stellar 20-year career punctuated by the Second World War, such was Tommy Lawton's prowess in front of goal he was a magnet for spectators at a host of top-level clubs. Prior to the war, he served Burnley and Everton with distinction; enlisted to the British army for the war effort, he guested for a host of clubs. After VE Day he maintained his career average of more than one goal every other game - with Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Brentford, as player manager, and Arsenal; before another spell as player boss at Kettering. In 46 England games either side of the war and including wartime fixtures, he plundered 46 goals. Those impressive stats would surely be even more so but for the war. Deadly in the air or with either foot, and renowned for his sportsmanship - he was never booked throughout his career - Head and Shoulders Above the Rest is an ode to a swashbuckling centre-forward and the man Stanley Matthews described as: 'Quite simply, the greatest header of the ball I ever saw.'
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Hats; Handwraps and Headaches: A Life on the Inside of Boxing
Hats, Handwraps and Headaches is the inspiring, surprising and sometimes shocking story of Irish boxing coach Paddy Fitzpatrick, a failed pro boxer who was almost a Foreign Legionary before finding fame as a trainer of world-class fighters. After struggling as a young adult and attempting suicide, Paddy's life was transformed by a chance meeting with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. Paddy moved to LA to learn his trade at Roach's Wild Card gym, working with the likes of world champions James Toney and Laila Ali, and spending time with Laila's legendary father Muhammad Ali. Back in England, Paddy used the things he had learnt to take George Groves to three world title fights, including the return super-fight with Carl Froch, which drew 80,000 fans to Wembley Stadium. Filled with astonishing anecdotes - like the time Paddy took shots from a Heavyweight contender and a near-miss with a grizzly bear - Hats, Handwraps and Headaches is funny and poignant in equal measure, with riveting tales from both sides of the Atlantic.
£20.31
Pitch Publishing Ltd The King of White Hart Lane: The Authorised Biography of Alan Gilzean
The King of White Hart Lane is the authorised life story of Alan Gilzean, the legendary, world-class Tottenham Hotspur, Dundee and Scotland footballer. Exclusive insights provided by his family, closest friends and colleagues add to the author's own experience to reveal Gilzean, the man and the player. A reserved, charming and intelligent individual who shunned the limelight off the field, Gilzean played with a swagger as a maker and taker of goals, especially alongside Jimmy Greaves at Spurs. We discover how the native of the Perthshire town of Coupar Angus became one of the greatest performers in the history of both his clubs. Gilzean emerged a Scottish folk hero having scored the winning goal against England in front of 133,000 at Hampden Park - and was later welcomed back with open arms by the game after ending a self-imposed exile during which the uninformed conjured often defamatory myths. The elegant striker dubbed 'Nureyev in Boots' left us on Sunday, 8 July 2018. There will never be another like him.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd From Triumph to Tragedy: The Chapecoense Story
From Triumph to Tragedy is the glorious, uplifting but ultimately tragic story of Chapecoense, the small-town Brazilian football club that made worldwide news following their meteoric rise from non-league to continental sensation. Yet the headlines that will be remembered centre on the air disaster en route to what should have been their greatest ever match. Less than ten years after the local mayor had intervened to save the club from liquidation, Associacao Chapecoense de Futebol had become champions of the Santa Catarina State Championship. At the summit of the Brazilian national league structure, they also qualified sensationally for the final of the Copa Sul Americana. The team of rejects and journeymen became heroes not just in their own city, but also to the whole nation. But the final was never to take place, as tragedy struck to render all those triumphant nights insignificant. Could the club now stage one more incredible recovery to allow Era Chape to continue, rather than to accept their fate as the tragic team beloved in fans' memories?
£14.38
Pitch Publishing Ltd Visionary: Manchester United, Michael Knighton and the Football Revolution 1989-2019
Michael Knighton is one of the most notable football entrepreneurs of his generation. Thirty years ago he arrived on the scene at Manchester United, bearing the revolutionary gift of ideas for the transformation of the club's fortunes. Visionary tells the inside story of his time at Old Trafford - a crucial, incendiary era in United's history. Knighton is popularly known as the man who very nearly bought Manchester United for the giveaway price of GBP10 million. Ultimately, he spurned the opportunity to complete the purchase, opting instead to join the board and watch as his radical ideas for a commercial revolution were put into action. Visionary argues the case for Knighton as the architect of the richest football club and greatest sporting brand on the planet - and that it was Knighton's unacknowledged axis with Alex Ferguson that enabled a paradigm shift in United's fortunes on the field of play, leading to unparalleled glories. Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph called Michael's tale 'one of the great football stories of our time'.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Bitten by Wolves: Stories from the Soul of Molineux
Bitten by Wolves takes us on a glorious yet tumultuous journey through the modern history of Wolverhampton Wanderers. From lifting league titles and pioneering European club competition to twice going bankrupt and languishing in the Fourth Division, Wolves have experienced extreme highs and lows. The author spent a year speaking to former players, staff, supporters and others who witnessed or played a part in some of the most successful, turbulent and defining moments in the club's recent history. Wolves have always been about much more than the results on the pitch. It's the club's place in the Wolverhampton community that underpins its identity. Today, Wolves are going through existential change under the ownership of a Chinese investment conglomerate. The author has gained behind-the-scenes insight into the current ownership and management while revealing how Wolves became the club it is today. Filled with fascinating untold stories and eye-witness accounts, Bitten by Wolves tells the definitive story of the club's evolution.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd 29 Minutes from Wembley: The Inside Story of Coventry City's 1980/81 Season
On 10 February 1981 Coventry City stood 29 minutes from Wembley in the League Cup semi-final second leg at West Ham United's Upton Park. Victories over Manchester United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Cambridge United and Watford had taken Gordon Milne's side to the first semi-final in the club's 97-year history. City's youngsters missed out on a trip to Wembley in the cruellest of circumstances after a fantastic first leg at Highfield Road in front of 36,000 fans. For the first time, the cast of 1981 are reunited to tell their stories. 29 Minutes From Wembley features exclusive interviews with players, management, supporters and opposition stars. Contemporary media reports appear alongside memories and retrospectives to recall a wonderful time in Sky Blue history, the team's age averaging just 21. By the summer of 1983 the majority had left the club; here, they tell their individual stories of their time at Coventry City, a club still close to their hearts after all these years. Just how good could that team have been?
£14.38
Pitch Publishing Ltd Jimmy Adamson
In 1962, Jimmy Adamson had the world at his feet: FA Cup finalist, Footballer of the Year and invited to become England manager. But Adamson said 'no'. Having foreseen Burnley as the 'Team of the Seventies', controversy and disillusionment soon saw Adamson turn his back on the game. The story of an enigma, of broken dreams and what might have been.
£14.38
Pitch Publishing Ltd Fifty Shades of White: Half a Century of Pain and Glory with Leeds United
Fifty Shades of White is Gary Edwards's fifth book; and he returns with more fabulous, rib-tickling tales that come with half a century of following one of the most talked about football clubs in the world. Like the time he was asked to accompany a four-and-a-half-foot tall monk with a large hearing aid, who hadn't previously left his abbey for 25 years, to a Leeds United game as part of a BBC documentary. Or the time he escaped from hospital, still in his hospital gown and attached to a catheter, a blood bag, several needles and with two tampons stuck up his nose to travel 70 miles up the A1 in a thunderstorm for a relatively meaningless Leeds game at Darlington. There is a fascinating, controversial and hilarious insight into Leeds United's former owner Ken Bates, gleaned from being a special guest at his birthday and Christmas parties for eight consecutive years. Fifty Shades of White gives a unique fan insight into the club and a life devoted to Leeds United.
£11.69
Pitch Publishing Ltd Manchester United Greatest Games: The Red Devils' Fifty Finest Matches
From the thousands of matches ever played by Manchester United, stretching from their roots as Newton Heath to the present-day colossus that has racked up more league titles and FA Cups to their name than any other club, here are 50 of United's most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all! Expertly presented in evocative historical context, and described incident-by-incident in atmospheric detail, Manchester United Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time, taking in everything from the dark days of Munich to the unmatched League/FA Cup/Champions League Treble. An irresistible cast list of club legends - Tommy Taylor, Duncan Edwards and Bobby Charlton, George Best, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes - springs to life in a thrilling selection of hard-fought derby matches, landmark European nights, and league and cup exploits. In all, a journey through the highlights of United history which is guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Ashes Match of My Life: Fourteen Ashes Stars Relive Their Greatest Games
Fourteen Ashes legends come together to tell the stories behind their most thrilling triumphs in the historic series - enabling cricket fans to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men in the middle of the field, playing their hearts out for England and Australia in one of the sporting world's most intense rivalries. All the drama and intrigue of more than half a century of Ashes action is captured, from Sir Donald Bradman in the 1940s via Geoffrey Boycott and Jeff Thomson, Merv Hughes and Mark Taylor and into the new millennium, recreating all the excitement of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath taking on Michael Vaughan's England. Each player winds back the clock to reveal the tension, controversy, sledging, humour and passion involved in pursuit of glory - and the true cricketing greatness which can only ever be grasped within an Ashes series.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Wolves Greatest Games: One Hundred Pieces of Gold
From the thousands of matches ever played by Wolverhampton Wanderers, stretching from the foundation of the Football League across more than 120 years to the Premier League era, here are 100 of the club's most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all! Expertly presented in evocative historical context, and described incident-by-incident in atmospheric detail, Wolves' Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time, taking in the club's four victorious FA Cup runs, the floodlit games which helped establish European competition and later League Cup wins. An irresistible cast list of club legends - Billy Wright, John Richards and Jackery Jones, Derek Dougan, Steve Bull and Ron Flowers - springs to life in a thrilling selection of hard-fought derby matches, European highs and triumphant seasons in all four English league divisions. In all, a journey through the highlights of Wolves history which is guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Charlton Athletic Miscellany: Addicks Trivia, History, Facts & Stats
Charlton Athletic Miscellany collects together all the most vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Addicks. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts - Heard the one about Edwardian fans brandishing fishes on sticks at 'Haddocks' matches? Or the 'League Liner' away trip whose price included a dolphins' football match between Brighton and Charlton? What about the 1965 match when the referee and captains agreed to mime the toss-up? Do you know when The Valley hosted its record attendance of 75,031? Or a striptease stag night to boost a midfielder's testimonial fund? Or which manager turned down the club to run a sweetshop? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any fan who holds the riches of Charlton Athletic's history close to their heart.
£8.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Leeds United On This Day: History, Facts & Figures from Every Day of the Year
Leeds United On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Whites diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's formation from the ruins of Leeds City in 1919 through to the Premier League era, the Elland Road faithful have witnessed League and Cup triumphs, hard-fought grudge matches, European adventures and heartbreak - all featured here. Timeless greats such as Billy Bremner, John Charles and Lucas Radebe, Tony Yeboah, Peter Lorimer and Gordon Strachan all loom larger than life. Revisit 25th April 1963, when Jack Charlton debuted against Doncaster, the first of a record 773 appearances. 28th May 1975: when Leeds took on Bayern Munich and were robbed of European Cup victory. Or 26th April 1992: the first League title in 18 years!
£9.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Oldham Athletic On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year
Oldham Athletic On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary of Latics history - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's Victorian formation through to the Premier League era, the Boundary Park faithful have witnessed championships, promotions and relegations, hard-fought Lancashire derbies, breathtaking Cup runs, a Wembley trip and a re-election saga - all featured here. All-time greats including Eric Gemmell and Andy Ritchie, Bobby Johnstone, Roger Palmer and Andy Goram all loom larger than life. Revisit 10 April 1994, when the Latics were 13 minutes away from winning the League Cup. 24 April 1915: a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool that left Oldham runners-up in the League. Or 25 October 1989, when at one point the scoreboard read Frankie Bunn 6 Scarborough 0!
£9.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Crystal Palace On This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year
Endorsed by the club, written by Eagles aficionado Neil McSteen, and with a foreword by club legend Geoff Thomas, Crystal Palace On This Day chronicles, in diary form, the major events in the club's history: such as the heady days of the epic FA Cup run in 1990, masterminded by Steve Coppell and spearheaded by Ian Wright and Mark Bright; or the dramas of various promotions to the top flight of English football. With individual entries for every day, and multiple listings for more historic and busier days, the book is a dip-in, dip-out offering and includes all the club's big matches, promotions, cup runs, significant events, and sensational signings. Packed with Palace history, it is a must for all Selhurst Park goers.
£9.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Golfer's Manual: The Quintessential Guide to Rules, Scoring, Handicapping and Etiquette
Packed with essential information and fully updated for 2014, The Golfer's Manual is the perfect reference book to have on the bookshelf or in your golf bag. It includes advice on the rules, on scoring, handicapping and etiquette; there's a hints and tips section, and a glossary of golfing terms. What is your driver's swing weight, and its Coefficient of Restitution? When is it permissible to remove stones near your ball in a bunker? What if your opponent accidentally plays your ball in stroke play? If you don't already know, then it's probably time you found out how a Daytona and a stableford greensome work - as well as how to locate your nearest point of maximum available relief! The Golfer's Manual is a comprehensive and thought-provoking guide aimed at golfers of all levels, but will be particularly helpful to beginners and novices.
£7.02
Pitch Publishing Ltd Can't Swim; Can't Ride; Can't Run: My Triathlon Journey from Common Man to Ironman
A 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run make up the Ironman triathlon. It's not for the faint-hearted. What possesses an overweight, thirty-something librarian who can't swim, doesn't own a bike and has two dodgy knees to take on the hardest one-day endurance race in the world? Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run is the story of Andy Holgate's inspirational, epic and life-changing journey to become an Ironman. Lubricant, alligators, rubber suits, blisters, pirates, extreme weather, Elvis, tragedy, romance, flesh-eating amoebas, crashes, hospital visits and perhaps the most unusual stag weekend in history all play a part in this amusing and moving tale of one normal bloke's quest to arrive at his wedding intact. Oh yeah, that's right, Andy is due to get married seven days after the biggest physical challenge of his life. Will he make it down the aisle in one piece?
£12.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Racing Post's Unforgettable Moments Wall Calendar 2024
Racing Post's Unforgettable Moments Wall Calendar 2024 features stunning and evocative racing photos from the Racing Post archives taken by their award-winning photographers. These full-colour images will stir up memories from racing’s history for all fans of the sport.The calendar features one month to view and includes the most up-to-date race meeting information in the UK and Ireland at the time of publication, and highlights the key races each month.
£10.79
Pitch Publishing Ltd Batting For Time
Batting for Time: The Fight to Keep English Cricket Alive is the exploration of a sport in existential crisis. In a rapidly changing sporting and social landscape, county cricket - an institution whose history spans more than 150 years - finds itself confronted with the most uncertain period in its long history. The proliferation of lucrative global franchise leagues has threatened to leave behind a member-owned English structure deep-rooted in the Victorian era. Pitting traditionalists against modernisers, and romantics against pragmatists, the need for change has sparked a host of civil wars, creating deep divisions among those who care for the English game.Using the 2023 season as a backdrop, Batting for Time explores the precarious state of English cricket, asking what it is we expect from our domestic game, who it primarily exists for and where things might go in the future. What must English cricket do to survive?
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Formula One On This Day: History, Facts & Figures from Every Day of the Year
Formula One On This Day revisits the sport's most magical and memorable moments, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary with an entry for every day of the year. Revisit the day in 1955 when Alberto Ascari took an unplanned dip in Monaco harbour along with his Lancia, the race that saw Taki Inoue tangling with the course marshal's car, and Nigel Mansell's unlikely first win for Ferrari! Chock-full of events that will make you laugh, cry or shake your head in disbelief, Formula One On This Day has been painstakingly researched. It features a treasure trove of original stories and titbits that create a snapshot of the diverse and often bizarre world of top-class motor racing. This book is a must for every motorsport fan. So, strap in and get set for a high-octane ride through F1 history.
£12.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Were Going to Wembley
We''re Going to Wembley is the fascinating tale of how a team that was written off after failing to qualify for USA 94 came roaring back to restore Scotland's football credibility by reaching the Euro 96 finals.Having earned plaudits for their efforts at Euro 92 in Sweden, Scotland went into decline during the next 18 months, culminating in the disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign for USA 94, which saw manager Andy Roxburgh depart and the gradual break-up of the squad.Roxburgh's assistant, Craig Brown, took the hotseat, plus the daunting task of rebuilding faith in the side. Although the squad no longer possessed genuine world-class talents such as Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness, they had a remarkable team spirit that would carry them to the finals, and provide a dream ticket to Wembley to face the Auld Enemy.We''re Going to Wembley is the inside story of that rollercoaster ride, told through interviews with Brown, his players, jou
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Ajax Way
In 1894 a group of friends had an idea and it led to the creation of Ajax, a football club for the people of Amsterdam. More than one hundred years later and that club has become an institution for youth development, a school of ideas that underpins the modern game and a club synonymous with the Total Football ideal.The Dutch superpower created a way of playing that is now accepted as the norm by European titans AC Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United - as well as a host of national teams.The Ajax Way tells the full history of the club while looking at the reaches of Total Football: the way of playing perfected by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. It traces the club''s rise as a social hub for the people of Amsterdam to the creation of a team that would win three consecutive European Cups in the early 1970s; and added a fourth in 1995 under Louis Van Gaal.It reveals a host of footballing greats -
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Salute
One sporting image stands out as the most divisive and controversial in English football history: the sight of the England team making the Nazi salute in Berlin on 14 May 1938. This book examines how and why England''s footballers made a gesture that would haunt them for the rest of their days.To Hitler, England''s Nazi salute in the Olympic Stadium, Berlin, was a political victory. For the British government, it was passed off as a mere act of sporting courtesy.Salute explores botched British diplomacy, using sport as propaganda during the 1930s while pretending to do the opposite. Fascist dictators worked as overt and clinical propagandists. The book charts the political flashpoints of the 1930s, as English football established international relations with the fascist states of Italy and Germany. But it includes a tale of redemption: how one of the England players making the Nazi salute then rescued one of the fans watching him, a teenage German-Jewish
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Euro 1984
Euro 1984 tells the fascinating story of perhaps the greatest of all European Championships: one that was barely covered on UK television, after none of the home nations qualified. It was a footballing summer that thrilled so many with wonderful displays of attacking football and iconic matches, featuring majestic players.The story begins with a wealth of captivating stories which emerged through the qualifying stage: dramatic tales of success, failure and controversy which all combine to add to the allure of this greatest of tournaments.The finals played out in France, at a time when the European Championship was still in its infancy as an eight-team tournament. It proved a watershed for the competition, as great games in wonderful stadiums captured the imagination across the continent; at a time when idealism still prevailed over pragmatism, when adventurous football was rewarded.Euro 1984 r
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Gordon Milne: Shankly, My Dad and Me
Shankly, My Dad and Me is the fascinating story of Gordon Milne, one of Bill Shankly’s first and most important Anfield signings, who played a key part in transforming Liverpool into a footballing dynasty. Moulded by his footballing father, Gordon was a successful player, manager and administrator at home and abroad. He played with, for, worked alongside and managed some of football’s most legendary names: Finney, Moore, Mortensen, Greaves and Lineker to name a few. Capped 14 times by Sir Alf Ramsey, he narrowly missed out on selection for the World Cup-winning squad in 1966. But this book is not about games, goals or medals; for Gordon, facts and figures remain secondary. Instead, this enthralling account spans six decades of an incredible journey through the game and his encounters along the way. From Preston to Newcastle via Liverpool, Blackpool, Wigan, Coventry, Leicester, Turkey and Japan, Gordon recounts his tale with honesty, humility and humour – while remaining eternally grateful for a bout of glandular fever! With forewords by Mark Lawrenson and Gary Lineker.
£22.50
Pitch Publishing Ltd One Thousand Miles to Jamor: A Journey into Portuguese Football
Filipe d'Avillez takes us on a fascinating journey into the colourful world of the Portuguese Cup. Each year the country's top teams battle it out hoping to reach the cup final held at Jamor: Portugal's equivalent of Wembley Stadium. The book provides a unique window into the footballing culture of a country that lives and breathes the beautiful game. Starting with the away supporters of Graciosa, Filipe then follows the exploits of fans from Casa Pia, Angrense, Tondela, Leixoes and the previous year's winners, Aves, before focusing on the famed Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting - a match which divides the nation, whole families and even couples. Filipe's quest culminates with the Jamor experience. Sited amid a dense forest, the stadium is swamped by fans on cup final day. Hordes of them sing and drink in sweltering heat as pigs roast on skewers and ticketless families picnic around camper vans. One Thousand Miles to Jamor immerses the reader deep within the customs and culture of a truly football-mad country.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Max Baer: Clown Prince of Boxing
They called Max Baer the 'Clown Prince of Boxing', but trainer Ray Arcel remembered a night in 1933 when he worked Baer's corner in what was probably Max's greatest triumph, the night he smashed Max Schmeling to defeat in ten brutal rounds. That was no clown. A year later, Baer was heavyweight champion of the world. New York loved the handsome Californian. Broadway was his playground and he was never short of playmates; his manager Ancil Hoffman often settling some breach-of-promise suit brought by a leggy blonde showgirl. A natural for Hollywood. Radio and vaudeville engagements brought in $250,000. From a $4 a day foundry worker, Baer's rise was rapid. He bought so many suits he couldn't keep track of them; wore a new hat every week; bought a house like a hotel. Arcel cried like a baby when he read in the New York Times that Max had died from a heart attack in November 1959. Baer was just 50 years old. This is the fascinating story of an iconic boxing figure who achieved so much in a life too short.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Jahangir Khan 555: The Untold Story Behind Squash's Invincible Champion and Sport's Greatest Unbeaten Run
From 1981 to 1986, Pakistani squash great Jahangir Khan went undefeated to herald the longest unbeaten run in world sport until his streak came to an end at the 1986 World Championships. In the 30th anniversary year to mark his unmatched run, Jahangir Khan 555: The Untold Story Behind Squash's Invincible Champion and Sport's Greatest Unbeaten Run dissects his early upbringing, how the then 17-year-old embarked on the five-year run following the tragic death of his brother, the pressure he ultimately faced to succeed from an expectant Pakistani nation and the extent his rivals went to even to win a game off this remarkable squash genius. The book will also reveal the myth behind his magical mark of 555 unbeaten matches, and why the record books will have to be rewritten.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd To Cap it All: The Autobiography of John Rudge
To Cap It All is the enthralling life story of legendary Port Vale manager John Rudge, providing special behind-the-scenes insight into the ups and downs of six decades of professional football, from the depths of the Division Four re-election zone to the Premier League and Europe. Rudge managed the Valiants for a record 19 years, developing players like Robbie Earle, Mark Bright and Ian Taylor. As Vale slayed giants such as Spurs, Southampton and Everton, Rudge became a style icon famous for his flat cap. He moved to city rivals Stoke in 1999 to become director of football and oversaw the club's revival to reach the Premier League and their first ever FA Cup final. But it wasn't all plain sailing. John describes his volatile relationship with Vale chairman Bill Bell and speaks out about Stoke's Icelandic owners and manager Johan Boskamp, who had Rudge put on garden leave. This hilarious memoir also reveals why a second-hand Lada changed John's life, how he once signed a drag artist and why he ended up in Denis Law's bed!
£22.50
Pitch Publishing Ltd The King Takes Over: Liverpool and the Dalglish Years 1985-1991
The King Takes Over: Liverpool and the Dalglish Years 1985–1991 is a fast-paced and nostalgic account of a time when Liverpool were the best team in the land, and played a brilliant style of football still talked about more than 30 years on. It is the story of how Liverpool’s greatest player became one of its greatest managers. Taking a wistful look back at the glory years of 1985–1991, the book revisits the great games and goals of the Kenny Dalglish era. It examines the circumstances of the Heysel tragedy and how Dalglish became Liverpool’s first player-manager in the darkest period in both the club and the city’s history, amid the chaos wrought by Thatcher’s government. How did the Hillsborough disaster impact Dalglish, the club, players and fans? How did John Barnes, the first black player signed by Liverpool, overcome racism from the terraces to become a legend in red? Why did the Reds not win the championship for 30 years after 1990? What were the real circumstances behind Dalglish’s shock resignation in 1991?
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd When The Sky Was Blue: The Inside Story of Coventry City's Premier League Years
When the Sky Was Blue celebrates Coventry City’s nine-season adventure in the Premier League, from founder members to relegation, through a compelling array of brand-new interviews with managers, players and other key figures from the time. While not the most glamorous club to have played in the division, few can match the Sky Blues for madcap tales. This book tells those stories through the memories of those who were there. Hear how Bobby Gould’s decision to hold pre-season in an army barracks led to near-death experiences and career-ending injury. Savour the glitz and glamour of Ron Atkinson’s whirlwind spell at Highfield Road. Relive Gordon Strachan making Robbie Keane Britain’s most expensive teenager. Oh, and there’s also those heart-stopping relegation battles, FA Cup heartbreak and the time Coventry City became ‘The Entertainers’.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Inside Diego: How the Best Footballer in the World Became the Greatest of All Time
Inside Diego is an intimate portrait of the greatest footballer of all time, from the person in football who knew him best. As Diego Maradona's personal trainer, Fernando Signorini spent more than a decade at the superstar's side, witnessing a dizzying array of highs and lows, from helping Diego recuperate from a broken ankle in 1983 to his dramatic exit from the 1994 World Cup after a failed drugs test. Signorini offers a unique perspective on the troubled legend, giving us the lowdown not only on Diego's evolution as an athlete, but on Diego the human being, a far cry from the character we saw on TV screens. He brings us the inside track on Maradona's preparation for three World Cups: Mexico 86, Italia 90 and USA 94. We also get an insider view on his battles with fame, drugs and extramarital paternity, plus his time in charge of the Argentine national team. Brimming with incredible stories and anecdotes, Inside Diego is an intensely personal rollercoaster account of a flawed football genius.
£14.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Got That Lovin' Feelin': From Clark to Cooper, Nottingham Forest’s Unique Story of Turmoil and Triumph
Got That Lovin’ Feelin’ is the enthralling story of Nottingham Forest’s emotional return to the Premier League under Steve Cooper in 2022. It charts the promotions, relegations, financial problems and missed opportunities that made Forest’s journey back to the big time such a compelling one. Cooper’s side’s thrilling and unexpected promotion campaign put an end to 23 years outside the top flight. In those lean times, Forest frequently became a byword for decline on the pitch and madness in the boardroom. The book features opinions and insights from those who worked on the pitch, in the dugout and in the corridors of power. It also tells the story of Forest’s first season back in the big time, through the eyes of fans, players and pundits – all the while exploring what it means to be connected to this grand, historic and pioneering club. From Frank Clark’s European dreamers to Cooper’s play-off winners, this is Forest’s roller-coaster ride of a story.
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd USA 94: The World Cup That Changed the Game
A group of volunteers begged, borrowed and remortgaged a house on their way to convincing FIFA to hand them the keys to the 1994 World Cup. When they got the green light, the USA was tasked with presenting the greatest show on earth to a nation of non-believers, with a press corps just waiting for them to fail. Six years later, the country famed for its glitz, glamour and razzmatazz delivered a glorious summer of memorable kits and billowing goal nets, confounding the doubters as they shattered attendance records and drew fans in their millions. The full-throttle journey to the global phenomenon that football is today had begun. It was a tale of two missed penalties, a car chase, internal politics, triumph and tragedy in equal measure. Heroes were born, dreams were shattered and for many life would never be the same. If Italia 90 unlocked the door to the modern game, then USA 94 kicked it open and nailed it to the wall. The revolution was here, and it was televised.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd A Nation Again: The Inside Story of Scotland’s Journey to the European Championship
A Nation Again is the chaotic tale of the Scotland men's team's return to a major tournament after more than 20 years in the wilderness. Ten major tournaments had come and gone for Scotland since they reached France '98, but the birth of UEFA's Nations League offered a new route to glory. In early 2018, after a long search for Gordon Strachan's replacement, Alex McLeish became manager for a second time. But despite successfully navigating the Nations League group stage, it wasn't plain sailing, and his tenure ended after a shocking defeat at the start of Euro 2020 qualifying. With a play-off semi-final on the horizon, the Scottish FA turned to Steve Clarke, who took on the challenge of inspiring a team rooted in failure, creating a band-of-brothers mentality and figuring out how to organise this incredibly talented group of players. From a couple of the lowest lows came the highest high. With exclusive memories of those who were part of the journey, this is the story of how Scotland finally became a nation again.
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd West Ham United: From East End Family to Globalised Fandom
West Ham United: From East End Family to Globalised Fandom is the story of the evolution of West Ham. It charts how a works football team was transformed into a club that represented east London's working classes, only to be transformed again in the late 20th and early 21st centuries into a global brand with supporters in every habitable place on Earth. Starting as the Thames Ironworks Ltd works team, they changed their name to West Ham United in 1900, shortly before moving to the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park. For nearly a century they were supported by local working-class men from across the East End of London until a series of economic, social, cultural, geographical and technological changes brought the club a global fanbase. Through surveying West Ham United fan groups across the world, this book attempts to explain this phenomenon and to get a sense of what the club means to those who originally came from the East End, as well as to those who have no biographical connection to the area.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Trivquiz West Ham United: 1001 Questions
How much do you really know about West Ham United? Put your Hammers knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the West Ham greats - from World Cup heroes Moore, Hurst and Peters to Hammers legends Bonds, Brooking and beyond - providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment. Which West Ham manager played in a rock band called Rawbau? Who was West Ham's first non-British manager? A statue erected near the Boleyn Ground, honouring the Hammers' 1966 World Cup heroes, also includes which Everton player? Fan favourite Clyde Best was born in which country? Trivquiz West Ham United holds the answers to all these questions and hundreds more.
£9.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Real Madrid On This Day: History, Facts & Figures from Every Day of the Year
Real Madrid On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the club's glorious past, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary of one of the world's greatest football institutions - with an entry for every day of the year. From its foundation to the golden era of Di Stefano and Puskas, through the 'hippy years' to their ups and downs on the path to European Cup domination, the modern embodiment of Madridismo, the hard-fought El Clasico derbies against Barcelona and the Galacticos era - it's all here. Revisit 24 July 2000 when Luis Figo infamously joined the club from Barcelona, 4 January 1955 when the stadium changed its name in honour of club president Santiago Bernabeu, and 19 June 1943 when they annihilated Barcelona 11-1 in a Spanish Cup semi-final. With a treasure trove of club history, trivia and facts, this book is a 'must' for all Real Madrid fans.
£14.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Marcelo Bielsa: Thirteen Steps to the Premier League
In June 2018 Leeds United made an appointment that shocked the footballing world. Despite being stuck in the second tier of English football and tagged the Championship's perennial chokers, they attracted one of the most revered coaches in world football. What followed captivated the hearts and minds of Leeds United's legion of passionate supporters worldwide. Marcelo Bielsa has crafted a team in his image, a team that plays in an almost bewildering attacking style with fluidity across the pitch. Leeds have become synonymous with exciting, attacking, vertical football and this style has seen them promoted back to the Premier League. Professional football analyst Lee Scott explains how, breaking down the tactics that have made Leeds so successful during Bielsa's time. He shows just how they occupy spaces and overload defences; how they press and cut off passing lanes to deny the opposition space to attack in the defensive phase; and more than that, he delves into Bielsa's mindset, to explain what makes the Argentine mastermind tick.
£12.99