Bøger udgivet af Pitch Publishing Ltd

The 1970s in the East Midlands was a decade of mediocrity. As a young girl growing up there, Michele Savidge seemed destined for a prosaic life. But everything changed when as a 12-year-old she saw Viv Richards bat. At that moment, she fell in love with Richards and with West Indies cricket. She set her sights on becoming a cricket journalist and realised that dream in spite of the obstacles in her way. Between Overs is an elegiac, often comedic, romp through the trials Michele faced. It includes outrageous 'Me Too' incidents, in-depth appraisals of her hero Viv Richards and a close encounter with actor Peter O'Toole. Births, life, bereavement and depression took her away from the sport she loved. But the 2019 Cricket World Cup, a purple and green polyester tracksuit and the intense climax of the final at Lord's saw the old flame rekindled and taught Michele how to love life - and cricket - again.

A Director's Tale is the story of Burnley Football Club in the early 1980s, a time of short-lived success and then turmoil. Through the diaries of director Derek Gill, it brings you the inside track, revealing what went on behind the scenes amid troubles involving chairman John Jackson and manager John Bond. It is a story of failure and acrimony.

Addicted to Football: A Journey from Anfield to Almost Everywhere is the autobiography of former professional footballer Jon Newby. His career took him from a single Premier League appearance with Liverpool to playing for clubs all over the country in the top eight tiers of the football pyramid. There was also a spell in Scottish football and a venture into non-league management. As a young player, Jon achieved his dream as he walked out in front of a packed Kop at Anfield. But ultimately his name was better known by Bury, Morecambe and Colwyn Bay fans, rather than by Liverpool fans. His story gives a fascinating insight into the unpredictable world of the journeyman footballer, covering battles with injuries, managers and even his own mind. Jon's biggest battle, however, came when he was diagnosed with an incurable heart condition and the game he was addicted to put his life in serious danger.

West Ham United: From East End Family to Globalised Fandom is the story of the evolution of West Ham. It explores how a works football team was transformed into a club that represented east London's working classes, only to be transformed again into a global brand with supporters in every habitable place on Earth.

Please Don't Take Me Home is the story of one man's boundless love for Fulham FC. The 20-year journey of Italian immigrant Simone Abitante and his connection with the Cottagers is about football, beer, passion and friendship. It's a heartfelt account of how a relatively small London club came to dominate his existence.

It's Raining Bats and Pads: The Story of Lancashire County Cricket Club 1988-1996 vividly captures the sporting and cultural landscape of the late 1980s to mid-90s, and shows the sea change between then and now. It's a romantic jaunt through the halcyon days of Mike Atherton, Neil Fairbrother and Wasim Akram as seen through the eyes of the author, who as a child and young adult lived through that era. It harks back to the glory days of lazy linseed summers when life was much simpler, time was not strictly of the essence and kids had to entertain themselves. Although primarily a tale of Lancashire's success on the field - punctuated by some lively spectator incidents at the grounds - the book also explores broader societal questions. Is the game in a better place now? Has the standard of cricket improved? Has freedom of choice caused the game's popularity to fall among the young? And is the Hundred an allegory for a society that simply can't wait for better?

The FA Cup has been at the heart of our sporting life for 150 years. Its great stories, dramas and key figures are instantly recognisable - from Stanley Matthews to Bob Stokoe, from Ronnie Radford to Billy the white horse. The Cup celebrates the world's greatest football competition through more than 100 stunning and evocative photos.

Why would a normal teenager throw his heart and soul into an average Third Division football club for almost a decade, only to walk away from them at the height of their success? After abandoning that club for 20 years, what would cause him to rekindle his passion in a conversion-like experience, and then stick with the club for the rest of his life? The answers lie in the psychology of attachment. This is the story of James Adams and his support of Coventry City, from the days of Billy Frith to Mark Robins. It's an account that delves into the crucial yet poorly understood psychological aspects of football fandom to uncover truths that every football fan can relate to. Join James on a rollercoaster ride as he asks important questions of himself and his life alongside a backdrop of footballing highs and lows, including three Wembley victories and four promotions, as well as FA Cup debacles for the Sky Blues. Attached to Coventry City is a highly personal, honest and reflective account of the unusual story of a lifelong football fan.

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.

Three Goalkeepers and Seven Goals turns the clock back to 1982 for the most memorable match in Leicester City history - a quarter-final FA Cup tie with Shrewsbury Town that stands without parallel for twists and drama. Told through the eyes of fictional reporter Bob Johnson, the story brings to life that extraordinary game, as a capacity crowd wedged into the atmospheric Filbert Street witnesses Leicester stage a spectacular 5-2 comeback using three goalkeepers. Set in an era of macho newsrooms, Thatcher and the Falklands War, the book resurrects a remarkable period in British history. Hard-nosed newspaperman Johnson thinks he's seen it all, but his world is turned upside down as one of the lucky fans who witness Leicester's inspirational comeback, aided by a goal from a young Gary Lineker. Johnson's account captures the immense drama of this epic game before tragedy strikes. In Three Goalkeepers and Seven Goals, Mark Bishop skilfully weaves fact with fiction to honour a match that is part of Leicester City folklore.

Fosse v Luffs is a story filled with drama, excitement, controversy - and violence - about a footballing rivalry as intense as any in modern English football. The Fosse (forerunner of Leicester City) were the dominant club in the town of Leicester, and Loughborough (the Luffs) were the biggest and most successful team in the county of Leicestershire. Each encounter between these two sides was a battle for supremacy within the county. Fosse v Luffs charts the growth of the rivalry, from amateur games played in front of a handful of family and friends to Football League encounters witnessed by 10,000-plus spectators, with thousands more eagerly awaiting the outcome. Drawing on extensive newspaper research, Nigel Freestone brings to life this forgotten era when football was a bone-crunching game and not for the faint-hearted. It's a must-read for anyone interested in Leicester City FC, Victorian sport or local history.

A Life with the Robins and Beyond: The Geoff Merrick Story is the most anticipated book on any player ever to pull on the red shirt of Bristol City. An England schoolboy international, Geoff turned down a host of top teams to sign for his local club. He became the Robins' youngest captain at 20 and eventually led them back to the top flight. During City's stay in Division One, Merrick was seen as one of the country's top defenders, but his life and career were thrown into turmoil when he and seven other players were asked to rip up their contracts to save the club from bankruptcy. This they did, and today their sacrifice is commemorated by a plaque outside Ashton Gate, yet it still goes down as the blackest time in City's history. It is a chapter in Geoff's life that he has never spoken about in depth - until now. When life threw Geoff and his family a cruel twist, he showed the qualities of bravery, self-belief and determination, the very traits that had characterised his performances on the pitch. A Life with the Robins and Beyond is the ultimate tale of not giving up.

Bollen delves into the archives of European football to offer an alternative take on the game, covering match-fixing, bribery, extortion and murder. The mavericks, game-changers and unknown heroes are all here. Bollen again proves he's the ideal curator: passionate, meticulously informed and funny. It's a book for every curious football fan.

Set in the 1980s, Not All-Ticket: From Withernsea High to Boothferry Park Halt chronicles a dramatic period in the history of Hull City AFC through the eyes of a young fan from rural East Yorkshire. From relegation and receivership to the 'Robinson renaissance', Lusmore experiences a rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in dismay at perhaps the most contentious managerial dismissal in the club's history. In the process, he charts a course through his coming of age, capturing how it feels to follow an unfashionable team in an often unloved city. He flirts with rival sporting attractions, then tosses them aside in favour of the small-fry team in this tatty fish town. The football-fuelled adrenalin rush is soon replicated in his first forays into the local music and club scene. Discovering the delights of Hull after dark, he soon realises that Saturday is about much more than just the match. First-hand terrace tales and musical memories abound in this uplifting memoir.

John Harris's arrival at Bramall Lane laid the foundations for the appearance of some of the greatest players in Sheffield United's history. In his second full season in charge, the Blades were promoted back to the first division. Ain't Got a Barrel of Money is the story of Harris and those who came after him, building a team that would challenge for a place in Europe, the decline that followed and the inevitable sale of many of the club's finest players. In 1975, they finished sixth in Division One, playing some of the most exciting football in the country. Currie, Woodward, Colquhoun, Speight, Hemsley and Badger were all household names. But within six years Sheffield United had gone from the brink of greatness to the ultimate humiliation - relegation to the fourth division, for the first and only time in the club's wonderful history. Filled with anecdotes and memories from many of those who were there, both on the field and on the terraces, this book captures the highs and lows of being a Sheffield United fan.

The Scottish League Cup has been keenly contested for 75 years. Unsurprisingly, the big Glasgow clubs have won it the most, but Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Dundee, Raith Rovers, Livingston and East Fife have also had their moments in the sun. This book pays homage to each one of the 75 seasons, with a detailed account of every final.

In May 2018, Rangers appointed Steven Gerrard as the 16th permanent manager in the club's long history. Fast forward to 7 March 2021 and Gerrard's Rangers clinched the club's 55th title in record time. Adam Thornton delves into the tactical approach of Gerrard and his coaching team and identifies the key principles of their footballing philosophy.

Stoke City started the 1974/75 season with the best team they had ever had, trying to win the league for the first time. In a vintage era, they fell just short as half-a-dozen teams contested one of the tightest finishes ever. It is a story that will resonate with every fan whose team has promised much - but not quite managed to deliver.

Not German, I'm Scouse is the hilarious, emotional and compelling life story of German Liverpool supporter Carsten Nippert. As a young boy, Carsten was fascinated by the Reds. His teenage years were marked by despair and frustration as rare TV highlights and an unreliable radio reception offered the only access to his beloved Liverpool. Fear characterised his first visits to Anfield when he encountered vitriolic Mancunians and Kopites whose dialect confused him. His whole life revolved around his unquenchable passion. An emotionally blackmailed mother had to provide a ticket for a European Cup final when her underage son announced he would travel there regardless. She was even tasked, through his will, with scattering his ashes around Anfield if she outlived him. Carsten's adventures took him to Istanbul, outwitting riot police and 'bunking in' in Athens, a sleepless round-trip to Kiev and an unforgettable party in Madrid. Not German, I'm Scouse is the remarkable tale of an unlikely Liverpool fan who became a Scouser at heart.

It was the summer of 1983. Walsall were preparing for another season in the Third Division when British Airways' advertising people got in touch. The airline were embarking on an innovative promotional campaign and needed the club's help. To show how quickly continental cities could be reached from regional airports, they wanted to feature the team beneath the banner, 'They're only 90minutes away from a place in Europe'. Walsall were the only league club in the West Midlands never to have taken part in a European competition, and even their most ardent supporters didn't expect that to change any time soon. As the new season started, Walsall looked set for relegation, but they soon embarked on a League Cup campaign that saw them defeat Arsenal, stun Liverpool and come closer to reaching Europe than anyone would have dared imagine. Based on interviews with the players and management team from that fondly remembered side, 90 Minutes from Europe is an underdog story to lift the spirits and inspire us all.

This incredible story of one of the world's most innovative social entrepreneurs captures Jurgen Griesbeck's passion, drive and leadership in uniting fans, players, administrators and innovators in a collective mission to unleash the power of football for the benefit of people and the planet. It presents a hopeful vision for football's future.

The O'Leary Years charts the rise and fall of Leeds United at the turn of the 21st century, as a gifted crop of youngsters took the club to the highest of highs, before falling to the lowest of lows. The dramatic fortunes on the pitch were matched by off-field incidents as the club battled for trophies, justice, and eventually to balance the books.

Taxi for Kiev is the true and uncensored story of six lads from very different backgrounds who had never met before but found kinship in a common goal: to get to Kiev for the 2019 Champions League Final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. This is one man's account of that unforgettable six-day adventure, with shocks, tears and laughs aplenty.

What is it like to get so close to your dream that you can almost touch it, only to have it torn cruelly away? Anthony Potts knows the answer. He sacrificed everything in an all-consuming pursuit of his dream to become a professional footballer. It was a dream, like many others, seeded in childhood. He was born with some natural talent, but things did not come easy for him. Nevertheless, he persevered and the hard work paid off. He was part of the Tottenham side that won the 1990 FA Youth Cup, and he earned a place in the England youth team. Later, he was a member of Tottenham's first Premier League squad alongside Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker - but he never got to play for the first team in a competitive match. In this tell-all book, Anthony shares the inside story of his time at Spurs, including his friendship with Gazza. It is a story that rarely gets told - the story of a failed footballer. Anthony sacrificed everything in pursuit of his dream. Was it worth it? You be the judge.

Rise Together: Coventry City Under Mark Robins examines the rebirth of Coventry City FC from 2017 to 2020. Having sunk to the depths of English football's lowest professional division, the Sky Blues were a million miles from the FA Cup-winning heyday of 1987 and the glitz and glamour of Premier League football. After a decade of decline, a constant churn of managers, coaches and players, the arrival of Mark Robins for a second spell in charge would end all that. Backed by a fanbase desperate for success, winning the 2017 Football League Trophy was just the beginning. Robins would mould Coventry City into a side capable of something few at the club had achieved before - success. That first trophy at Wembley would be followed by two more - victory in the 2018 League Two play-off final, then the League One title in 2020. With off-the-field issues continuing to dog the club, including a second move out of Coventry, the story of Rise Together is one that every football fan will appreciate.

Eddie Hapgood, Footballer is the rollercoaster story of Eddie's life as Arsenal idol and national hero. By the late 1930s, the ugly shadows of fascism, Nazism and looming war were bearing down on the beautiful game, and Hapgood found himself in a public fight for justice and respect. In this gripping memoir we discover the real Eddie Hapgood.

In 2019, an app called OWNAFC hit the market promising football fans the chance to buy and run their own club. Just a few months later it collapsed, leaving customers hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket. Fit and Proper People tells the story of the business that was supposed to revolutionise the game, the people who lost out and the violent consequences suffered by those who tried to hold OWNAFC to account. The book uncovers how poor regulation and the financial structure of English football make clubs easy prey for unsuitable owners and how, time and again, the fans are left to pick up the pieces. With the aborted launch of the European Super League, there is finally widespread recognition that billionaires, venture capitalists, broadcasters and tech businesses must no longer be allowed to dictate the future of the game. Fit and Proper People is a powerful expose of the state of football and a call to properly protect clubs and to involve the people who really love them - the fans - in how they are run.

Since the Norman Conquest, our kings and queens have been closely linked with sport for many reasons - personal pleasure, to raise money or to further their political and military ambitions. Our Sporting Monarchs uncovers in gripping and colourful detail the story of how the monarchy and sport have interacted over the past 1,200 years.

Liddell at One Hundred celebrates the life of Liverpool and Scotland legend Billy Liddell. Born in Fife in 1922, Billy made the move from Scotland to Liverpool at 16, but the Second World War delayed his debut. After serving in the RAF as a navigator, he returned to football and won the league with Liverpool in his first full season with the club after the war. A diehard Red, Billy spent his whole career with the club, scoring 228 times in 534 appearances between 1938 and 1961. He remains the oldest goalscorer in Liverpool's history and their fourth-highest scorer of all time. Liddell spent a decade playing for Scotland and has the honour - alongside Stanley Matthews - of being one of only two men to represent a Great Britain XI more than once. A true sportsman and consummate professional, he was never booked or sent off in his entire footballing career. Liddell at One Hundred brings you the inside story of his life from those who knew him best - friends, supporters, family members and former team-mates.

After surviving a near-fatal scalding aged three, David Miller's life incentives emerged through involvement and achievement in a range of sports, nearing amateur international level in football and athletics. But then, needing employment, he retired at 22 to enter sports journalism. Having written on 30 sports from 120 countries for four national newspapers, Miller is perfectly placed to analyse and explain what drives those who excel in sport. This anthology of 50 epic performers provides a mirror of the emotions and commitment that drive the imagination of the many and the ambitions of the elite. From the unself-conscious self-discipline of Jesse Owens, Stanley Matthews, Jahangir Khan, Torvill and Dean and Steve Redgrave, to the fundamental loneliness and insecurity that galvanises spontaneous exhibitionists such as Jack Johnson, George Best and Alex Higgins, Miller uncovers what makes these great athletes and sports stars tick.