THE CRICKET SOCIETY & MCC'S CHOICE

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint – they do all the great Got, Not Gots and 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 aficianado 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, Bent Arms & Dodgy Wickets, 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 triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run

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!

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

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

22 Sep

THE CRICKET SOCIETY & MCC'S CHOICE

For the third time this week, we have received the wonderful news that another Pitch Publishing book and author have been nominated for a major prize. Well done to Andrew Murtagh, author of Gentleman and Player, which has been long-listed for the prestigious Cricket Society and MCC Book of the Year Award 2018.

Vic Marks, former England and Somerset cricketer and current Observer/ Guardian cricket writer and Test Match Special commentator, chairs a panel of judges which considers books nominated by Cricket Society and MCC members. For the 2018 competition (books about cricket published during 2017 are eligible), a short list will be announced next year and the overall winner announced at an event, in the Long Room at Lord's on Wednesday 18 April 2018.

Colin Cowdrey is remembered for the elegance of his strokeplay; but there was much more to this complex man than a classical cover drive. Gentleman and Player offers a unique insight into its subject, both on and off the cricket field.

The Cowdrey family granted the author, Andrew Murtagh, unfettered access to Colin Cowdrey's personal papers, which hitherto had not seen the light of day
Murtagh unearthed a treasure trove of diaries, letters, documents and memorabilia, including correspondence with world figures such as Don Bradman, John Major and Nelson Mandela
This new material helped to peel away the protective layers of a very private and complex man
Numerous former team-mates and opponents have been unstinting in providing memories and anecdotes from his playing career
As a former county cricketer who played against Cowdrey, the author is unusually placed to describe and interpret his subject’s pre-eminence as a cricketer
The author was also on the field when Andy Roberts famously broke Cowdrey’s jaw with a wicked bouncer, in the days before helmets
As an experienced biographer of cricketers, the author brings to life the story of perhaps England’s best-loved but least-understood batsman of his age

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Gentleman and Player.