WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

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

19 Jul

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

This Sunday’s Ironman UK race in Bolton proved a tough one for John McAvoy, the one-time armed robber and Belmarsh inmate who now has his sights set on a career as a pro triathlete.

But, as usual, the inspirational author of Redemption gave his very best and finished up in motivational form, giving a talk to 700 athletes.

Suffering from a sore throat and feeling that his body was fighting a cold, a lesser competitor might have thrown in the towel. But when the going gets tough...

“Yesterday was probably the most mentally challenging race I've ever done,” John said after the event. “I knew from the swim that it was going to be a long day but I loved the mental side of not giving up for 10 hours and running down that finish line.

“I may not have got the result I was after but I'm prouder of that result yesterday than any race or record I've ever set before.”

On the Monday, John was asked to give a short talk at the awards ceremony to around 700 athletes - pictured here on stage with MC Paul Kaye and Joanne Murphy. It was filmed by Red Bull who were shooting the race for a documentary about Ironman, John and his incredible story, to be aired in the autumn.

Redemption is a gripping and inspirational autobiography written by John McAvoy with Mark Turley.

The book recounts the fast-paced and fascinating life story of a former career criminal, now world record holder and endurance athlete
The book takes the reader on a gripping journey recounting John’s childhood, his early dalliances and interactions with some of the biggest names in the criminal underworld
McAvoy is living proof that even the most hardened and determined career criminals can be rehabilitated through the criminal justice system and the power of sport

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from Redemption.