Books published by Pitch Publishing Ltd

For fans of a certain vintage Gerry Gow is the greatest player to wear the red of Bristol City. A tough-tackling midfielder who always gave 100%, He's Here, He's There celebrates Gow's career with accounts from family, friends, team-mates and opponents; and it looks beyond the hardman image to provide a genuine insight to an Ashton Gate legend.

Black and White Knight is a story of redemption. The Magpies were on the road to nowhere under Ruud Gullit, with the magic of Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers' era a distant memory. Sir Bobby Robson - a genius in man-management - arrived in September 1999. Everything changed as he inspired another rollercoaster ride on Tyneside.

All Crazee Now is the story of English football and its footballers in the 1970s, a decade that saw the start of the move from the 'old-fashioned' game towards the modern Premier League era; a transition that accelerated throughout the decade. Much of what we recognise in today's game is rooted in the seventies - including diverse ethnicity and multi-nationalism in club teams; the rise of commercialism; the cult of the manager; the end of the player-next-door; and the demand for victory ahead of individualism. The beginning of the decade remains the period in English football that supporters felt more connected than anytime previous or since. By the time the Thatcherite 1980s were dawning, the way had been paved for a rapid evolution towards 21st-century football. More than just a chronicle of trophy winners, star players and personalities, it offers a study of the tactical, philosophical, social, cultural, economic and political landscape that shaped football throughout a turbulent period for a nation and its favourite sport.

Redemption is the ultimate story of sporting salvation. Born into a notorious crime family, John bought his first gun at 16 and carved out a lucrative career in armed robbery. Forced to re-evaluate while serving life at Belmarsh, he discovered an unbelievable talent and broke three world rowing records. He's now one of the UK's leading triathletes.

Rangers v Celtic is Glasgow's contribution to the world's great football derby matches. Otherwise known as the Old Firm, these clashes always attract fervent crowds and huge TV audiences worldwide. Author Jeff Holmes has watched dozens of these battles from the terraces and stands of Ibrox Stadium, Celtic Park and Hampden, and knows exactly what victory means to the hundreds of thousands of Rangers supporters scattered across the globe. Here, he brings to life 50 of Rangers' greatest triumphs against the old rivals, from their first victory in 1893 to a Christmas cracker in 2018. There are iconic matches aplenty and heroes galore, including the great Davie Meiklejohn, who started the rout in the 1928 Scottish Cup Final. Read about the time Rangers thrashed their opponents 8-1 in 1943 - and about Sir Alex Ferguson's favourite ever goal, by South African wing king Johnny Hubbard, back in 1955. Relive the feats of Bob McPhail, Davie Wilson, Ralph Brand, Ally McCoist and Davie Cooper - Rangers greats who knew how to win an Old Firm match!

There are those seasons which remain indelibly inscribed in the memory. Simply unforgettable. The 2006/07 season remains one of those for fans of West Ham United. Doomed with nine games to play, the Hammers produced a near miracle, and The Greatest Escape is the story of it: the highs, lows and controversies that were the 2006/07 season.

Inglory, Inglory Man United chronicles the travails of United in the 1980s from the perspective of a diehard schoolboy Red Devil. Warrington-born (equidistant from Manchester and Liverpool for those who might not know), young Jamie Magill could legitimately have opted for the multiple-title winners from Anfield... but where was the fun in that? Who wanted the suet puddings of league championships and European Cups when you had the souffle of Ron Atkinson that might rise in the FA Cup every now and then? And who really cared about Europe before the Champions League? This is not just a story of pills, thrills and bellyaches; tears before crispy pancakes, fizz bombs and Juliet Bravo. It also provides an insight into who you are: a glory boy or a loyal supporter? Sticker or twister? Dumb, complacent roundhead or romantic cavalier? The fluffy dice you want to roll is better than the championship medal you don't have. The 1980s were a disaster, in terms of silverware; but they were fabulous entertainment for those who were there: soap opera storylines all the way. Not convinced? These five words should entice any United fan: Michael Knighton and Ralph Milne.

Late December Back in '63 tells the story of an unforgettable day in top-flight English football - when 66 goals were netted in just ten fixtures on Boxing Day 1963. The author brings each match to life through archive reports and images, exploring how such a staggering tally of goals was scored. This was the age of attacking formations, just before the era of more defensive disciplines, but what other factors were at play? The book examines and tests the veracity of various myths that surround that extraordinary day. Along with club line-ups, match reports, programmes and images from the fixtures, Late December Back in '63 takes an in-depth look at the careers of the various characters who played their part. It also offers a snapshot of where the national sport stood less than 20 years after World War 2 and the socio-economic changes taking place in the 'Swinging Sixties'. You'll get a picture of the state of the game less than three years before the summer of 1966 and how our future World Cup heroes were doing in their careers.

This is the story of Celtic's love affair with the Scottish Cup, a trophy that has formed part of the club's identity since 1889. Romance, drama and passion are all bound up in Celtic's annual quest for the cup, involving great players, from the Sandy McMahon era to the days of Scott Brown.

Knife in the Fast Lane charts the history of care for sportspeople from the expert view of an orthopaedic surgeon with over 40 years' experience. Bill Ribbans takes you inside the life of a surgeon operating on some of sport's biggest names, interwoven with fascinating, surprising and controversial subjects from the annals of sports medicine.

Tommy Lawton: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest is the biography of one of English football's finest forwards; a devastating goal-getter for Burnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Arsenal, England and others. He was deadly in the air or with either foot and renowned for his sportsmanship, during a career punctuated by the Second World War.

It's an embarrassing truth for many football fans that it was only when professional football was eventually forced to close down that we recognised Covid-19 as a genuine threat to our way of life. Maybe just as shameful was the fact that once lockdown became normalised, it didn't take long for chatter to start about when the game might begin again. This book begins by charting what happened in the weeks leading up to that point, placing football in the context of furloughs, some new-found community awareness and dithering politicians. At the heart of the book are seven case studies of teams. From Burnley in the Premier League, down through the divisions to grassroots football, Project Restart looks at the hopes and fears of supporters and the actions of those charged with keeping their beloved clubs afloat. It looks at how we almost adjusted to the eerie echo of games on TV with no crowds and finishes by trying to address the biggest question in town: what will football look like in a post-Covid future?

Why Are We Always Indoors is the ex-editor of Match of the Day's personal chronicle of 105 days without MOTD during the coronavirus pandemic. Musings and anecdotes about sport, TV and music are set against an increasingly disturbing backdrop of ever-growing casualty figures and governmental failures.

The Thin White Line: The Inside Story of Cricket's Greatest Scandal tells the story of the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, which sent shockwaves through the sport. It stunned the wider sporting world and confirmed the reputation of the News of the World's Mazher Mahmood as the most controversial news reporter of his generation. It was the start of a stunning chain of events that saw the News of the World shut down, Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir banned and sent to prison, before Mahmood himself ended up behind bars. This gripping, forensic account takes the reader through the twists and turns of those fateful days late one August and beyond. For the first time, it shines a light on the tradecraft of the News of the World team and how they exposed the criminal scheming of the cricketers and their fixer Mazhar Majeed. It reveals how deeply fixing had penetrated the Pakistan dressing room, and lifts the lid on the black arts of investigative reporting which would eventually prove Mahmood's undoing.

Liverpool Matches of My Life provides a unique perspective on 50 iconic Liverpool games spanning the author's lifetime, from 1960 to date. It highlights many great matches that have gone down in Anfield folklore. Are Liverpool the greatest English team of the last 60 years? Judge for yourself as you read the story of this wonderful club.

Celebrating a Century of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the definitive history of the greatest horse race in Europe. Inaugurated in 1920 on the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, the Arc is the end-of-season championship that has conferred legendary status on Ribot, Sea Bird, Allez France, Dancing Brave, Zarkava, Sea The Stars, Treve and Enable.

Who Ate All the Squid? chronicles the season Ian Porterfield, a former Chelsea manager and Sunderland FA Cup legend, took charge of a struggling South Korean football club. Can he revitalise the team by luring a trio of players with Premier League experience out to East Asia? Can the Brits adapt to life in Korea as they battle personal demons?

The authorised biography of Ken Shellito, the first and only Chelsea manager to enter the job after rising through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. Ken's anecdotes - some harrowing, others hilarious - paint a fascinating portrait of how the game was played in the 1950s and how it evolved into today's commercialised era of glitz and glamour.

Second Yellow: More Adventures of our Footballing Heroes brings you more funny, fascinating and downright baffling tales gleaned from over 240 footballer autobiographies. From arm-wrestling Sly Stallone to setting a 1980s wag's hair on fire, it's an illuminating study of the often unbelievable world of the footballer, both on and off the pitch.

You've heard of David Beckham: the world-famous celebrity, actor, model, entrepreneur, philanthropist and charity ambassador. But what about the footballer behind the brand? Drawing on exclusive interviews with former Beckham team-mates, acclaimed author Wayne Barton explores Beckham's contribution as one of the greatest players of his generation.

Flight to Bogota charts an infamous episode in sports history, when UK footballers turned their backs on club and country before the 1950 World Cup for a sporting El Dorado. England's Neil Franklin led the rebellion, only to return home with his career in tatters. But the players' vociferous defence of their behaviour enlightened a shocked nation.

Champions Under Lockdown: Jurgen and the Holy Grail is the story of Liverpool's remarkable 2019/20 season. With the Reds on the brink of a first league title in 30 years, a global virus pandemic almost crushed their dream of a 19th championship. But Liverpool rose again to claim their holy grail. This is the story of the champions under lockdown.

Arsenal FC Minute by Minute takes you on a fantastic journey through the Gunners' matchday history. Relive all the breathtaking goals, heroic penalty saves, sending offs and other memorable moments. From Thierry Henry to Cliff Bastin, from Ian Wright to Charlie George, all the club legends are here. An absolute 'must' for Arsenal fans.

How to Run a Football Club is the story of our national game. Told through a journey up the pyramid, from the muddy pitches and ramshackle changing rooms at grass-roots level to the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, the book explores that common theme that links the game at all levels - the simple love of the sport.

What Was Football Like in the 1980s? provides a fascinating and insightful perspective on the game in a decade when football faced major challenges on and off the field. Richard Crooks explores the good, the bad and the ugly of '80s football, leaving no stone unturned.

England On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the national football side's rollercoaster history, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Lions diary. From 1872's first international to the Premier League era, there's an entry for every day of the year.