Books published by Pitch Publishing Ltd

How Not To Run: A Journey to the Roof of the World is the story of a weekend runner who only ever wanted to keep fit to ride her horses with a little more finesse. Shauney always said she would never race. 'I just don't see the point. I don't think it would be for me,' she used to say. However, four and a half years later she found herself standing in the midst of the towering Himalayas, on the start line of the Everest Marathon, one of the toughest races anywhere in the world. With numerous 10Ks, half-marathons, full marathons, trail races and ultra-marathons already under her belt, the road from adamant non-racer to extreme long-distance runner had not been a smooth one - and was about to reach new heights of risk, danger and near disaster. Follow Shauney's journey over thousands of painful yet joyous miles, from some of the most beautiful, hidden parts of Scotland, via unforgettable, eye-watering races, all the way to the heights of the Himalayas - for the pinnacle of her racing and fundraising career so far.

Recounted candidly In His Own Words: Life On the Inside looks back on the footballing life and times of Peter Mendham, Norwich City's larger-than-life former midfielder. He offers a no-holds-barred account of football in the 80s - and also of the incident that led to a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. Peter gives his viewpoint on some of the stars he has played with and against, and on a decade in football characterised by falling gates, hooliganism and poor television coverage for fans who didn't follow the fortunes of the game's biggest clubs. The Mendham case remains one of the highest-profile trials ever to have involved a British footballer - his punishment and fall from grace standing in stark contrast to a playing career at the highest level, winning medals at Wembley for two clubs. Peter recounts his experiences in football and his time endured at Her Majesty's pleasure in a frank, occasionally blunt manner that will give readers an insight into a life of ups and downs.

Ruling the World tells the enthralling story of the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. From the early exchanges in the warm-up matches, up to the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, tales of classic stature and previously untold gems regularly arise. Each match is explored along with its unique backstory, with many key players contributing memories after more than a quarter of a century. Interviews with stars such as Derek Pringle, Phillip DeFreitas, Gladstone Small, Brian McMillan and Gavin Larsen help bring to life the greatest ever Cricket World Cup. Contributions from fans offer a unique insight into the high emotions in the stands as the tournament was played out. And exclusive behind-the-scenes access is granted by documents from the tournament's organising committee, including minutes from meetings and reports presented to the International Cricket Council. Ruling the World brings all the drama and excitement of 1992 to a new generation of cricket fans, and offers contemporary onlookers the chance to fondly reminisce.

The 1970s saw a change in the fortunes of the Scottish national side. After a gap of 16 years World Cup qualification was achieved for the finals in West Germany in 1974. Credited as the only undefeated side at the tournament, the sobering trip to Argentina four years later prompted more realistic future expectations. In a decade in which the SFA celebrated its centenary, the scandal of the Copenhagen Five and a breakdown in relations between the press and players were significant events - while, on the park, players of the calibre of Dalglish, Hartford, Jordan, Souness and McQueen replaced the old guard. Scotland in the 70s looks beyond the decade's 89 matches, examining the role of the managers - Brown, Docherty, Ormond, MacLeod, Stein - and the circumstances surrounding the many memorable games. Extensive newspaper and video archive research is complemented by the memories of star contributors including Bobby Brown, Archie MacPherson, Asa Hartford, Eddie Gray, Willie Morgan, Willie Johnston, Lou Macari, Bobby Clark, Jimmy Bone and John Blackley.

Why Are We Always On Last? Running Match of the Day and Other Adventures in TV and Football is a fly-on-the wall account of Paul Armstrong's career working on Britain's favourite TV sports show (including nearly 15 years as the editor, defending his running orders) and a lifetime spent around sport, and football in particular. From a virtual BBC monopoly of sports coverage and working at the Hillsborough disaster, to the era of Sky, social media and megaclubs, Paul takes us behind the scenes at MOTD and chronicles the joys and pressures of seven World Cups and live broadcasts of varying quality. He provides an honest and humorous account of the seismic changes he's seen, both in broadcasting and the football industry. With inside stories of working with everyone from David Coleman and Brian Clough to Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.. All infused with the pessimism and jaundice acquired during almost five decades following Middlesbrough FC.

Five Trophies and a Funeral: The Building and Rebuilding of Durham County Cricket Club is the story of how English cricket's youngest first-class county quickly became the country's top team, before overstretching themselves financially to the brink of extinction. When Durham joined the professional game in 1992 they aspired to be a major on-field force and a home to top international cricket. The high demands put on them as a condition of entry, together with their own lofty ambitions, pushed the club to five major trophies in seven seasons while providing England with top-quality players reared in the North East. But striving for ever more at a time of economic downturn led them to live beyond their means, and they were heavily punished for overspending that the authorities partly encouraged. Now they are looking to restore past glories under the chairmanship of Sir Ian Botham. Part fairy tale, part cautionary story, Five Trophies explains how Durham arrived where they are, and where they aim to go next.

James Cook's autobiography is a gripping account of his life told with the assistance of his friend and boxing author, Melanie Lloyd. Cook was raised by his grandparents in Jamaica until he was nine years old, when his mother arrived from London to collect him. His words paint a vibrant picture of childhood in the Caribbean sun and having to adapt to life on the notorious North Peckham Housing Estate in the late 60s. He started boxing in his teens and became British and European super-middleweight champion. Cook eloquently leads the reader through his life in the ring with plenty of droll tales along the way; but this is much more than a boxing book. Cook's commitment to keeping his local community safe through his youth work contributes to an inspirational and uplifting read. But anybody expecting to find Saint James on every page is in for a shock. His stories range from fighting with wheel-clampers in a Tesco car park to receiving his MBE from the Queen, all told with equal warmth and a sweet honesty that will keep the pages turning.

I Can't Help Falling in Love with You offers a personal, heartfelt yet tellingly critical survey of the changing world of football fandom. Gregory Whitaker's coming-of-age memoir provides an emotional insight into the modern game from the perspective of a bona fide fanatic who has experienced all the highs and lows of football's last 20 years.

Of all games, cricket has long prided itself on its ethical traditions, but to modern sceptics the idea of cricket encapsulating a higher morality is actually something of a myth. Playing the Game? looks at the changing ethics of cricket, from its gentlemanly roots right up until the present day. After decades of sledging, intimidatory bowling, blatant gamesmanship and dissent, the MCC adopted `The Spirit of Cricket' in 2000 in an attempt to reclaim the game's original ethos - but was it already too late? While the concept is a noble one, its impact has so far been limited, as award-winning cricket scribe Mark Peel explains. As well as looking back to the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33, Peel also investigates the effects of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket; takes the ICC to task on their failure to quell rowdy behaviour and gamesmanship; examines the double standards of Western cricketing nations towards Pakistan; and delves into the recent ball-tampering affair that has tainted Aussie cricket.

Lancashire has had a major role to play in English football from its earliest days to the present. The county's leading clubs were largely responsible for the introduction of professionalism in the 1880s, after Preston North End admitted paying their players, and the world's first Football League was divided between teams from the North West and the Midlands. Preston's 'Invincibles' triumphed in that first competition before adding the FA Cup that two different Blackburn clubs had already won - and soon the great clubs of Merseyside and Manchester were winning their first trophies. As the turf wars developed, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Bury and Oldham all made their mark in the top division; clubs such as Rochdale and Wigan fought the good fight in rugby hotbeds; and more recently Fleetwood and Morecambe have carried the name of their towns further afield. This is the story of these great rivals, their triumphs, scandals and tragedies, and the great players who have kept the red rose to the fore at home and abroad.

Darkness and Light is a thrilling tale of survival against the odds. Joe Thompson overcame a troubled childhood to become a footballer, but was then diagnosed with cancer at 23. He beat the disease and continued his career, only for it to return three years later. He defeated cancer again and then made an astonishing comeback on the pitch.

An entertaining and powerful narrative of a manager striving to satisfy legions of fanatical supporters and an impatient boardroom. In the white heat of North East football mania, Alan Durban battled to achieve long-term stability and on-field success at Sunderland. Heartbreakingly, his vision of 'tomorrow' would never reach fruition.

From the controversy that surrounded Aberdeen FC's first cup semi-final, through the triumphant European golden era of the 80s to their long-awaited return to glory with their League Cup win in 2014, here are 50 of the Dons' most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all.

Villeneuve sheds new light on the F1 legend through 48 illuminating interviews with his contemporaries and a stunning array of action and behind-the-scenes photographs, many previously unseen. Gilles Villeneuve, F1's last cavalier, lives on in the memories of his fans - his heritage all the more colourful thanks to Karoly Mehes' vivid tribute.

Waiting is the story of a rookie photojournalist immersed in Formula One's golden age of the 70s and 80s. Aged just 19, Richard Kelley saw the need to faithfully document the sport's lethal dangers, iconic personalities and technological developments in a period of seismic change, which caused F1's unique character to disappear forever.

Ronnie O'Sullivan's status as one of snooker's all-time greats was cemented in 2017 by adding to his five world titles, a seventh Masters and sixth UK, thus equalling Stephen Hendry's 18 'triple crown' triumphs. Now is the perfect time for his story to be told by Clive Everton - 'The Voice of Snooker'. Simply the Best traces Ronnie's course from carefree junior prodigy to deeply troubled and depressed adult, and so to maturity and self-knowledge. Along the way, he emerges as instinctively warm-hearted, the most loyal of sons and a true sportsman in his acceptance of defeat. Even so, full consideration is given to Ronnie's mistakes in a rounded portrait of one of snooker's most fascinating, complicated and successful characters.

Wingin' It is the ultimate story of hope over hate, the insightful autobiography of a footballer who beat the bigots. Due to the colour of his skin, Mark Walters always felt he needed to be twice as good as other players in order to succeed. But Mark drew inspiration from the way the late Cyrille Regis handled his racist detractors, and went on to fulfil his potential by flaunting his dazzling ball skills for England. While a starry-eyed kid in Birmingham, he somehow escaped the clutches of evil paedophile Ted Langford, although his mate wasn't so fortunate. He became an idol of the Villa Park terraces, though his move to Scotland was almost halted by a bloodthirsty mob who pelted him with bananas and pigs' feet. But Walters stood firm to become one of England's most popular exports. After a third successive league title, a GBP1.25 million move to Liverpool reunited him with Graeme Souness. Mark rewrote the record books at Anfield, but would ultimately call his decision to head south 'the biggest mistake of my career'.

The Beautiful Badge is the first book to explore the history of football club badges. From the original Red Devil to the GBP10 canary, it looks at what inspired them, who crafted them and how fans reacted. Extensive illustrations show how badges followed fashion, negotiated copyright and expressed the aspirations of owners, managers and fans.

Scotland - Glory, Tears & Souvenirs is an offbeat collection of memories, mementos, rants and aspirations relating to Scotland's national football team. A 'look back in hunger' on the post-war era, with emphasis on the 1970s to date. A reminder of the way football was, the way it is now and the way we'd like it to be!

At 34 years of age, Gregory Howe quit teaching in London to chase his childhood dream of becoming a world-ranked tennis professional. He started his year-long journey in the minor leagues, playing across four continents, as far afield as Bangkok, Kampala and Lahore, initially struggling against younger, fitter aspiring pros. Breaking through to the elite ATP tour, he got within volleying distance of some of the greats of the modern game. Eventually, he managed to juggle competing on the ATP tour with holding down a nine-to-five job. Along the way he encountered almost everything the tennis world has to offer, from rising stars racing to the top, to players whose hopes are slowly being shattered. Chasing Points: A Season on the Men's Pro Tennis Circuit offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a touring tennis professional from the perspective of a real 'underdog'.

Almost as much is written in the football media about transfers as about the game itself. Records are smashed and billions spent each transfer window, but how does the transfer market work? How does a transfer come together? How do you become an agent, and what do they actually do? And what are the effects of a move on the main stakeholders?

Ride lays bare the harrowing beginnings and the tough life lessons learned by superstar John Buultjens on his rise to BMX Glory, Against All the Odds. High-octane BMX enabled John to change his destiny, carrying him from a dead-end Glasgow estate to leader of iconic US BMX brand, Haro - his white-knuckle ride now the subject of a Hollywood movie.

Derek Dougan was no ordinary footballer and the story of his life is a fascinating study of the evolution of his sport over several decades. A flamboyant centre-forward who scored more than 200 goals, he demanded a transfer on the eve of an FA Cup final, was involved in a fatal car crash and fell out with various clubs. Even his Wembley winner's medal with Wolves was earned against a backdrop of resentment and battles. As players' union chief and club administrator, he was involved in some of professional football's most significant developments of the past 40 years. In Sunshine or In Shadow reveals the darkness and light of Derek Dougan, and the drive and demons that kept him fighting to the very end.Key features- Derek Dougan asked respected sports author David Tossell to work with him on a new autobiography, but died before they could begin work on the book- In Sunshine or In Shadow is the result of the year after Dougan's death Tossell spent retracing the steps of his life- The book travels from Dougan's roots in Belfast through his playing career to the battles he waged as a football executive and campaigning chairman of the PFA- With unprecedented access to family members, the book includes more than 70 new interviews with Dougan's team-mates, family, friends - and enemies- The result is the definitive account of one of football's most contradictory and iconic figures

Twenty AFC Bournemouth legends come together to relive the magical moments from the most memorable matches in the club's history. From Ted MacDougall's record-breaking nine-goal haul to the Cherries' greatest ever victory against FA Cup holders Manchester United, Match of My Life brings to life treasured memories for Cherries fans of all ages.