Books published by Pitch Publishing Ltd

Qatar's successful bid for the World Cup shocked the football world. How could such a place stage football's premier tournament? Armchair Guide gets underneath the noise, taking a sideways look at everything from human rights to the cost of a pint at the game.

The Making of the FIFA World Cup takes you on the ultimate journey through World Cup history. Telling the stories of 75 of the competition's most memorable and shocking moments, you'll be left in no doubt why the World Cup is sport's most-watched event. The Making of... brings you the pure, unfiltered excitement of the World Cup - in book form.

Success in elite football demands both mental and physical excellence. Players must make decisions at lightning speed, and execute those decisions with perfect technique, combined with an ultra-clear understanding of where others - their team-mates and their opponents - are at all times. In The Futsal Way, world-renowned futsal coach Sergio Gargelli and veteran writer Paul Challen make the case that today''s elite football clubs require futsal coaches on their staff to take their teams to the next level - as many have already done. With photos, diagrams and clear explanations, they demonstrate how top-level coaches can use futsal to produce exceptional players in the 11-a-side game - as seen in the amazing technical ability of many Brazilian and Spanish players who grew up playing futsal. With a foreword by Euro 2020-winning manager Roberto Mancini, this book is a must for any team or coach looking to keep pace with modern training techniques and tactical developments. It combines in-depth instruction with real-life examples.

Meet Eric Gill and Dave Hollins, once feted as two of the finest goalkeepers in Britain. Between them they have more stories to tell spanning the past ten decades than there are holes in a football net. Their unique friendship started as a rivalry, two men wrestling over the same goalkeeper jersey at Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1950s. Seventy years later they remain the best of pals, having lived long, eventful lives bookended by the horrors of World War Two and the Covid-19 pandemic. Journey back to when footballers earned GBP20 a week and goalkeepers wore string gloves, as Eric and Dave recall how they dodged Hitler's bombs before pitting their wits against some of sport's most iconic names: a list that includes Stanley Matthews, Pele and George Best not to mention their shared nemesis, Brian Clough. Touching, inspiring and searingly honest, Eric and Dave is a salutary reminder that youth is not a time of life but a state of mind.

Power & Glory is a visual homage to the NFL, taking us on a hard-hitting journey from the pre-Super Bowl era to the present day. Using stunning images, it's a celebration of a uniquely American sporting culture, featuring great stars, teams, games and stadiums. Alongside these beautiful and breathtaking photos are stats, records and write-ups.

Although the footballing world is littered with superstar players, some take it upon themselves to drag their respective teams to glory. From Lionel Messi to Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo to the original Ronaldo, 'Il Fenomeno', this is the story of those special players. Relive the past glories of players and teams from the past.

Seventy-four years is a long time to wait. A whole generation of supporters has come and gone since Brentford were last in the top division of English football. Now, under the astute management of Thomas Frank, the Bees are back in the big time. The 2021/22 season has seen the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United visit the Community Stadium, the dreams of years past now a reality. A lifetime of gazing up the football ladder and wondering what it would be like to be in the top tier has become a reality. So how would their trip into the unknown go? Would the Premier League turn out to be the land of milk and honey or would the dreams turn to nightmares? Follow their progress in this season-long diary of the highs and lows of the biggest season in the history of Brentford Football Club. Only one thing is certain - whatever the season would bring for the Bees, the players, staff, supporters and everyone connected with Brentford Football Club would be buzzing!

Red Men Reborn takes a unique look at the whole history and socio-cultural significance of Liverpool FC. Williams skilfully weaves his narrative around the great managers: from Tom Watson in the 1900s to the epic era of Klopp. The book also analyses the lasting impact of the Hillsborough and Heysel disasters on the club and fans.

Uruguay remains a curious case in world football. Early Olympic and World Cup triumphs made it the game's first global power, and the small country has punched above its weight ever since. But the story behind its success is untold. In this first English-language history of Uruguayan football, Martin da Cruz maps the game's journey from exclusive British pastime to Uruguayan national passion, bringing to life the teams, players and personalities who helped create one of the world's most intense sporting cultures. From the start, football was intimately tied to Uruguay's national story. Wedged between giants Argentina and Brazil and lacking a cohesive national identity, Uruguay used the game to create unified and educated citizens, to put an end to civil war and become an advanced social democracy. Yet football also drove counter-narratives of class and race, challenging Uruguay's self-identification as a peaceful, 'white' nation. From Beauty to Duty is the story of a little country made big.

In 1960, at the start of a tumultuous decade that saw major global change, the Intercontinental Cup was born. For the first time, this ambitious annual cup crowned a world club champion, pitting the kings of the two great footballing continents - Europe and South America - against each other. In an era before money ruined the global balance of football, neither dominated. From the Estadio Centenario and the Maracanã, to Old Trafford and the San Siro, the most iconic stadia in world football hosted Intercontinental Cup games. The star players of their respective generations participated - from Puskás and Di Stéfano in the inaugural 1960 edition, to legends such as Pelé, Ronaldo, Zico and van Basten. When Two Worlds Collide charts the Intercontinental Cup's colourful 44-year history, from its trailblazing inception to 2004 when the last ball was kicked in Yokohama. The controversial clashes of the late 1960s, the cup's decline in the 70s and the pivotal 1980 rebirth in Japan are all covered.

The Working Hands of a Goddess is the story of how Atalanta BC rose from the lower reaches of Serie A to become Champions League quarter-finalists in just four years. The arrival of coach Gian Piero Gasperini in 2016 changed the club's fortunes forever, and forged a legacy of beautiful football that has enchanted all of Europe.