The big trade publishers all have their few A-list football titles every year but for the best stuff you need to dig a little deeper. What you’re looking for are these great (mostly independent) sports publishers, working a little under the radar to bring you passionate, interesting books. This is a list for both aspiring writers and avid readers. So in no particular order:
1. BackPage Press
Website: http://backpagepress.co.uk/
Twitter: @BackPagePress
Background
“BackPage began publishing world-class sports books in 2010. Today we produce great audio content, brilliant blogs, sold-out live events and we’re still publishing some of the best sports books out there.”
Books to read
Barça by Graham Hunter
I Think Therefore I Play by Andrea Pirlo
2. Pitch Publishing
Website: http://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/
Twitter: @PitchPublishing
Background
“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, Chief Sports Writer, The Telegraph
Books to read
Eibar the Brave by Euan McTear
Fully Programmed by Derek Hammond and Gary Silke
3. DeCoubertin Books
Website: decoubertin.co.uk/
Twitter: @deCoubertin
Background
“deCoubertin Books is a small publisher with big ideas. We use our experience from the worlds of journalism, web, publishing and design to produce beautiful non-fiction books that we passionately believe in.”
Books to read
Up There by Michael Walker
Touching Distance by Martin Hardy
4. Yellow Jersey Press
Website: https://www.penguin.co.uk/search/?q=yellow+jersey&f=i%3AYellow%2BJersey
Twitter: @YellowJersey_ed
Background
“Yellow Jersey Press is a sports list with a distinctive literary edge and a particular passion for cycling. Four-times winner of the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, Yellow Jersey publishes some of sport’s greatest heroes including Sir Bradley Wiggins and Diego Maradona as well as some of the best and most respected sport’s writers in the industry – William Fotheringham, C.L.R James, Ned Boulting, Paul Kimmage and H.G Bissinger.”
Books to read
A Life Too Short by Ronald Reng
Promised Land by Anthony Clavane
One Night in Turin by Pete Davies
5. Ockley Books
Website: http://www.ockleybooks.co.uk/
Twitter: @OckleyBooks
Background
“Ockley Books Ltd is a publishing company looking to carve a niche in the world of sports books and writing. We are only looking to bring you the highest quality books possible and give our writers as much help as we can to produce their finest work.”
Books to read
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Richard Foster
Juventus: A History in Black and White by Adam Digby
6. Tales From Ltd.
Website: http://talesfrom.com/
Twitter: @TalesFromLtd, @TalesFromTheVic, @TFTheCity, @TFTRW
Background
“Tales From produces excellent sports books and live events. Lionel Birnie is a journalist, author and Watford fan and Adam Leventhal is a TV presenter, journalist and author.”
Books to read
Tales from the Vicarage (Watford)
Tales from the City (Norwich)
Tales from the Red & Whites (Sunderland)
7. Trinity Mirror Sport Media
Website: http://www.tmsportmedia.com/
Twitter: @SportMediaTM
Background
“Trinity Mirror is the biggest publishing plc in the UK and Sport Media is its award-winning sports publishing unit. We work with some of the biggest clubs, organisations and individuals in Britain and have years of experience across the area of sports publishing.”
Books to read
GoodFella by Craig Bellamy
I’m Still Standing by Fabrice Muamba
8. Floodlit Dreams
Website: http://www.floodlitdreams.com/
Twitter: @IanRidley1
Background
“Ian worked for many years on national newspapers, including The Guardian, The Observer and The Mail on Sunday, and was Sports Journalist of the Year in 2007. He is also the author of 11 sports books, including the best-selling Addicted with Tony Adams. His latest is A Dazzling Darkness, with the world champion boxer, Darren Barker. He is also a scriptwriter and has for television. Ian is the creator of Floodlit Dreams Ltd, publishers of sports books.”
Books to read
Added Time by Mark Halsey
There’s A Golden Sky by Ian Ridley
9. Vision Sports Publishing
Website: http://www.visionsp.co.uk/
Twitter: @SportsVsp
Background
“Vision Sports Publishing is the UK’s leading independent sports book publisher. We set up in 2003 to publish the kind of intelligent and innovative books that we, as massive sports fans, would like to read ourselves and we are extremely proud of our reputation as a publisher of high quality sports books.”
Books to read
The Unstoppable Keeper by Lutz Pfannenstiel
Thinking Inside The Box by Louis Saha
10. Birlinn/Arena Sport Books
Website: http://www.birlinn.co.uk/Sport/
Twitter: @ArenaSportBooks
Background
“Arena Sport is Birlinn’s sport imprint and is designed for the general trade. The sport books range from football and rugby, to golf and cycling. Arena’s first titles were published in June 2013.”
Books to read
Diego Costa: The Art of War by Fran Guillén
Shocking Brazil by Fernando Duarte