Promised Land Voted Sports Book of the Year

14 June 2011 00:12
Promised Land by Anthony Clavane has been voted Sports Book of the Year. Promised Land: The Reinvention of Leeds United, the city and its fans, was previously named Football Book of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards at a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel on 9th May 2011.  The winners in eight categories were put to a public vote at www.britishsportsbookawards.co.uk to find the best book overall – and Anthony Clavane's fascinating journey into the dark heart of this ill-fated football club came out on top.  Promised Land, published by Yellow Jersey Press,  beat ’61 The Spurs Double’, an illustrated book about Tottenham Hotspur’s double-winning side, and former England rugby international Brian Moore’s autobiography  ‘Beware of the Dog’ into second and third place respectively.  Clavane, from Wivenhoe, Essex, a sports journalist, said: “It is really pleasing the book has won the public vote. I am glad it appears to have had an appeal beyond football.  “It took me a few years to research and write, but I wanted to pay tribute to the community I came from. The story of my city and its football team is a fascinating one. It’s nice to see that many people outside Leeds think so too."  Rowan Yapp, from Yellow Jersey Press, said: “Promised Land is a brilliant piece of storytelling and we are thrilled it is Sports Book of the Year.  “To write about not only your football club, but also your city, your ancestors, and what shaped you, is an ambitious undertaking. To do this with such passion, humour and humanity on every page, is a really great achievement.”  To speak to Mr Clavane and for pictures of the book jacket or the author contact Bethan Jones at Yellow Jersey Press: bjones@randomhouse.co.uk or 020 7840 8543.  NOTES TO EDITORS:  The British Sports Book Awards is a celebration of the best in sports books of all kinds.  About 50 publishers submit titles for consideration. A panel of distinguished judges, including a number of experienced sports journalists, pundits and ex-professional sportsmen, picks the winners. This year’s awards ceremony, the ninth annual British Sports Book Awards, was held at London’s Savoy Hotel on May 9th.

Source: FOOTYMAD