News

Corinthian captures Millwall spirit

07.10.11 | Charlotte Williams

Icon Books is releasing a previously self-published title going behind the scenes at a football club by Sunday Mirror chief sports writer Michael Calvin.

Family: Life, Death and Football will be released by Icon’s sports imprint, Corinthian Books, on 5th January as an £8.99 B-format paperback, and is based on Calvin’s time spent talking to players, fans and management in the dressing rooms and pitch-side at south-east London’s Millwall FC during their 2009/2010 League One promotion season.

Consultant publisher Ian Marshall acquired world rights to the title through agent Paul Morton after spotting the book’s potential at the British Sports Book Awards, where it was nominated for the Best Football Book of the Year Award 2011.

The title sold around 9,000 copies as a self-published volume according to Icon, and Marshall said the access an established publisher such as Icon has to retailers would help to increase the book’s reach. He added the level of access to players and staff was much more extensive than would have been permitted at a Premier League club, leading to a more intimate story with players on more modest pay cheques that could be related to.

Marshall said: “We are giving it a fresh approach and trying to ensure it has the widest appeal possible. Football is a tribal sport . . . [but] there is always a hope that it is an everyman story. It certainly goes broader than a small part of south-east London.”


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