The williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year was established in 2006 to celebrate the quality of Irish sports writing and the standard of sports books that are produced in Ireland every year. The winner of the inaugural award was Paul McGrath with his harrowing tale of the ups and downs of his professional football career in "Back from the Brink", which was written with Vincent Hogan.
In 2007, Trevor Brennan's autobiography with Gerry Thornley, "Heart and Soul" detailed Brennan's journey through the professional rugby ranks in Ireland and France and his infamous altercation with a fan, which led to the end of his successful career. In 2008 the award produced one of the greatest Irish sports story's never told. Tommy Byrne's "Crashed and Byrned" was the story of an Irish racing driver hailed as one of the world's greatest, even better than World champion Ayrton Senna, but never made it to the top.
This year's judging panel is made up of ten of Ireland's best sports commentators and experts. The panel includes RTE rugby pundit and Newstalk presenter George Hook, RTE's Eamon Dunphy, Today FM and TV3 presenter Matt Cooper and Setanta Sports' Paul Dempsey.
The judging panel who will select this year's winner includes Eamon Dunphy, himself short listed for the International William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 1991, and George Hook of RTE and Newstalk. This year the public will have a chance to influence the final verdict, and can vote on this site for the book they think should win the award.
William Hill established the original Sports Book of the Year Award in London in 1989 and this year will celebrate its 20th year. Winners down the years have included Lance Armstrong (2000) for "It's Not About the Bike", Thomas Hauser (1991) for his seminal biography of Muhammed Ali, and Nick Hornby (1992) for 'Fever Pitch'.
Paul Kimmage won the Award in 1990 for "A Rough Ride", while other Irish writers to have been short listed in addition to Dunphy include Niall Quinn for his Autobiography in 2002, and Kimmage again in 2001 for his biography of Tony Cascarino.
The William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year Award is open to books published or distributed in Ireland for the first time since September 30th 2008, whose author was born or is resident in Ireland or whose content is of Irish sporting interest.
Previous Winners Of The williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year
2008: Crashed and Byrned
2007: Heart & Soul
2006; Back From The Brink
Previous Winners Of The William Hill (UK) Sport Book of the Year
2008:Coming Back To Me
2007:Provided You Don't Kiss Me
2006 : Unforgivable Blackness
2005 : My Father and other Working Football Class Heroes
2004 : Basil D'Oliveira
2003 : Broken Dreams
2002 : In Black & White
2001 : Seabiscuit - The True Story Of 3 Men & A Race Horse
2000 : It's Not About the Bike - My Journey To Life & Back
1999 : A Social History of English Cricket
1998 : Angry White Pyjamas
1997 : A Lot Of Hard Yakka
1996 : Dark Trade
1995 : A Good Walk Spoiled
1994 : Football Against The Enemy
1993 : Endless Winter
1992 : Fever Pitch
1991 : Muhammad Ali
1990 : Rough Ride
1989 : True Blue
