Clarke Carlisle Joins William Hill Sports Book Of Year Panel

“BRITAIN’S BRAINIEST FOOTBALLER” JOINS JUDGING PANEL FOR WORLD’S
OLDEST AND RICHEST SPORTS BOOK PRIZE

English footballer and chairman of the Professional Footballer’s Association Clarke Carlisle was today announced as a new addition to the judging panel of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.

Carlisle, 32, who counts Blackpool, Queen’s Park Rangers, Leeds United, Watford and Burnley among his former clubs also has a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting from Staffordshire University and has appeared as a pundit for Sky Sports and on Match of the Day 2.

An imposing figure in central defence, Carlisle is also known for his intellectual rigour having taken part in BBC1’s flagship political debate programme Question Time on numerous occasions as well as making several successful appearances on the Channel 4 game show Countdown. In 2002 he was crowned “Britain’s Brainiest Footballer” in an ITV show hosted by Carol Vorderman.

William Hill spokesman and co-founder of the prize, Graham Sharpe, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Clarke to the judging panel. He is the first still active sports person to join and will bring a fresh perspective to the panel’s discussions and deliberations”.

Carlisle will join broadcaster and writer John Inverdale; award-winning journalist Hugh McIlvanney; broadcaster Danny Kelly; and columnist and author, Alyson Rudd on the judging panel for the 24th William Hill Sports Book of the Year, which will be chaired by John Gaustad, co-creator of the award and founder of the Sportspages bookshop.

This year’s winner will be announced at a lunchtime ceremony at Waterstones Piccadilly on the 26th November. As well as a £24,000 cheque, the winning author will also receive a free £2,000 bet, a specially commissioned hand bound copy of the winning title and a day at the races.

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For further information please contact Anwen Hooson or Ceri Maxwell at Riot Communications on
020 3174 0118 / anwen@riotcommunications.com / 07899 798885
or ceri@riotcommunications.com / 07884 007448

NOTES TO EDITORS
• This year’s prize is open to any full-length book, providing the subject is predominantly sporting, published for the first time in the UK between 30th September 2011 and 29th September 2012. The entry deadline is Friday 31st August and full rules can be found here: http://www.williamhillmedia.com/sportsbook_rules.asp

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