Ipswich Town's George Burley nominee for sports book of the year
Ipswich Town legend George Burley has been nominated for an award for a book he co-wrote about his time as manager of the club. Burley, 68, and co-author Neil Prentice have been shortlisted in the Illustrated Book of the Year category at Thursday's Sports Book Awards for 'All To Play For: Ipswich Town FC The George Burley Era 1994-2002'.It documents his time as manager of the club for which he played more than 500 times from 1973 to 1985, having joined as a teenager."Coming in as a 15-year-old, it shaped me as a person, not just a footballer," he said.
Burley led the Blues back to the top flight, where they finished fifth in their first season, winning him Premier League Manager of the Season in 2001.He said the team "never gave up" and were determined to do better each season, especially going against bigger clubs. "As a manager you have got everything: the whole team, your staff, the supporters.," he said.During his career, defender Burley played for and managed Scotland, as well as club sides including Derby County, Sunderland, Hearts and Crystal Palace.In September, he issued a statement through Ipswich Town, revealing he had an undisclosed form of cancer.In an interview with the BBC in November, he said he was "feeling well" after his initial treatment.
His co-author Prentice, an Ipswich Town fan, recalled that Burley had taken the team to the play-offs three times before finally winning promotion."It is the resilience that is the story," he said."For me personally, at the age I was at the time it happened, it was very, very memorable."
There are 12 categories in the 23rd Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards, in association with The Sunday Times.Other books nominated in the same category include 'Blue is the Colour: The Official History of the Chelsea Shirt' by Nik Yeomans and 'Wimbledon: The Pinnacle of Sport' by Ian Hewitt and Bob Martin.
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