The most prestigious literary prize in the sporting world, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, has announced its esteemed judging panel for this year’s competition – with leading broadcaster Gabby Logan joining the line-up.

The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award was established in 1989 and recognises outstanding writing across a wide range of genres within the sporting world and has earnt its reputation as one of the most coveted literary honours celebrating sports writers worldwide. Gabby joins Alyson Rudd, Dame Heather Rabbatts, Michelle Walder, Mark Lawson and Clarke Carlisle, who all return from last year’s panel and will select the William Hill Sports Book of the Year shortlist and ultimately crown the Award’s 36^th winner.

Former gymnast and esteemed television and radio presenter Gabby Logan joins as a judge for the first time. Having presented various high-profile sporting events across multiple disciplines such as the Olympics, the World Cup, the European Championship and BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, Gabby is extremely well-versed in all things sport and, as a former athlete herself, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this year’s panel, having also released her own memoir, “The First Half”, last year.

Alyson Rudd, award-winning sports journalist at The Times, returns to lead the panel as Chair for the sixth year in a row. Alyson has authored two sports books herself alongside two novels, is a qualified football coach and referee and has extensive experience in the field to make her an ideal choice to guide the panel in their quest to identify the finest sports book of the year yet again.

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Dame Heather Rabbatts returns as a judge for the second time, bringing her considerable expertise to the panel. Renowned for her groundbreaking tenure as the first female Director of the Football Association, she has been instrumental in catalysing change within the sports industry. With her deep insight into the sports landscape, she offers value and proficiency to this year’s judging panel.

Michelle Walder, a non-executive board member at Brighton and Hove Albion FC and chair of their Women’s team, resumes her role as a judge for the third consecutive year. Since 2004, she has successfully operated her own business focusing on leadership and coaching and, with extensive experience in the sporting sector, Michelle brings invaluable insight to the task of whittling down this year’s nominees into the final shortlist and ultimately the crowning of this year’s winner.

Broadcaster, writer, and journalist Mark Lawson rejoins the panel this year. As a theatre critic for The Tablet, as well as being a critic and feature writer for The Guardian, his expertise in storytelling bolsters the panel’s assets by bringing an additional facet to their existing strengths. With six books of his own, Mark has expressed his admiration for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, describing being a judge as one of his top ambitions in sports.

Completing the lineup of judges is Clarke Carlisle, having transitioned from football to becoming a prominent broadcaster, his perspective as a former athlete-turned-commentator adds a distinctive angle to the judging panel. With nearly two decades of experience in football across all four professional English divisions, Clarke brings a profound understanding of the sport’s intricacies. As a regular football pundit and co-commentator, his insights into the sporting world are invaluable during the selection process. While Clarke made his debut as a judge back in 2012, he temporarily stepped down in 2013 to pen his autobiography, “A Footballer’s Life”, which earned a place on the 2014 longlist for the Award.

The judges will whittle down the longlist throughout the month into a final shortlist which will be announced on 31^st October. The official awards ceremony will take place on 19^th November in which the winner will be announced. The author will receive both the coveted William Hill Sports Book of the Year trophy as well as £30,000 in cash, whilst the rest of the shortlisted authors will receive a leather-bound copy of their book along with £3,000 in cash each.

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Lee Phelps, spokesperson for William Hill, said: “We’re delighted to announce we’ve got a host of familiar faces returning to the judging panel for this year’s edition of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, the 36^th renewal of our prestigious literary prize – with brand new judge, Gabby Logan, joining the line-up.

“We’re extremely excited to welcome Gabby to the panel and we have no doubt she’ll bring her renowned sports knowledge and industry experience to the table when selecting which books make the shortlist alongside the rest of the judges. We’re also happy to confirm that Alyson Rudd returns for the sixth year running as Chair of the judging panel to guide them throughout the process.

“Dame Heather Rabbatts, Michelle Walder, Mark Lawson and Clarke Carlisle have all been confirmed as returning judges. I sat in on the judging last year and it’s a fascinating and robust process. The six-strong panel will all be putting their heads together to sift through this year’s entries in order to whittle them down into a shortlist and ultimately decide whose book is deserving of the big prize come the Awards Ceremony later this year.”

Alyson Rudd, Chair of the judging panel, said: “I am excited as ever to return as the Chair of Judging for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024. This is my sixth year being the Chair of the panel and I can’t wait to explore more of what the world of sports books has to offer. I love literary awards and because I work in sport, this competition is perfect.

“The Award celebrates the power of storytelling and, whilst sport is a huge field, entries are quite intimate and stories very personal so to be leading our diverse panel of judges as we read these exceptional stories yet again is a huge honour.

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“I keep coming back year after year because the standard has improved. In this competition we want to see good writing, writing that stirs the soul and, regardless of the subject matter, would stand in competition with any other genre. I keep coming back because it keeps getting better.”

North American sports betting specialists Checkd International, part of award-winning Checkd Group, have announced they are introducing a rework of their previous app FlashPicks, as a new and improved platform called SmartPicks.

The newest app launched by the Manchester-based company aims to innovate the sports betting experience across the US through a streamlined, yet informative app. SmartPicks places the player props hit rate tool front and centre in the app and provides odds comparison with licensed US sportsbooks.

Other key features include same game parlay builder with add-to-bet slip functionality as well as allowing combined selections, automatic and instant bet tracking for bets built through the app, and customisable notifications for both team and player bets.

The SmartPicks app also improves betslip functionality for users with the ability to instantly add selections, and has 60+ player prop markets with historical and filterable hit rates viewable with trending props plus automated insights.

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To unlock full access, users will require a SmartPicks Pro subscription, which instantly improves user experience and gives them access to a side of betting that will showcase all the app has to offer. This represents Checkd Group’s first move into subscription revenue, alongside other existing sources.

With all these features packed into the app and updates planned throughout the NFL season, SmartPicks expands Checkd International’s on-the-ground presence in the American market through a platform that is built on existing technology in the UK to bring a unique sports betting-focused app to the US.

The SmartPicks app was built in-house by Checkd Dev, the technology specialist division of Checkd Group, which has supported top-tier operators with new products, including Paddy Power’s Mix ’N Match bet building tool that launched earlier this year.

Checkd Group have seen great expansion in the US-based betting market. The SmartPicks app has seen a 187% increase in app searches in 2024, with 86,000 so far, up from 30,000 in 2023, and 110,000 in the past 12 months.

Commenting on the launch, Callum Broxton, Head of US Operations at Checkd Group said: “We’re thrilled to strengthen our presence within the American sports betting market with the launch of SmartPicks, which has an improved layout and informative features that will make the betting experience simpler for users.

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“The features available on the app allow for a wide variety of bets that can easily be transferred to any of the licensed sportsbooks, and we will continue to build on these features as the NFL season progresses.”

CopyBet extends deal with its first-ever horse racing brand ambassador, Jonathan Burke, to continue the partnership throughout the 2024/25 National Hunt season.

With over 200 career wins to his name, Burke, who joined CopyBet in October 2023, was appointed Fergal O’Brien’s new stable jockey earlier this year. The Irishman will continue wearing the CopyBet logo on his racing kit and provide CopyBet customers with insightful content on the major horse racing festivals, including Q+A takeovers on social media. 

Burke’s extension follows the announcement of CopyBet’s first-ever horse racing event sponsorship, with a deal to become the Race Weekend Title Sponsor of the CopyBet November Racing Weekend at Ascot Racecourse on 22nd and 23rd November.

Jonathan Burke, CopyBet brand ambassador, said: “I am delighted to extend my partnership with CopyBet, and continue providing customers with insights into the world of horse racing. The announcement of the CopyBet November Racing Weekend at Ascot demonstrates CopyBet’s commitment to the sport, and I look forward to proudly representing the brand at one of the most prestigious venues in the world.”

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Anton Ivanov, Business Development Director, CopyBet UK, said: “Jonathan continues to prove himself as an extremely talented jockey, and we look forward to following his progress as he embarks on one of the most exciting journeys of his career with Fergal O’Brien. His success is a testament to his hard work and dedication.”

In football, CopyBet is the official front of shirt partner of Queens Park Rangers Football Club, and boasts Republic of Ireland and Premier League legend, Shay Given as a brand ambassador.