BENCHMARK BOOKS came into being as the answer to a conundrum.

Benchmark's founders were puzzled at what they saw as a strange anomaly in the world of publishing: there were mountains of sports books out there, and piles of books for children – but very few that bridged the gap to make sporting stories accessible to children.

Despite the fact that most kids are crazy about sport – especially football – they had to content themselves with the predictable annuals cobbled together for Christmas. There was virtually nothing that did what 'grown-up' sports books do, that is, tell proper stories.

This observation surprised journalists James McIvor and Michael Martin, who had come up with the idea of telling the story of their beloved Celtic FC to children, but assumed that someone else would have beaten them to it. McIvor explained: "I had the idea for a children's history of Celtic and when I mentioned it to Michael his first reaction was 'That's a brilliant idea'.

"Then we both immediately thought, '... but someone is bound to have done it already.' After all, parents who are football supporters are always keen to bring up their sons and daughters to support their team.

"They pass on some of their favourite stories and a bit of the history, but it's usually all done in a piecemeal fashion. So we thought the idea of a book to enable kids to discover the team's story for themselves was blindingly obvious. But it couldn't have been THAT obvious, because no one had done it properly."

By now convinced that they had identified a huge gap in the market, McIvor and Martin set to work on The Story of Celtic. Having come up with a vivid, child-friendly version of the famous club's history, they found an illustrator, Doreen Shaw, who was able to bring the story to life on the page.

Then came a crucial decision: sell the idea to a publisher, or go it alone. Martin takes up the story: "When we approached publishers we got the impression that the children's departments didn't quite understand the sporting element, and the sports departments didn't quite feel comfortable with the children's aspect. So we decided to set up our own publishing partnership, which we called Benchmark Publications."

Benchmark Publications soon became Benchmark Books Ltd when the firm employed to project-manage The Story of Celtic decided to get in on the act. Jack Geddes and Eleanor McCallum, who run The Partnership Publishing Solutions, saw the potential in the idea and offered to come on board.

Geddes said: "Like James and Michael, Eleanor and I believed that the 'Story of...' idea could be applied almost without limit. And we figured that our publishing expertise allied to James' and Michael's creative input on the writing and presentation side could potentially be a productive mix."

Geddes admits he had ulterior motives based on his own allegiances: "I am a big Rangers fan," he said, "so I wanted to help produce The Story of Rangers to go head to head with The Story of Celtic! Benchmark's slogan, Passing on the Passion, says it all, really. It's about handing down the history and tradition of a sporting institution to future generations."

Old Firm rivalry notwithstanding, Benchmark Books have gone from strength to strength. They sealed deals to become official merchandise of both Celtic and Rangers, and did likewise with the Scottish Football Association when The Story of the Scotland National Team was published earlier this year. It has already made it into the Waterstone's Guide to Kids' Books for Christmas.

Not surprisingly, Benchmark's titles are also proving popular with schools, and sales through library suppliers have been brisk. Benchmark's latest title takes the tried and tested 'Story of...' formula a little further by applying it to an individual rather than a team. The Story of Billy McNeill takes the biography of Celtic's greatest ever captain and, once again, brings it to life for a younger generation of supporters. Published on 6 November, The Story of Billy McNeill is expected to be a big hit in the run-up to Christmas.

As they gear up for a busy period ahead, Benchmark Books are well on the way to fulfilling their mission to 'Pass on the Passion'.

You can find out more about Benchmark Books on http://www.benchmarkbooks.co.uk/

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  The Story Of Celtic
  - Hardback - Benchmark
  Celtic Football Club was founded to help feed poor children in Glasgow. The club would go on to become a world name. This book provides young fans with a history of Celtic.
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  The Story Of Liverpool
  - Hardback - Benchmark
  For young Reds fans everywhere, this is the story of how Liverpool Football Club started from humble beginnings and went on to become one of England's most successful clubs.
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  The Story Of Manchester United
  - Hardback - Benchmark
  For every young Red Devils fans, this book tells the story of how a railwaymen's team went on to become one of the most famous football clubs in the world.
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  £6.99
  The Story Of Rangers
  - Hardback - Benchmark
  For every young fan who wants to learn why millions of supporters have followed Rangers through the years, this is the story of the club which was founded by four friends in Glasgow in 1872.
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  The Story Of The Scotland National Team
  - Hardback - Benchmark
  In 1872 Scotland took part in the first-ever international football match. This book charts the history of the Scotland team's progress - the highs, the lows, the memorable games and the colourful characters.