TWO separate stories of how top gay sportsmen struggled to come to terms with their sexuality are among the contenders for a £26,000 literary prize.

A biography of Olympic champion figure skater John Curry and the memoirs of Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas have both made the shortlist for the William Hill Sports Books of the Year Award.

Thomas, who captained his national team and was the first Welshman to win 100 international caps in rugby union, came out in 2009 in contrast to Curry who was outed by the media and died penniless aged 44 after being diagnosed with Aids.

Alone: The Triumph And Tragedy of John Curry is written by former documentary maker Bill Jones.

Other books on the shortlist include a biography of West Ham and England's Bobby Moore, the autobiography of a Spanish endurance athlete and a report of an Australian Rules footballer on trial for rape.

The shortlist is completed by a history of spectator sports and Played In London, which surveys the story of sport in the capital.

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe, who co-founded the award, said: "In this year's rich and varied shortlist lie compelling explorations of the personal struggles and triumphs of some of our most esteemed sporting figures, an inquiry into the dark side of sporting culture and not one, but two fascinating social histories.

"The quality of writing speaks for itself - it's an extremely exciting time in sports writing."

As well as the cash prize, the winning author also gets a free bet of £2,500, a hand-bound copy of their book and a day out at the races.

The winner, decided by a judging panel including broadcaster Danny Kelly and award-winning sports journalist Hugh McIlvanney, will be announced at Bafta in central London on Thursday November 27.

Previous winners of the prize include rugby player Brian Moore's memoirs, Beware Of The Dog, and a biography of bodyline bowler Harold Larwood.

:: The shortlist for the 2014 William Hill Sports Book of the Year is: Bobby Moore: The Man in Full by Matt Dickinson Played in London: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play by Simon Inglis Alone: The Triumph and Tragedy of John Curry by Bill Jones Run or Die by Kilian Jornet Night Games: Sex, Power and Sport by Anna Krien Floodlights and Touchlines: A History of Spectator Sport by Rob Steen Proud: My Autobiography by Gareth Thomas and Michael Calvin