Brian Glanville - World Soccer Magazine

[Big Dave Watson]

Does anyone else read World Soccer Magazine. I stopped reading the articles by Brian Glanville because he was always having a pop at City but in the recent edition I couldnt help reading his bile again as the headline was something about City being a blight on the english game. He seems very bitter about City, more so that the usual fleet street hacks. Is there any history here between him and City? I wonder if the City press office have studied his crap.

 

[lancs blue]

I haven't read Glanville since the takeover but he's probably the most "old school" of football writers. He was very opposed to the formation of the Premier League and wrote some excellent articles on it at the time highlighting the dangers of TV dictating fixtures and the increasing amounts of money floating around the top levels of the game so I'd imagine his beef with City comes from the money angle and also the fact that he's a big Gooner! He's always been a fierce critic of Blatter and FIFA so he isn't all bad.

 

[Rochdale Blue]

He was on talkspite a few days ago and basically labelled City as a cancer destroying the game, he also bigged up his friendship with Charlton at the swamp. It seems even intelligent and knowledgeable writers as Glanville can become ignorant and paranoid in their eighties.

 

[bronco]

ironic thing about glanville is , superb writer that he is - he despises city,s wealth - yet somehow condoned a lot of the underarm tactics employed by italian clubs in the 60.s & 70,s ? he has wrote many excellent books on the subject and the only conclusion he comes to is that basically the biggest cheats won the most !

 

[oakiecokie]

ironic thing about glanville is , superb writer that he is - he despises city,s wealth - yet somehow condoned a lot of the underarm tactics employed by italian clubs in the 60.s & 70,s ? he has wrote many excellent books on the subject and the only conclusion he comes to is that basically the biggest cheats won the most !

Fucking hell ,we`ve some catching up to do then !!

 

[GazC]

I subscribe to WSM and I've read many of Brian's opinion pieces over the years (at the end of the day that's all they are) - it's hard to stomach but ultimately this is an Arsenal fan and as such he think's he's a self-appointed moral fiscal compass of the game.

Ultimately I still have a shred of respect for him, he's forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know. He's critical of all money in the game, not just that stemming from us.

 

[zeven]

I would never buy anything with the word "soccer" in it.

 

[LongsightM13]

A reactionary old Fart and a dinosaur. A toady and sycophant when writing about those he admires, a bitter, hypocritical old whingebag when considering those he disapproves of.
Like the Rolling Stones, his body of work and longevity commands respect, but has long been living on reputation and past glories, having failed to produce anything relevant for years.
The best things he ever wrote were the children's books we used to get out of the school library as kids, mostly about young lads dreaming of becoming footballers at made-up teams with names like Borough Wanderers.
Anyone remember them? Goalkeepers Are Different was one that sticks in the memory.

 

[GazC]

I would never buy anything with the word "soccer" in it.

Tbf this magazine started when people this side of the Atlantic used soccer as an abbreviation of association.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

much prefer WSC