Few have had quite such an effect on the way we understand football as Brian Glanville. His passing this week at the age of 93 provides an opportunity to reflect on his career and legacy.
Glanville covered the game for several decades and played a crucial role in helping the British game to move on from the rather insular assumptions which had plagued it. Glanville always held a great reverence for the sport globally, especially in Italy, where he was based for a large part of his career.
He was also undeniably the greatest chronicler of the World Cup. His book, The Story of the World Cup, is the definitive account of the history of the greatest tournament in sport, and informed by his countless years covering it. Few books have such a universally lauded and revered status within the sport, and its contribution to the understanding and appreciation of football is hard to overstate.
His writing was also assisted by the closeness with the players and managers, although this never precluded him from biting criticism at times. England managers in particular often found themselves in Glanville’s crosshairs.
Added to this, Glanville authored novels, plays, short stories and screenplays in a varied and eclectic career. Often these focused on football, but his interests extended beyond the sport too.
Nevertheless, Glanville was always ready to analyse the largest and most divisive issues in football. In fact, his critiques of developments such as the Premier League and figures like Sepp Blatter prefigure what are now commonly-held truths about the worrying direction of the sport, and the greed and corruption driving it.
While some could point to the legendary Gianni Brera, Glanville is undoubtedly one of the greatest football, and indeed sport writers, we have ever had the pleasure of reading. In terms of English-speaking writers, this is beyond any doubt.
His career was one of extraordinary breadth and richness, and his passing leaves behind a legacy that few within the sport, be they players, managers, or journalists, can come close to matching.
Image Credits: “1990 -Etrusco (Unico)” by Shine 2010 – 2010 World Cup good news is licensed under CC BY 2.0.