Favourite Football Writer / Journalist

SK1979

Who's your favourite football writer and why?

I've been thinking about this for the past few days and I have a load of guys that I like / follow on Twitter etc but I think the guy I enjoy reading the most at the moment is probably Rory Smith (Daily Telegraph).

Even though he predominantly writes about a team I dont support, I find his articles always well written, researched and (more importantly) interesting.

Special mentions to Tom Humphries (defo my favour Irish sports journalist) and Henry Winter.

Neil3030

Probably Sid Lowe. Good balance of erudition and knowledge of the game, with unrivalled insight into the behind-the-scenes happenings in La Liga. His standard of writing is excellent and he also writes in a very clear style, which makes him easy to read. Scarcely pompous and still, at times, very witty.

RichTea

Neil3030 wrote: »

Probably Sid Lowe. Good balance of erudition and knowledge of the game, with unrivalled insight into the behind-the-scenes happenings in La Liga. His standard of writing is excellent and he also writes in a very clear style, which makes him easy to read. Scarcely pompous and still, at times, very witty.

Big fan of Sid Lowe. I tend to like a lot of the writers who do bits for The Guardian - Raphael Honigstein, Kevin McCarra, Jonathan Wilson for instance.

Then there's also Gabriele Marcotti at The Times, you'd do well to find a more knowledgeable sports writer.

Grant Wahl in Sports Illustrated is terrific.

ziggy

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RichTea

ziggy wrote: »

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Not sure I agree. I don't like a lot of what he writes but most of his columns are very enjoyable.

ITT-Pat

Neil Sherwin

Neil3030

RichTea wrote: »

Big fan of Sid Lowe. I tend to like a lot of the writers who do bits for The Guardian - Raphael Honigstein, Kevin McCarra, Jonathan Wilson for instance.

Then there's also Gabriele Marcotti at The Times, you'd do well to find a more knowledgeable sports writer.

Grant Wahl in Sports Illustrated is terrific.

Yeah Honigstein is quality aswell.

SK1979

Loads of great shouts so far. The Guardian guys are really alright, Honegstein et al. Really like Sid Lowe and Marcotti too.

Oliver Kay is also decent enough.

Some of the writers get a bit pompous sometimes but the standard of writing is far superior to most of the stuff here (as I said Humphries excepted) imo.

jaykay74

Another -1 for Humphries. Agree with all the others mentioned at least as interesting reads even if I don't always agree with their opinion. I used to like Patrick Barclay but a bit sick of him at this stage.

Zebra3

Humphries is a gob*****.

Phil Ball and the aforementioned Wilson are amongst the best.

seadnamac

James Lawton and Henry Winter.

applehunter

Liam Mackey in the Examiner is always a good read.

Tom Humphries used to be good until he got that massive chip on his shoulder.

homerjay2005

i have a few good mates that write for the star, mirror and examiner, so i read them more than anybody else, they are normally good for a few "heads up" a day or 2 before stories break.

outside of them, i dont really follow anybody, bar the 2 United lads on Twitter.

speedboatchase

Neil3030 wrote: »

Probably Sid Lowe. Good balance of erudition and knowledge of the game, with unrivalled insight into the behind-the-scenes happenings in La Liga. His standard of writing is excellent and he also writes in a very clear style, which makes him easy to read. Scarcely pompous and still, at times, very witty.

I can't stand the guy. His Twitter comments during Spain matches in the WC were incredibly smarmy and arrogant, and even though he does some work for Real Madrid TV, he comes across as such a Barca fanboy at times.

I like Barry Glendenning (The Guardian) and Gabriele Marcotti (Times) myself. Big fan of Oliver Kay and Honigstein too. Marcotti's breadth of knowledge amongst the different leagues is astonishing at times

Dont be at yourself

I can't believe people like Henry Winter.

Keano

Daniel Taylor from the Guardian is good, also helped by the fact he is a Forest fan

BigBenRoeth

Eamonn Dunphy

dfx-

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I can't believe people like Henry Winter.

I used to think that, but he doesn't seem so bad now as others I can think of...

Henry Winter
Most of the Guardian
Paul Hyland (hot and cold)

Oliver Kay, Humphries, Roy Curtis..eugh

ziggy

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Mikeyt086

Gabrielle Marcotti.

Handsome Bob

Brian Reade, and basically anyone who uses common sense amongst all of the other hysterical twats.

HalloweenJack

Tim Vickery is great. He has great insight and knowledge of South American football and its players. I'm always astounded by his knowledge. I don't know anyone else who knows so much. He can write well too.

Paddy Agnew always impressed me too. His Forza Italia book was top notch.

I loathe Tom Humphreys. His football writing is atrocious. It's utter egotistical, nonsense. Two articles of his stick out in mind: one about the FAI appointing Trap was wrapped around a proverb from Confucius (WTF?), the other was about a game under Stan which read like a 19th-century play about the Royal Navy (again, WTF?).

Both were self-indulgent, arrogant tripe. It was waste of paper and IT money.

God, I hate him.

Danye

ziggy wrote: »

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Post Saipan Hyland fell deeply in love with Roy Keane! A day couldnt go by without him mentioning him in some form., Awful.

Roy Curtis also is awful, I could go on about how bad he is but I would be here all day.

The good ones - Henry Winter, James Lawton, Oliver Kay. I also like Johnny Giles column in the herald, even if I dont always agree with what he is saying I enjoy reading his view and opinion. Not sure if Demot Keely still writes for the sun (I think ??) but I awlways thought he had a very good, balanced view on things.

marwelie

The master of sports journalism in this country was/is Con Houlihan. I used to devour his column in the Evening Press. My mother reckons he taught me how to read. I like the guy Oliver Kay who writes in the Mirror too.

therokerroar

Louise Taylor.

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villager

BigBenRoeth wrote: »

Eamonn Dunphy

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ...cant stand the insufferable little f#@$er..i love reading hugh mcilvaney in the sunday times his h=knowledge of all sports truly outstanding..also like paul kimmage, tom humphries, james lawton...

oh can't stand rod liddle either...

Johner

Got to be Gabriele Marcotti.

Tom10

David Conn for the Guardian (or Observer i'm not certain), he is one of the best investigative journalists when it comes to financial irregularities which in modern football are rife.

Hugh McIllvaney has to be the best football journalist (though to call him just a football journalist is wrong) around, he rights from a great knowledge.

Jayob10

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Tim Vickery is great. He has great insight and knowledge of South American football and its players. I'm always astounded by his knowledge. I don't know anyone else who knows so much. He can write well too.

Paddy Agnew always impressed me too. His Forza Italia book was top notch.

I loathe Tom Humphreys. His football writing is atrocious. It's utter egotistical, nonsense. Two articles of his stick out in mind: one about the FAI appointing Trap was wrapped around a proverb from Confucius (WTF?), the other was about a game under Stan which read like a 19th-century play about the Royal Navy (again, WTF?).

Both were self-indulgent, arrogant tripe. It was waste of paper and IT money.

God, I hate him.

This is a great shout. Really knows his stuff on South American football at all levels.
The BBC world football phone in would not be the same without him I think

flyswatter

Probably Brian Glanville. He's able to draw on a vast amount of knowledge he's accumulated over the years.

MUSEIST

Anyone but dion fanning, hes a complete twat and I would not use that paper as toilet role tbh

gosplan

David Conn.

His book 'the beautiful game?' is excellent.

To be honest though, like most people who are reading the boards football forum on Friday night(I'm taking my daughter to her grandparents down the country in the morning - what's your excuse?), I find out my football information here and in other places online practically as quickly as the newspapers get it.

So I guess the journalism I enjoy is more that with a focus on entertaining as well as imparting the basic information.

I love 'the fiver' and though they're not print, the Guardian podcasts are also excellent. I recommend them both for anyone with an interest in football.

CFC1905_NK

Ian Hawkey, Sunday Times. Very knowledgeable about world football, a genius of the European game. I love reading his predictions for major knockout tournaments, I remember he predicted the outcome of Champions League games a few seasons ago at the quarterfinal stage and got all of them(maybe all but one) right.

RichTea

Anyone who enjoys good football journalism absolutely has to join Twitter. Most of the writers mentioned in this thread are prolific 'tweeters' and their short, quick insights on twitter provide an excellent companion to their articles.

Gabriele Marcotti, Sid Lowe, Sean Ingle, Grant Wahl, Oliver Kay et al are all on there. As well as lesser know, but equally entertaining, writers such as Iain Macintosh and Dan Brennan.

redzerdrog

Robbie Savage :pac:

stovelid

Tom Humphries was OK until he started believing his own press and became a second-rate Con Holuiihan.

He's the worst type of plastic hypocrite imaginable: he spends his whole time making snide remarks about "sacair" to big up his beloved Gah but then is always wheeled out for nauseating colour pieces on World Cup and Ireland games. It's a pity because stuff like his famous article on the Munster Hurling Final is genius. He should just have some dignity and stay away from football writing.

I also like Sid Lowe and Barney Ronay. Althogh not a football journo AFAIK, I love Jimmy Burns' books.

Aidric

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Paddy Agnew always impressed me too. His Forza Italia book was top notch.

Good call. I always enjoy his knowledgeable input in print or on radio.
I also enjoy the well researched contributions of Miguel Delaney in The Sunday Tribune & David Walsh in The Sunday Times.

anonymous_joe

Jonathan Wilson for me.

frantic190

Roddy Collins :pac:

marwelie

ziggy wrote: »

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Sorry for replying to a post two years later but yes