Jonathan Wilson
@jonawils.bsky.social
Author of Inverting the Pyramid, Angels with Dirty Faces, The Names Heard Long Ago and Two Brothers. Editor of the Blizzard. Journalist for the Guardian. Co-host of It Was What It Was: the Football History Podcast.
www.jonawils.com
www.jonawils.com
As the World Cup draw approaches, a ramble through draws past and their signficance.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
England v Brazil? This World Cup draw must offer us glimpses of glory not the grotesque | Jonathan Wilson
Top-four seeding is another example of Fifa prioritising marketing over sporting integrity but even the best-laid plans can flop
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 8:14 AM
As the World Cup draw approaches, a ramble through draws past and their signficance.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
“Never meet your heroes” - they say. But at his Newcastle book launch earlier today I found @jonawils.bsky.social to be totally charming - he was happy to corroborate (I think) my friend’s claim to have once worked with him in a data centre in Sunderland. I’m reading ‘The power and the glory’ now!
November 28, 2025 at 7:19 PM
“Never meet your heroes” - they say. But at his Newcastle book launch earlier today I found @jonawils.bsky.social to be totally charming - he was happy to corroborate (I think) my friend’s claim to have once worked with him in a data centre in Sunderland. I’m reading ‘The power and the glory’ now!
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today on Wilson’s World, Gipo Viani is regularly hailed as the father of catenaccio, but where did he get the idea?
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
November 27, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Today on Wilson’s World, Gipo Viani is regularly hailed as the father of catenaccio, but where did he get the idea?
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today, on Wilson’s World: Postcards from the Past, Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion and the Cruyff Turn.
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
November 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Today, on Wilson’s World: Postcards from the Past, Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion and the Cruyff Turn.
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest footballers the world had ever seen. Then he was accused of rape…
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
November 25, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest footballers the world had ever seen. Then he was accused of rape…
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today on Libero, we ask why teams find it so hard to defend the league title.
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
November 25, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Today on Libero, we ask why teams find it so hard to defend the league title.
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today, on Wilson’s World, the story of Nikita Simonyan, Soviet great, who died on Sunday at the age of 99.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
November 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Today, on Wilson’s World, the story of Nikita Simonyan, Soviet great, who died on Sunday at the age of 99.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today, on Wilson’s World, the problem with perfection: the flaws make football more fun.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-parado...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-parado...
November 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Today, on Wilson’s World, the problem with perfection: the flaws make football more fun.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-parado...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-parado...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
The glory and tragedy of Hungarian football 1916-56: The Names Heard Long Ago
As a Christmas gift it’s almost too perfect.
www.amazon.co.uk/Names-Heard-...
As a Christmas gift it’s almost too perfect.
www.amazon.co.uk/Names-Heard-...
November 20, 2025 at 8:06 AM
The glory and tragedy of Hungarian football 1916-56: The Names Heard Long Ago
As a Christmas gift it’s almost too perfect.
www.amazon.co.uk/Names-Heard-...
As a Christmas gift it’s almost too perfect.
www.amazon.co.uk/Names-Heard-...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Me, talking to Tim Caple on the Talking Sports Books podcast about The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup -
open.spotify.com/episode/2c2F...
open.spotify.com/episode/2c2F...
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Me, talking to Tim Caple on the Talking Sports Books podcast about The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup -
open.spotify.com/episode/2c2F...
open.spotify.com/episode/2c2F...
Today, on Libero, in the wake of the Paramount deal for the Champions League, we ask what is the future for broadcast football?
pod.fo/e/35bc58
pod.fo/e/35bc58
November 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Today, on Libero, in the wake of the Paramount deal for the Champions League, we ask what is the future for broadcast football?
pod.fo/e/35bc58
pod.fo/e/35bc58
Today, on Libero, in the wake of the Paramount deal for the Champions League, we ask what is the future for broadcast football?
pod.fo/e/35bc58
pod.fo/e/35bc58
November 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Today, on Libero, in the wake of the Paramount deal for the Champions League, we ask what is the future for broadcast football?
pod.fo/e/35bc58
pod.fo/e/35bc58
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Before Nottingham Forest play Malmö in the Europa League, a look back to Malmö’s run to face Forest in the 1979 European Cup final with Jan-Olof Kindvall and Claes Malmberg.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
‘The whole journey was fantastic’: how Bob Houghton led Malmö to European Cup final
Englishman was not an obvious candidate to lead them but Swedes pushed Nottingham Forest all the way in 1979
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Before Nottingham Forest play Malmö in the Europa League, a look back to Malmö’s run to face Forest in the 1979 European Cup final with Jan-Olof Kindvall and Claes Malmberg.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Before Nottingham Forest play Malmö in the Europa League, a look back to Malmö’s run to face Forest in the 1979 European Cup final with Jan-Olof Kindvall and Claes Malmberg.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
‘The whole journey was fantastic’: how Bob Houghton led Malmö to European Cup final
Englishman was not an obvious candidate to lead them but Swedes pushed Nottingham Forest all the way in 1979
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Before Nottingham Forest play Malmö in the Europa League, a look back to Malmö’s run to face Forest in the 1979 European Cup final with Jan-Olof Kindvall and Claes Malmberg.
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Today on Wilson’s World, Gipo Viani is regularly hailed as the father of catenaccio, but where did he get the idea?
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
November 27, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Today on Wilson’s World, Gipo Viani is regularly hailed as the father of catenaccio, but where did he get the idea?
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
#football #tactics #catenaccio
jonawils.substack.com/p/viani-vale...
Today, on Wilson’s World: Postcards from the Past, Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion and the Cruyff Turn.
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
November 26, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Today, on Wilson’s World: Postcards from the Past, Dortmund, the Westfalenstadion and the Cruyff Turn.
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
FULL VIDEO HERE: jonawils.substack.com/p/dortmund-t...
FULL ARCHIVE HERE: www.youtube.com/@jonawils/vi...
Today on Libero, we ask why teams find it so hard to defend the league title.
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
November 25, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Today on Libero, we ask why teams find it so hard to defend the league title.
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
pod.fo/e/359581
#football #libero #liverpool
November 25, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest footballers the world had ever seen. Then he was accused of rape…
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
November 25, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Eduard Streltsov was one of the greatest footballers the world had ever seen. Then he was accused of rape…
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Today, on It Was What It Was.
#football #torpedo #streltsov
podfollow.com/it-was-what-...
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today on It Was What It Was, Imre Hirschl, the scandal that forced him out of Argentina, and his role in Uruguay’s victory over Brazil at the 1950 World Cup.
podfollow.com/1745066482
podfollow.com/1745066482
November 18, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Today on It Was What It Was, Imre Hirschl, the scandal that forced him out of Argentina, and his role in Uruguay’s victory over Brazil at the 1950 World Cup.
podfollow.com/1745066482
podfollow.com/1745066482
Reposted by Jonathan Wilson
Today, on Wilson’s World, a brilliant week of World Cup action, and why expansion and the instincts of administrators threatens that level of drama and joy.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-sludge...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-sludge...
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Today, on Wilson’s World, a brilliant week of World Cup action, and why expansion and the instincts of administrators threatens that level of drama and joy.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-sludge...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-sludge...
Today, on Wilson’s World, the story of Nikita Simonyan, Soviet great, who died on Sunday at the age of 99.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
November 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Today, on Wilson’s World, the story of Nikita Simonyan, Soviet great, who died on Sunday at the age of 99.
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...
jonawils.substack.com/p/the-unconq...