Brian C. Wilson

Jonathan Mark Wilson, born July 9, 1976, is an English sports journalist and author primarily associated with The Guardian. He has established himself as a prominent voice in football writing, holding a columnist position for World Soccer and serving as the founder and editor of the quarterly journal, The Blizzard. Wilson's journalistic career began with studies in English at Oxford University, where he was the sports editor of the student newspaper. He furthered his education with a Master's degree from Durham University. His extensive writing credits include contributions to The Independent, FourFourTwo, The Sunday Telegraph, Sports Illustrated, and the Financial Times, where he was the football correspondent from 2002 to 2006. He currently contributes to The Guardian and UnHerd and is the main football columnist for The Observer. In 2024, he launched a football history podcast, 'It Was What it Was,' with Rob Draper and is a regular on The Guardian's 'Football Weekly' podcast. Wilson's work often delves into the evolution of football tactics and trends, as demonstrated by his contributions to The Guardian's feature 'The Question.'

Wilson's literary contributions to football literature have garnered significant critical acclaim. His seminal work, 'Inverting the Pyramid,' exploring the history of football tactics, was a finalist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2008 and earned the 'Best Football Book' award at the British Sports Book Awards in 2009. This book also received the Premio Antonio Ghirelli and was recognized in Germany. Several of his subsequent books have also been shortlisted for the prestigious William Hill award. Furthermore, 'Angels with Dirty Faces,' which examined the history of football in Argentina, was honored with 'Best Football Book' and 'Best Historical Book' at the Polish Sports Book Awards in 2018. In 2023, 'The Names Heard Long Ago' secured the 'Best Foreign Football Book' award at the same ceremony. Wilson's consistent excellence as a writer has been recognized with multiple FSA Football Writer of the Year awards in 2012, 2017, 2021, and 2024.

Beyond his professional writing, Wilson is a dedicated supporter of Sunderland A.F.C. He actively participates in the literary community by playing cricket for the Authors XI team, a collective of British writers. He also occasionally plays for Hutton CC 5th XI, achieving a notable personal milestone with an unbeaten century on July 9, 2022. His intellectual curiosity extends to television appearances, including a stint on the quiz show 'Only Connect' as part of the Nightwatchmen team. Wilson resides in Wandsworth, South London. He has maintained a boycott of Thistle Hotels since February 2004, stemming from a negative experience in Liverpool where a booking was mishandled, leading to significant inconvenience and additional costs.