Will Buckley (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Will Buckley is senior sports writer at the Observer
, author of The Man Who Hated Football, and a frequent radio and television sport commentator in the United Kingdom. He has appeared numerous times on BBC Radio 5 Live
show Fighting Talk
, where he has won eight games in eight seasons, at an average of 1 win per year. He also hosted American football
-themed gameshow Quizbowl on Channel 4
in the 80s, and has appeared on Newsnight
and The Last Word
.
Buckley has also worked for the Express
, and has had work published in GQ, Maxim
, FHM
, the Sunday Times and the Guardian
.
Buckley's debut novel, The Man Who Hated Football was well received. In its review, The Independent
said, "Buckley's bitingly funny portrait of East Anglian society make up for the laddish commentary." The Times
commented briefly that the novel was "prescient", "showing great understanding of the world of professional football", while it was characterized in The Telegraph
as "hugely entertaining and acute".
In August 2009, Buckley accused Test Match Special
presenter Jonathan Agnew
of being a "pervert" towards Lily Allen
, who Agnew was interviewing for a segment on the BBC Radio 4
show, and was criticised by both Agnew and Allen — who described her interviewer as being "kind and gentlemanly" — as well as by many readers who left comments on his article.
In December 2010, Buckley (a qualified barrister) joined Norwich law firm Leathes Prior as a consultant.
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, author of The Man Who Hated Football, and a frequent radio and television sport commentator in the United Kingdom. He has appeared numerous times on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
show Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk
Fighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
, where he has won eight games in eight seasons, at an average of 1 win per year. He also hosted American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
-themed gameshow Quizbowl on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in the 80s, and has appeared on Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
and The Last Word
The Last Word (game show)
The Last Word is a game show seen in syndication in the United States and on the Global Television Network in Canada that was produced by Merrill Heatter Productions and ran from September 18, 1989 - January 5, 1990. The host was Wink Martindale, and the co-host/announcer was Jennifer Lyall...
.
Buckley has also worked for the Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, and has had work published in GQ, Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
, FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
, the Sunday Times and the Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
Buckley's debut novel, The Man Who Hated Football was well received. In its review, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
said, "Buckley's bitingly funny portrait of East Anglian society make up for the laddish commentary." The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
commented briefly that the novel was "prescient", "showing great understanding of the world of professional football", while it was characterized in The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
as "hugely entertaining and acute".
In August 2009, Buckley accused Test Match Special
Test Match Special
Test Match Special is a British radio programme covering professional cricket, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 , Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world...
presenter Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Agnew
Jonathan Philip Agnew is an English cricket broadcaster and former professional cricketer. He was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and educated at Uppingham School. He is nicknamed "Aggers", and, less commonly, "Spiro"....
of being a "pervert" towards Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, who Agnew was interviewing for a segment on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
show, and was criticised by both Agnew and Allen — who described her interviewer as being "kind and gentlemanly" — as well as by many readers who left comments on his article.
In December 2010, Buckley (a qualified barrister) joined Norwich law firm Leathes Prior as a consultant.