Why GJFootballArchive.com

It’s been almost four years since I set this website up, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to thank everyone interested in my work. I’d also like to explain why I’m doing this; what the archive consists of and how often it will be added to.

First – why? For some time before setting it up people kept asking me when I’d be doing my own blog. Overthe years I’ve always been pleased with the responses to my guest appearances on podcasts, vlogs and blogs. The feedback has been excellent but I’ve always had so much more to say. I care passionately about ensuring football’s history is properly researched & recorded and feel there’s always a place for detailed, quality research. Debunking myths, adding to our knowledge and performing detailed research has always been important to me.

The idea of creating this blog and archive came because I wanted to create content, based on the research I’ve performed over the decades, while also setting up an archive of my past work. Much of my writing is now out of print and it matters enormously to me that books like Manchester A Football History should be available (subscribers can access the full 2010 edition of that book on this site, plus my first book).

I am a self employed historian and spend all my working week writing, researching and publishing my work. I am not an employee of any organisation (I know some think I’m employed by a football club but I’m not an employee nor am I an official club historian of any club). In recent years I have worked on projects with Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Leicester City, amongst others – sometimes paid, sometimes unpaid. I am independent of any organisation and care passionately about the quality and accuracy of my work. As so much of this is out of print, I am keen to create this archive for my work and add to it as time goes by.

Next – what? So what is my football archive? It is a place where over 1,700 articles/features have been posted. These include new material, interviews, profiles, past articles, book sections and more. Some of this material was written some time ago or is based on interviews performed many years ago (including interviews with players who have since died). Most of the material posted so far is connected with Manchester City but there are articles of interest to Manchester United, Manchester Corinthians and other teams, including England. Further articles on Manchester’s clubs will follow.

Some articles are free to download but other material is available to subscribers only. As mentioned earlier, my research and writing is something I strive hard to ensure is of quality. My commitment to those who read my work is that I will always seek to maintain the highest standards. I am eternally grateful to those who purchase my books or subscribe to my work.

To see what articles have already been published go to the search page (using the links under the banner at the top of this page) and either search on a key word or have a look at the categories listed there.

Next – when? There are already over 1700 posts/articles live and this will increase significantly over the coming months. I’m keen to hear from subscribers which books, articles, interviews they’d like access to here. I want this to develop into a community of readers whose views absolutely matter.

A limited amount of content will always be free for anyone to read but those subscribing will have access to everything on this site for as long as they subscribe. For subscribers I will post a minimum of 4 articles/features each month. To subscribe costs £3 a month or you can sign up on an annual basis for the discounted fee of £20 a year (the 2010 edition of Manchester A Football History, which is available as a pdf to subscribers, cost £24.95 when published and is now out of print).

If you’re uncertain whether to subscribe or not then why not subscribe for a month at £3 and see if you’re getting value for money. The £20 annual subscription works out about £1.67 a month.

Thanks for reading this. If you’d like to subscribe then please do so below. I really appreciate the support and I promise I’ll continue to add content that informs, entertains and has been researched to the highest standards.

Best wishes, Gary