Rory Smith (journalist)

Rory Smith is an English journalist, broadcaster and author. Since April 2025 he has served as Football Correspondent for The Observer, alongside its acquisition by Tortoise Media.[1][2] Before that, he was a Senior Writer, Global Sports[3] at The Athletic, which he joined in 2024 having previously been the chief soccer correspondent of The New York Times from 2016.[4][5][6] Smith is a former journalist of The Times,[7] The Independent, and The Daily Telegraph.[8]

Career

Smith was ghostwriter on the book Champions League Dreams with Rafa Benitez published in 2012.[9][10] Smith’s 2016 book Mister: The Men Who Gave The World The Game was short listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.[11][12][13][14] Mister was included in the best 50 football books ever written in a list compiled by FourFourTwo magazine.[15]

In 2022 Smith published the book Expected Goals: The Story of How Data Conquered Football and Changed the Game Forever.[16]

A frequent guest on BBC Radio 5 Live,[17][18][19][20] Smith has also written for ESPN,[21] The Blizzard[22] and FourFourTwo.[23] He has appeared on the Second Captains podcast,[24] often on The Anfield Wrap,[25][26] and The Totally Football Show as well as recording his own weekly Set Piece Menu podcast with Hugh Ferris, football commentator Steven Wyeth and former England international Andy Hinchcliffe.[27][28][29] Television appearances include Sky Sports Sunday Supplement[30] and TNT Sports' coverage of UEFA club competitions.[31]

Awards

In 2015 he was highly commended by the Sports Journalists' Association[32] He was nominated for writer of the year at the 2013,[33] 2015,[34] 2017 and 2019 Football Supporters Federation Awards,[35] winning in 2015 [36] and 2019.[37] Set Piece Menu Podcast was nominated in the ‘Podcast of the Year’ category at the 2018 Football Supporters Federation Awards,[38] as well as shortlisted for the Podcast of the Year at the Football Supporters' Association awards in 2020 and 2021.[39][40]

Personal life

Rory Smith is from Leeds.[41]

References

  1. ^ Tobitt, Charlotte (2025-04-02). "Observer makes four sport hires as takeover date approaches". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  2. ^ Smith, Sam Clarke, Rory. "Meet the Observers: Rory Smith". The Observer. Retrieved 2025-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Rory Smith". The Athletic. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  4. ^ "Rory Smith Is Joining The Athletic". November 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. ^ "On Soccer". The New York Times. 23 May 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ Horgan, Richard (5 July 2016). "New York Times Adds a Chief Soccer Correspondent – Adweek". Ad Week.
  7. ^ "FWA Q&A: RORY SMITH - Football Writers' Association". footballwriters.co.uk. 17 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Vox in the Box: Rory Smith". 5 February 2016.
  9. ^ Miller, Nick (2016-02-05). "Vox in the Box: Rory Smith". The Set Pieces. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  10. ^ "Comment: Why Rafa Benitez, the former Chelsea and Liverpool manager". The Independent. 2013-10-01. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  11. ^ "Mister by Rory Smith". Waterstones.
  12. ^ "Round-up: Offbeat and fascinating tales of the beautiful game". www.irishtimes.com.
  13. ^ "We've become ashamed of our football but we still have something to teach the world". The Independent. 13 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Times writers make Sports Book of the Year shortlist". 18 October 2016 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  15. ^ Lea, Greg (7 December 2017). "The 50 best football books ever". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  16. ^ ""Expected Goals" explains how data changed football". The Economist.
  17. ^ "Smith: 'Consistent' Leicester will secure top four, 5 live's Football Daily - BBC Radio 5 Live". BBC.
  18. ^ "Liverpool news – Coutinho to Barcelona transfer would cause chaos". Daily Express.
  19. ^ "5 Live Sport: The Monday Night Club - 29/01/2018". Radio Times.
  20. ^ "BBC pundit claims 'Liverpool are punching above their weight'". Daily Mirror. 17 January 2017.
  21. ^ "Is the Premier League slipping?". ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  22. ^ Storey, Daykin &. "Rory Smith - theBlizzard.co.uk". www.theblizzard.co.uk.
  23. ^ Smith, Rory (21 September 2014). "How Chelsea are gaming the system better than anyone – and why they'll keep winning". FourFourTwo.
  24. ^ "Episode 800: Barcelona Pull Off Biggest Comeback Of All Time - Second Captains". 9 March 2017.
  25. ^ "Midnight Caller: Rory Smith on Andy Robertson And The Value Of Good Coaching". The Anfield Wrap. 27 March 2018.
  26. ^ "The Anfield Wrap". podcast.theanfieldwrap.com.
  27. ^ Stead, Matthew (5 May 2017). "State of the Football Nation on TV and radio: Podcasts - Football365".
  28. ^ Smith, Rory (28 November 2017). "How 2 Kidney Transplants Yielded Real Madrid's 'Secret Weapon'". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  29. ^ "The Best Podcasts of 2017 - Deezer UK". www.deezer-blog.com.
  30. ^ "LISTEN: Sunday Supplement podcast: Neil Ashton, Martin Samuel, Jason Burt and Rory Smith". Sky Sports.
  31. ^ "Barcelona: Pundit Backs Lewandowski to Break Messi's Champions League Record". inkl. November 7, 2024.
  32. ^ "Full list of winners at Sports Journalism Awards – Sports Journalists' Association". www.sportsjournalists.co.uk. 23 March 2015.
  33. ^ "FSF Awards 2013 - Meet the Contenders (Part 5) - Football Supporters' Federation". fsf.org.uk. 29 November 2013.
  34. ^ "The FSF Awards 2015 in association with William Hill - Football Supporters' Federation". www.fsf.org.uk. 5 November 2015.
  35. ^ "FSF Awards 2017 shortlists announced - Football Supporters' Federation". www.fsf.org.uk. 31 October 2017.
  36. ^ Kelly, Andy (8 December 2015). "Liverpool FC legend Carragher and The Anfield Wrap scoop awards from Football Supporters' Federation".
  37. ^ "Twitter status". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  38. ^ "FSF Awards 2018 shortlists announced". Football Supporters' Association. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  39. ^ "Vote now: FSA Awards shortlists announced". Football Supporters' Association. 12 February 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  40. ^ "FSA Awards 2021 shortlists announced". Football Supporters' Association. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  41. ^ Lomax, Claire (April 14, 2023). "International football journalist, Rory Smith inspires youngsters to aim high". Ilkley Gazette.
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