A sports nut since childhood, Julie Welch was the first female soccer sports writer on Fleet Street. She was asked to write a screenplay for a British television series that would capture the passions of first love.
So The Glory Glory Days is about the mania that four 14 year old schoolgirls have for Tottenham Hotspur during their 1961 completion of the Double.
Some of it is quite comical, such as the swearing-in ceremony when young Julia joins the little Spurs clique. She relishes a piece of gum that a player has chewed, and a piece of sod that Danny Blanchflower has stepped on. It reminded me of the ABBA turd from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
But the fanaticisms in this movie originate from the absurdities of grown men. It feels false to watch young teenage girls from that era, with their teased hair and flip pageboys, enacting supporter goofiness.
There is some archival footage from that Spurs season, but mostly this is a coming of age story. For a list of football films that are largely about the fans, see this page.
Danny Blanchflower, who became a sports journalist, plays himself in the movie.
4 Soccer Movie Mom Rating = 4
Resources:
- Release Date: 1983-11-17 (UK)
- DVD has no extras and no subtitles
- Since the movie was made for TV, it is in std def format.
- IMDB
- WIKI
- Director: Philip Saville
- Watch the Trailer
