· By Fine Margins

Founders Stories | Glory

Founders Stories 04 | Lee Nash, Glory

When and where did you launch Glory?

Glory was born in 2015, when a photographer friend of mine reached out on social for a designer to help him with an idea he’d had around ‘a high-end football and travel’ magazine. I responded immediately, and within 6 weeks we somehow found ourselves pitchside in the Faroe Islands, photographing their UEFA Euro Championship qualifier vs Romania. After a week of exploring and drinking with Skansin (the Viking-looking Faroese Ultra’s group) we returned with a bucket load of visual content but no writer, so it took until the March of 2016 to finally get the first issue out. We had no idea how well it’d do, or even if it was a good idea. But the reception it got was incredible, and we were soon planning our next trip for issue 2.

Who are the founders of Glory and what are their day to day roles now? 

So I’m the Creative Director of Glory (Lee Nash), and my fellow co-founder, who has since left Glory, is Ryan Mason, a photographer. As with many owners of an independent magazine I have to wear many hats. This includes (in no particular order) designing every publication and working with our Head of Copy on the content plan; building relationships with clubs, football associations and brands; handling all of the social media; liaising with and commissioning contributors; ensuring all orders are being fulfilled via our distributors; growing our stockists; handling all of our finances, plus many more things I’m sure I’ve forgotten.

What was your motivation for starting Glory?

At the time there was a few indie football magazines we really liked, but not a huge array (Eight by Eight, Soccer Bible, Howler were a few we admired at the time), and there wasn’t really anyone looking to own the football/travel space. We were getting more and more disillusioned with how disposable and fast-paced football journalism was becoming, so we set out to create something with real longevity, something collectible. There was also a real urge to tell stories of nations that no-one else was – to inspire the reader to look beyond their own domestic league, hop on a plane and experience a new culture via the beautiful game.

Do you have a favourite piece of content from your issues published to date? Why is it your favourite?

Depending on who you chat to at Glory, we each have a different issue or ‘moment’ that we favour. Personally the Faroe Islands issue will forever be my favourite as it was our first, and the excitement of exploring a random country for the purposes of documenting football was truly a dream come true – I’d wanted to have my own football magazine since I was 6. But over the years it’s been full of highlights – interviewing Xavi and Eto’o in Qatar, starting chants with the ‘The Locals’ in San Diego, narrowly avoiding getting beaten up by Swedish ultras due to stepping on their tifos by mistake, being part of a pitch invasion as we witnessed Finland qualify for their first ever major tournament, watching history being made as we documented Kosovo’s first ever official FIFA match, eating ‘Maggot cheese’ in the latest trip to Sardinia… every issue and destination is different, and it’s why we love what we do.

What would be your bucket list story/interview/profile/event to cover?

The beauty of Glory is that even the smallest of nations has real appeal to us – we try and shy away from anything overly-exposed (such as the elite leagues/clubs). We’ve documented quite a bit in Europe, so South or Central America really appeals to us – a Uruguay or Costa Rica issue would be amazing. As for interviews… we got really close to interviewing Haaland for the Norway issue, but it fell through last minute. But in all honesty we’re just as happy chatting to a footballer you’ve never heard of, but with an incredible back story.

What do your 2024 plans look like? Are there any projects you are especially excited about?

2024 has been BUSY. This year so far we’ve launched 2 books (one for the legacy of San Diego Loyal, the other a collaboration with Admiral, documenting 50 years of the replica shirt), a Scotland issue that sold out in 48 hours, and just in the past few days, a Cagliari issue and an African Cup of Nations photozine. We’re heading back to the Faroe Islands in August to create a film (the next in a line of short documentaries we’re making, the first being on Eriskay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jwqn5psNhQ), and we’ve got 2 other publications lined up for June and September releases.

Finally, what other sports media do you consume for inspiration and enjoyment?

One of the most amazing things about being in the football publication business is the community – many of the owners are friends, and we try and support each other’s magazines wherever possible. Our favourites include: Nutmeg magazine (amazing guys, started the same time as Glory, and feature in our Scottish issue), The Blizzard (some of the best writing you’ll find – a real benchmark for football storytelling), Terrace Edition (amazing writing and photography, their blogs are a joy), The Upshot newsletter (makes me laugh every Friday), Trekuartista 95 (again, brilliant writing and humour – definitely a social account to follow), NPLH (used to have a great magazine, now focus on podcasts with creators in the football space), Lower Block (the kings of the photozine) plus many many more (Escapismo, Mundial, When Saturday Comes, Shukyu…). It really is a thriving scene, and we pinch ourselves daily that we get to be part of it.

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Follow Glory on Instagram @glorymag_

Scotland, Ukraine, Portugal, City Stories: Seville, City Stories: Milan are available here. Cagliari coming soon.

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