Charles Reep
| Charles Reep | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Thorold Charles Reep 22 September 1904 Cornwall, England |
| Died | 3 February 2002 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | English |
| Known for | Founder of Long Ball |
Thorold Charles Reep (22 September 1904 – 3 February 2002) was an analyst credited with creating the long ball game which has characterized English football.
Reep trained as an accountant after leaving Plymouth High School in 1923. He won the first prize in an entrance competition for the newly formed Accountancy Division of the Royal Air Force in 1928. He achieved the rank of Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force and retired from the service in 1955.
Reep attended a series of lectures given by Arsenal right-half Charlie Jones in 1933 and became fascinated by manager Herbert Chapman's style of functional wingers and rapidly moving the ball forwards. Posted to Germany at the end of World War II, Reep returned to England in 1947 and was disappointed to find that with the exception of the W–M formation, none of Chapman's ideas had been adopted. Frustrated by what he considered slow play and marginalised wingers, he lost patience during a Swindon Town match at The County Ground in March 1950. After watching the home side fruitlessly attack in the first half, he decided to record notes during the second half. He surmised that with an average of 2 goals scored per game, only a small improvement was needed in the chance conversion rate to score 3 goals per game and all but guarantee promotion.
His analysis caught the attention of Brentford manager Jackie Gibbons and from February 1951 until the end of the season, he was employed part-time as an adviser. The club was in danger of relegation with 14 games to play but after his arrival, their goals-to-games ratio improved from 1.5 to 3 and they took 20 out of a possible 28 points, easily avoiding relegation.
In the 1950s, Reep shared his analyses in the News Chronicle. He concluded that most goals were scored from fewer than three passes: therefore he proposed it was important to get the ball forward as soon as possible. The quicker the ball was played to goal with the least number of passes the more goals would be scored. His theory became known as the long ball. Reep worked with Brentford in the 1950-51 season. Reep's analyses published in the News Chronicle attracted Stan Cullis' interest at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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