Robin Ireland is an academic, writer and sports fan based in Glasgow, Scotland.

Robin researches and writes about healthier environments. He has focused in recent years on the commercialisation of sport and its impact on public health. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow’s School of Health and Wellbeing.

Robin has commented extensively on health and sport issues. His contributions cover public and academic outlets – in print, TV and radio, podcasts and digital media. He has been interviewed on BBC Breakfast Time, BBC Scotland, Sky News, Radio 5 Live and Times Radio, whilst his writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Scotsman, The Conversation, Sport in Society, Public Health Nutrition, The Bulletin of the World Health Organization, BMJ Public Health, Journal of Strategic Marketing, British Medical Journal, Soccer and Society, BMJ Paediatrics, The Lancet and My Football Writer.

He is the author of two books. ‘Sport, Sponsorship and Public Health’ was published by Routledge in 2023. ‘Cutting the Mustard’, a study of the commercialisation of English football through the lens of Norwich City FC, was published by Axis Projects in 2025 and was shortlisted for the British Society of Sports History Lord Aberdare Literary Prize 2026.

You may be able to find Robin at Norwich City away games or at a parkrun most Saturday mornings.

Cutting the Mustard

Cutting the Mustard is a study of the commercialisation of football through the lens of Robin’s team, Norwich City FC. The book is a richly illustrated evocation of how money has changed football over a 50-year period and how football fans are now customers in a supercharged global sports industry.

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'Robin Ireland has applied his forensic eye and talent for narrative to a subject dear to many of our hearts. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the modern version of the beautiful game and how we got here.'
Rob Davies, The Guardian
‘This book is more than a simple club history. Ireland seamlessly blends insights into the business of football with details of the dramatic shifts in British politics, society, and culture during a half century that saw the national game transformed.'
Cameron Huggett, Along Come Norwich
'Informative, entertaining and lavishly illustrated, Cutting the Mustard provides an insightful Norwich City perspective on transformative changes in the English game.'
John Williams author of Football in Wind and Rain
‘A compelling combination of personal, social and sporting histories that tells us so much about the game we love.’
Ben East, The Observer
‘In this compelling book, Ireland weaves a story combining social history, his passion for Norwich City and his reflections on the commodification of English football. An impressive contribution that will appeal to fans and critical thinkers alike.’
Professor Christopher Bunn, University of Glasgow
‘Football has become increasingly commercialized over the past half century. Robin Ireland adroitly traces this development through a case study of Norwich City, a provincial club, but contextualising their financial and playing fortunes within the big picture. The book is a reader-friendly combination of text and illustration, drawing on archival material and club memorabilia.’
Wray Vamplew, Emeritus Professor of Sports History, University of Stirling
'This captivating book takes us on a fascinating journey through time, as the beautiful game became big business. The tale combines three of Robin's major passions - football, Norwich City FC, and exploring the relentless rise of commercialisation in sport. This book is not just for Norwich fans; it's for anyone interested in how companies, brands, and money can dramatically shift the needle even on something as sacred as our national sport. A must-read.'
Professor Emma Boyland, Chair of Food Marketing and Child Health, University of Liverpool