James Horncastle
{{short description|English sports broadcaster & journalist}}
{{cleanup|date=June 2018|reason=Article needs a tidy and to written with better structure.}}
James Horncastle {{postnominals|post-noms=OMRI}} is an English sportswriter and broadcaster. Specialising in European{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fabinho-likened-premier-league-title-14718637|title=Fabinho likened to Premier League title winner as Liverpool hailed for 'very good' Emre Can replacement|first=Kristian|last=Walsh|date=29 May 2018|work=Liverpool Echo}}. and Italian football, Horncastle frequently covers football for TNT Sports.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p068hmg4|title='If I was Bale, I wouldn't want to be a Real Madrid player next season' - Lennon|first=Gavin|last=Cooney|date=28 May 2018|publisher=BBC Sport}}
Career
Horncastle speaks fluent Italian{{cite web|url=https://www.football365.com/news/footy-on-tv-james-horncastle|title=Footy on TV: James Horncastle - Football365|first=Daniel|last=Storey|date=24 December 2015|publisher=}} having formerly lived in Rome.{{cite web|url=http://sport.bt.com/author/james-horncastle-31363856104972|title=James Horncastle|website=BT Sport}} Horncastle started writing Serie B match reports for the Football Italia website{{cite web|url=https://www.football-italia.net/104208/horncastle-exclusive-calcio-passion|title=Horncastle Exclusive: 'Calcio is passion' - Football Italia|website=www.football-italia.net}} and is now a regular weekly pundit for TNT Sports on their Champions League Goals Show and appeared weekly on their European Football Show for four years.{{cite web|url=http://elephantsport.myblog.arts.ac.uk/2016/03/29/bt-sports-european-coverage-is-a-welcome-change/|title=Elephant Sport » BT Sport's European coverage is a welcome change|website=elephantsport.myblog.arts.ac.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.balls.ie/football/european-football-show-2-366219|title=BT Cancel European Football Show With One Final Indignity|first=Gavin|last=Cooney|date=June 2017|work=balls.ie}}{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/fbf4jw/european-football-show-extra-episode-guide/|title=European Football Show Extra Series and Episode Guides - TV from RadioTimes|website=Radio Times|access-date=2018-06-16|archive-date=2018-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616130007/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/fbf4jw/european-football-show-extra-episode-guide/|url-status=dead}}
As well as appearing weekly on British television, Horncastle writes in English and Italian for a number of newspapers and websites,{{cite web|url=http://www.rivistaundici.com/author/james-horncastle/|title=Rivista Undici|website=Rivista Undici}} including The Guardian,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/james-horncastle|title=James Horncastle|website=The Guardian}} the Daily Mirror,{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/james-horncastle/|title=James Horncastle - Mirror Online|website=www.mirror.co.uk}} The Daily Telegraph,{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/04/conte-will-be-shock-for-chelsea-players-after-gentle-guus/|title='Italian Mourinho' Antonio Conte will be shock for Chelsea players after gentle Guus|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=4 April 2016|publisher=|via=www.telegraph.co.uk|url-access=subscription}} The Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/why-juventus-want-to-make-dybala-their-new-del-piero-zn8kfbtn9|title=Why Juventus want to make Paulo Dybala their new Alessandro Del Piero|first=James |last=Horncastle|date=6 March 2018|via=www.thetimes.co.uk|url-access=subscription}} The Independent,{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/author/james-horncastle|title=James Horncastle|website=Independent.co.uk|publisher=}} The Blizzard,{{cite web|url=https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/search/tag/james-horncastle|title=James Horncastle - theBlizzard.co.uk|first=Daykin|last=Storey|website=www.theblizzard.co.uk}} Eurosport{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/how-catania-keep-punching-beyond-their-weight_sto4716454/story.shtml|title=How Catania keep punching beyond their weight|date=26 February 2013|publisher=Eurosport}} and the Liverpool Echo.{{cite web|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/expert-view-serie-specialist-james-7660133|title=Serie A specialist James Horncastle on Balotelli's move to LFC|first=Kristian|last=Walsh|date=22 August 2014|work=Liverpool Echo}}
He was reported by Forbes to be the first to break the $828m deal for AC Milan by Chinese investors from Silvio Berlusconi.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2016/08/05/ac-milan-sold-for-828-million-to-yonghong-li/|title=AC Milan Sold For $828 Million To Yonghong Li|first=Mike|last=Ozanian|date=5 August 2016|website=Forbes}}
He is used weekly as a European expert for BBC Radio 5 Live’s Euro leagues show with Mina Rzouki, Julien Laurens, and Raphael Honigstein.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0940sk5/episodes/downloads|title=Euro Leagues Football Show - Downloads - BBC Radio 5 live|website=BBC}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0940sk5/episodes/guide|title=Euro Leagues Football Show - Episode guide - BBC Radio 5 live|website=BBC}} He also produces columns for BBC Sport.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05yqqtr|title=Conte needs to stop complaining about money - Horncastle, In Short - BBC Radio 5 live|website=BBC|date=19 February 2018 }} He has contributed to The Athletic,{{Cite web |title=James Horncastle |url=https://theathletic.com/author/james-horncastle/ |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=The Athletic |language=en}} Talksport,{{cite web|url=https://talksport.com/james-horncastle|title=James Horncastle|publisher=}} The Anfield Wrap,{{cite web|url=https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2017/06/mohamed-salah-signing-reaction-james-horncastle-liverpools-new-34million-man/|title=Mohamed Salah Signing Reaction: James Horncastle On Liverpool's New £34million Man - The Anfield Wrap|date=22 June 2017|publisher=}} ESPN,{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/football/blog/espn-fc-united/68/post/3331496/serie-a-top-teams-january-transfer-needs-napoli-juventus-roma-lazio-milan-inter|title=Transfer needs for Italy's title contenders|date=3 January 2018|publisher=}} the A.S. Roma website,{{cite web|url=http://www.asroma.com/en/news/2017/12/expert-view-espn-pundit-james-horncastle-on-the-roma-shakhtar-tie|title=Expert View: ESPN pundit James Horncastle on the Roma-Shakhtar tie|website=www.asroma.com}} Off The Ball{{cite web|url=http://www.offtheball.com/Off-The-Ball/Juventus-hate-coming-to-London--James-Horncastle|title="Juventus hate coming to London" - James Horncastle|publisher=|access-date=2018-06-16|archive-date=2018-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616103727/http://www.offtheball.com/Off-The-Ball/Juventus-hate-coming-to-London--James-Horncastle|url-status=dead}} and FourFourTwo.{{cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/users/james-horncastle|title=James Horncastle|website=FourFourTwo|access-date=2018-06-16|archive-date=2018-06-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616103530/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/users/james-horncastle|url-status=dead}} He is now a regular on ‘Golazzo’ for The Totally Football Show with James Richardson and Gabriele Marcotti{{cite web |title=Golazzo: The Totally Italian Football Show - Totally Football Show |url=https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/golazzo-totally-italian-football-show/ |website=www.thetotallyfootballshow.com |access-date=2018-05-06 |archive-date=2018-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616080413/https://www.thetotallyfootballshow.com/golazzo-totally-italian-football-show/ |url-status=dead }} and has appeared as a guest at Totally Football live shows in England {{cite web |title=James Horncastle - Glee |url=https://www.glee.co.uk/performer/james-horncastle/ |publisher=}} and Ireland.{{cite web |last=Eastman |first=Hazlitt |title=Totally Football - Off The Kerb Productions |url=http://offthekerb.co.uk/totally-football/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507003400/http://offthekerb.co.uk/totally-football/ |archive-date=2018-05-07 |access-date=2018-06-16 |website=offthekerb.co.uk}} He has appeared on the panel at Gazzetta Football Italia live shows with James Richardson.{{cite web |date=16 June 2017 |title=James Richardson on Football Italia: 'There was a romance to it' |url=https://www.inews.co.uk/sport/football/football-indepth/james-richardson-football-italia/ |publisher=}}{{cite web |date=11 June 2017 |title=LIVE in London: 25 Year Anniversary of Gazzetta Football Italia - Forza Italian Football |url=https://www.forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/06/live-in-london-25-year-anniversary-of-gazzetta-football-italia/ |website=www.forzaitalianfootball.com}} Horncastle contributes weekly to The Football Ramble's ‘On The Continent’ podcast,{{cite web |url=https://radiostakhanov.com/onthecontinent/ |title=On The Continent podcast |website=radiostakhanov.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128062500/http://radiostakhanov.com/onthecontinent/ |archive-date=2018-01-28}} and was a regular on the Football Weekly podcast and live shows.{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/football-weekly-hardcore-fans-1762162-Nov2014/|title=19 reasons you know you're a hardcore Football Weekly listener|first=Eoin|last=O'Callaghan|date=5 November 2014 |publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.the42.ie/football-weekly-interview-thescore-moyes-united-1374196-Mar2014/|title=TheScore.ie chats to Football Weekly about Twitter trolls and why United would have been better off with Mourinho|first=Paul|last=Fennessy|date=22 March 2014 |publisher=}}
Horncastle is also in the process of writing and publishing a book about former Italian football player Roberto Baggio, titled 'It Isn’t Sunday Anymore: In Search of Roberto Baggio'. It is expected to be published on 31 July 2025.{{Cite book |last=Horncastle |first=James |title=It Isn't Sunday Anymore: In Search of Roberto Baggio |date=2025-07-31 |publisher=Mudlark |isbn=978-0-00-846694-7 |language=English}}