Watching the New Vinnie Jones Documentary: A Reminder of How Much Football Has Changed
I sat down last night to watch the new Vinnie Jones documentary on Netflix, and while it tells the story of one of football’s most recognisable hard men, it also serves as a fascinating reminder of just how different the game used to be.
Whether you loved him or hated him, Vinnie Jones represented an era of football that feels almost unrecognisable today. Modern fans who whinge about a strong shoulder barge would probably struggle to believe some of the tackles that were considered perfectly acceptable during the 70's, 80's and early 90's.
Jones wasn’t even the most feared player football had ever seen. Before him there were players such as Ron “Chopper” Harris, Norman Hunter and Tommy Smith amongst others, men who built entire careers on making sure opponents knew they were in for a difficult afternoon. Football back then was a much more physical game. Referees allowed far more contact, and defenders were expected to impose themselves physically. If a winger was 'enjoying themselves' a bit too much, there was usually a full back waiting to remind him that football could be painful aswell.
Watching old footage now almost feels like looking back at a different sport. Challenges that would lead to lengthy VAR reviews, social media outrage and straight red cards today, often resulted in nothing more than a shrug from the referee back then. In some cases, the victim was expected to just get up and carry on.
In those days you practically had to be stretchered off before a free kick was awarded. While that’s obviously an exaggeration, there is an element of truth to it. The threshold for what constituted a foul was far higher. Players earned a reputation for being tough because they genuinely had to be. Just to survive.
That is one of the reasons Vinnie Jones became such a fascinating figure. He understood exactly what his role was and embraced it completely. He wasn’t trying to be something he wasn’t. He played the hard man role better than anyone else of his generation and turned it into a brand long before footballers were talking about personal branding.
The documentary also reminds viewers of one of football’s greatest stories. Wimbledon’s remarkable rise from non-league football to the top flight and their unforgettable FA Cup triumph in 1988.
It remains one of the most extraordinary achievements in English football history. Wimbledon weren’t supposed to be there. They certainly weren’t supposed to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup Final. Yet they did exactly that. They achieved the impossible and in doing so, one of the most famous lines of commentary was born.
"The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club!"
In an era when football is increasingly dominated by financial power, state-backed ownership and billion pound squads, Wimbledon’s story feels even more remarkable. Their journey from non-league football to the pinnacle of the English game is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today. Some might say, impossible.
What I loved about the documentary is seeing how Jones managed to reinvent himself after football. Plenty of former players struggle once their careers end. The identity they’ve built over decades suddenly disappears. Jones, however, spotted an opportunity and filled a gap in the market brilliantly. Instead of being remembered solely as a football hard man, he became a television and film hard man.
And let’s be honest, he's bloody good at it.
His performance in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels just perfect. Nothing fake, nothing put on. Just Jones being Jones. The role suited him perfectly, but there was more to it than simply looking intimidating. He had screen presence, timing and charisma. Plenty of athletes have tried acting and failed miserably. Jones managed to carve out a successful second career because audiences actually enjoyed watching him.
More recently, he was excellent in The Gentlemen television series. Once again, he played to his strengths while showing far more range than many people give him credit for. It is genuinely impressive that someone who was once known primarily for crunching tackles has built such a long and successful entertainment career.
As for football itself, the game has undoubtedly changed.
In many ways, it has changed for the better. Players are more skilful than ever. Pitches are immaculate. Sports science has extended careers. Referees are better protected and serious foul play is punished more consistently.
But there are aspects of the old game that many supporters understandably miss.
One of those is the perception that players now go down far too easily. Whether that’s entirely fair is another debate, but modern football often rewards players who exaggerate contact. Winning a free kick in a dangerous area has become a valuable skill in itself.
Back in Jones’ era, players generally knew that minimal contact wasn’t likely to get a decision. Today, there are times when attackers seem almost encouraged to make the most of any challenge because they know officials are looking closely for infringements and that slow motion replays can make any minor contact look like a genuine asault.
The balance has perhaps swung too far in the opposite direction.
That doesn’t mean anyone would want a return to the days of reckless tackles and flying elbows. Football is safer now, and that’s a good thing. But watching the Vinnie Jones documentary is a reminder that the game’s character has changed significantly.
Football evolves, as all sports do. The players, tactics and rules move with the times. Yet there is something undeniably entertaining about revisiting an era when defenders defended first, asked questions later, and when characters like Vinnie Jones could become household names simply by being tougher than almost everyone else on the pitch.
Love him or loathe him, football would be a far less colourful sport to watch without characters like Vinnie Jones. The documentary captures that perfectly and offers a nostalgic look back at a version of the game that, for better or worse, we’ll never see again.
