The initial success brought Reep to the attention of Stan Cullis, manager of Wolves.

FORBES: The Most Important Soccer Performance Analyst You Have Never Heard Of

Reep believed that in order to win, the game had to be stripped to the essentials.

FORBES: The Most Important Soccer Performance Analyst You Have Never Heard Of

Possibly, because Reep was, and remains, a controversial and polarizing figure in the English game.

FORBES: The Most Important Soccer Performance Analyst You Have Never Heard Of

Charles Reep was generating statistics about soccer when Bill James was in diapers.

FORBES: Soccer Analytics at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Reep did not necessarily invent the long ball game but his sole purpose was to give it a statistical and quasi-academic foundation.

FORBES: The Most Important Soccer Performance Analyst You Have Never Heard Of

Not surprisingly, Reep found that his extensive statistical analysis supported his thesis.

FORBES: The Most Important Soccer Performance Analyst You Have Never Heard Of