Episodes
My guest is Roberto Pennino, whose book 'Immortal Torino' covers the story of 'Il Grande Torino' - the Great Torino FC side that dominated Italian football in the 1940s. Tragically, the team and coaching staff all died as their plane descended into Turin on the way home from a friendly match in Lisbon against Benfica, crashing into the Basilica di Superga. 
Published 05/04/24
My guest is Phil Harrison, whose debut book explores football in Europe's last communist state, Albania. It's a fascinated story of football in a secretive and isolated country.
Published 04/21/24
My guest is Ruben Clark (RM Clark), whose new book Winner Stays On covers his travels around England following clubs through every round of the FA Cup, trailing the winner of matches into the next round all the way up to the final. It's a fascinating insight into the English regions and the football pyramid.
Published 04/07/24
My guest is Miguel Lourenço Pereira, who's written a number of football books, but his latest is his first in English, Bring Me That Horizon. It's all about getting to know Portugal through its football. We discuss Portugal's footballing roots and history under the long Salazar dictatorship and the role of football in its demise. We discuss the great players, like Eusébio and other stars from the African colonies, the great 'Golden Generation' Portuguese side of the 1990s and early 2000s, the...
Published 03/24/24
My guest is Peter Cinnamond from the Kicking Match podcast, which covers the Irish League/NIFL. We discuss groundhopping in Northern Ireland, covering famous clubs like Linfield and Glentoran, as well as some of the many great grounds that groundhoppers can discover in Belfast and beyond. We also look at some of the political history of the Irish League, which led to the loss of Belfast Celtic and Derry City.
Published 03/10/24
After a successful 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, what does the future hold for women's football? My guest is journalist and author Carrie Dunn, who discusses some of the topics she raises in her latest book 'Woman Up: Pitches, Pay and Periods. The Progress and Potential of Women's Football'
Published 02/25/24
My guest is Stephen C. Brandt, whose latest book explores the history of one of Brazil's most famous clubs, Flamengo. We discuss the history of the carioca club from its roots at a rowing team's footballing branch up to Copa Libertadores champions.
Published 02/11/24
My guest is Matt Riley, who spent several years in Thailand exploring its football. He has chronicled the Thai game in his new book, 'Thai Football Tales: A Beautiful Madness'. His stories are quite something, give it a spin...
Published 01/28/24
My guest for his third appearance is Daniel Williamson as he discusses his new book on Ronaldo Nazário - the original Ronaldo for people of a certain age... We look at his career from his teen breakthrough in Brazil through to his moves to PSV, Barça, Inter, Madrid, Milan and, of course, his international career.
Published 01/13/24
My guest is Alex Ireland to discuss his book 'Pretty Poly: The History of the Football Shirt'. We cover everything from the origins of football shirts, to the emergence of numbering, sponsors' logos, new technologies and the retro appeal of football shirts.
Published 12/31/23
My guest is Harry Robinson, author of 'The Men Who Made Manchester United: The Untold Story'. We're looking at the foundation of the club in a railway yard in Newton Heath through to the handover to Matt Busby in 1945. The club came very close to collapse on several occasions. It's a fascinating listen, even if you don't support Manchester United.
Published 12/17/23
Londres es la casa del fútbol; aquí se formaron los leyes originales en 1863 y la ciudad contiene algunos de los nombres más famosas y historicos en el deporte. En este episodio, introduzco los clubes de Londres, sus historias en breve, sus culturas y zonas, hinchas y más.
Published 12/06/23
My guest is Conor Curran, author of Soccer and Society in Dublin: A History of Association Football in Ireland’s Capital. We discuss a wide range of topics, from why Dublin lagged way behind Belfast in soccer development, conflict with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the challenges faced by the women's game, and more...
Published 12/03/23
I am joined by Kevin Pogorzelski, who travelled the world to experience some of the world's top derbies for his new book 'Divided Cities'. From Genoa to Glasgow, Buenos Aires to Budapest, Kevin talks about his experiences...
Published 11/19/23
En mi segundo episidio en castellano, exploramos la relación histórica entre el fútbol y la política.
Published 11/09/23
My guest is Dr Michael Connolly from the University of Stirling in Scotland. His book, Walfrid: A Life of Faith, Community and Football, is a biography of the Celtic FC founder, Brother Walfrid.
Published 11/05/23
Bienvenidos a mi primer podcast en español. Vamos a ver como empezó el fútbol, desde los campos de las escuelas de Inglaterra hasta el consenso de reglas del Football Association en 1863. También, hablo sobre como el juego se convirtió a ser el juego del clase obrador y como se transporta a cada rincón del mundo...
Published 11/01/23
My guest is Chris Etchingham, whose first book looks at football's role in the breakup of Yugoslavia. We discuss the role of ethnicity before and after the breakup of the nation, including its impact in the Balkan diaspora, particularly in Australia.
Published 10/22/23
My guest is Dr Mark Orton, whose new book 'El Más Grande' (The Greatest) charts the rich history of Argentinean club, River Plate 
Published 10/09/23
On 30 May, I delivered a talk at Dulwich Hamlet FC in South London in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton's Football and War Network and Stanchion Books. My topic was the long history of football's relationship with politics. When does it first get political? Who was the first to successfully exploit the sport for propaganda? What role has football played in bringing down dictatorships? Have a listen...
Published 06/04/23
I am joined by Bess Dawson and Alan McDougall, who are two of a group of contributors on a new book that explores the role of football in German society.
Published 11/28/22
England v Hungary in November 1953 was billed as the 'Match of the Century' - why is this match so significant in both England and Hungary? Matt Clough has written a book about the match and joins me to discuss.
Published 11/21/22
I am joined by Alex Pratchett, one half of No Score Draws, famous for their fantastic characatures of footballer, coaches, and others. What makes a great 'drawable' footballer and what has the feedback been?
Published 11/14/22
Graeme Brown joins me to discuss the 150th anniversary of the world's first official international Association football match - Scotland v England, 30 November 1872, at the West of Scotland Cricket Club. What was the role of Queen's Park in setting the template for how we watch football today?    
Published 11/07/22