With the Spanish World Cup on the horizon and the Argentinian flag being raised in Port Stanley, fears were high that England may not even get to go. Trouble off the field - both historical and hypothetical - would shape the English game in the 1980s. In his brilliant new book 'Go To War: Football On The Brink In The '80s', Jon Spurling brings out both the light and shade of a turbulent decade for the national game. From trouble to tragedy and inflatables to fanzines, he sits down with...

After the Christmas freeze of 1981, Liverpool sat 12th in the First Division table with John Toshack's Swansea City leading the way. How they reeled in the field to ultimately grab the title, the psychological impact of a feared chaser, Luton and Watford's rise out of the Second Division, QPR's plastic pitch and much more are on the agenda for a roundtable episode on the season with Gary Naylor, Mac Millings and Scott Murray. If you want to support the podcast or want your episodes without...

After every football season deep dive we will take a short break into the wider world of sport and in 1981 there really was only one story for us to pick up. That summer's Ashes series has forever been synonymous with one man: Ian Terence Botham. His heroics with bat and ball transformed the prospect of another miserable summer into a famous win. How simple a story was it in reality? Do we laud the main character at the expense of the rest of the cast? And do we do that in history as a...

With a schedule so in keeping with recent events, this week's episode is about the sacking of a Manchester United manager in 1981 but with so much relevance to the current day. The author Wayne Barton joins Martyn and Rob to talk about the weight of the job in difficult times, the tension between the technocrat and the force of personality and how brand of football and fan power are nothing new... If you want to support the podcast or want your episodes without ads and a couple of days...

In order to add more colour and cultural relevance to our trip through footballing history, the Draft has been applied to popular culture. Lawrence Donegan, David Edgar and Jonny McFarlane battle it out to try and pick the strongest card from 1980 containing a film drama, film comedy, band, album, tv show and news story. Three strong cards to choose from but hear their arguments first and enjoy conversations about living close to George Lucas, the Elephant Man as a Marvel character and why...

1980/81 was a very poor domestic season for Liverpool by their own high standards but, even though they were a side in transition, they were still able to regain their European crown. Author and former football editor of the Times, Tony Evans, is on great form as he talks Martyn through a campaign with bags of goals, semi-final tension and character, a second round tie that changed history and perhaps the origins of the famous 'perch'... If you want to support the podcast or want your...

The Crystal Palace side that was promoted to the First Division in 1979 under Terry Venables had so much youthful promise that some considered the coming decade to be theirs to grab. They could be, it was reported, the team of the 1980s. What went wrong is the subject of this week's episode as Martyn sits down the with American author Stephen Brandt to chat about his new book 'The Team That Could Have Been' and then Rob Smyth discusses the wider impact of projecting hope and expectation onto...

The Draft is back on Nessun Dorma and this time with a sporting twist. Gary, Mac and Mike join Martyn to try and convince him and then you the listener, that they have the strongest draft card that best captures the world of sport in 1980. But, there can be no crossover in the six categories whatsoever. Male, Female, Team, Single Achievement, Surprise and Minute of Action are all required. In this episode we have Borg v McEnroe, Coe v Ovett as well as some speed skating, a foul that changed...

It is April 1981 and Ipswich Town look set for a historic treble. With a talented English manager blending the best of British with Dutch flair, it all looked on. Wobbles, comebacks, replays and momentum shifts are everywhere in the conclusion to this fantastic season as three clubs grab their own share of the glory. If you want shows early and ad-free or just want to support the pod then head over to patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast for just $3.99 a month. Learn more about your ad choices....

At the start of April 1981, it looked likely that Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town were going to win an incredible treble of the league, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. How those dreams were dashed and how others benefitted is the subject of this two-part series. In this first episode, Martyn is joined by Richard Moss of 'The Suffolk Crunch', the author Colin Plumb who attended nearly every Ipswich game that season, Mike Leigh of 'The Spurs Show' and the BBC's Pat Murphy, who was a young reporter...

The West Germans called the European Championship of 1980 'a hideous disfigurement of football'. And they won the bloody thing! Martyn is joined by Jonathan O'Brien, author of the brilliant 'Euro Summits', to discuss the championship that nearly ended the whole enterprise. Poor football and even poorer crowds, it was a footballing summer that was almost so bad it was good and, sometimes, those are the most fascinating of all... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Following last weekend’s sad news of the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson at the age of 76, Martyn is joined by Rob and Mike to discuss a career that is somewhat overshadowed by England and what came after but really needs to be remembered better. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Premier League season of 1994/95 had so much going on that there could be multiple volumes covering it. Rob Fletcher has distilled it all into one brilliant new book that has so much detail that it almost falls off of the page. He sits down with Martyn to discuss the sleaze and scandal off the pitch, an incredible title race own it and the signings that shaped the future of English football. Rob’s book comes out on Monday 26th August. This is a public episode. If you would like to...

And so, we reach the end. A stellar cast gathers around the microphones as Rob Smyth returns to join Gary, Mike, Jonathan and Martyn to debate whether the 1994 Final is harshly treated, where this tournament sits in the World Cup pantheon, how Finals affect our judgement of that and some overall thoughts and highlights. We hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive and we’ll be back soon with a lot more to come. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers...

As we approach the penultimate hurdle it is time to take a wider view of the two main protagonists at this World Cup. Dominic Hougham, author of ‘50 Great World Cup Matches…and why you should watch them’, joins Martyn to discuss Italy’s semi final with Bulgaria but also the tensions between free spirits and control-freak coaches and the national team’s performance in an era of league domination. Pete Watson returns to look at Brazil v Sweden, the importance of the World Cup to the Brazilian...

There is another bumper episode for you all this week as we reach the quarter finals. Gary and Mike are back to discuss four excellent football matches but before they do, coach and retro football analyst Alistair Bain takes us through the tactical approach of the last eight sides left in the competition. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Pundits and commentators were forced to admit that the Group Stages of USA ‘94 had delivered. But would that attacking and entertaining football continue now the real business was upon us? Yes. Yes it would. Mike, Jonathan and Gary join Martyn to feast themselves on an array of enjoyable games including one of the greatest of all time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

The Group stages come to a close this week with the punishing Orlando heat, Houghton’s volley, Sacchi’s gamble, the transitional Dutch and a wonder goal from the Middle East. Jonathan O’Brien and Michael Hamlen from 80s&90sFootball are on hand to take Martyn through it all. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

No World Cup has seen as many goals on average in the last 30 years and much of that was down to the some of the fun and games in Groups C and D. Mike Gibbons joins Martyn to take stock of where the German national side was in 1994, the vitriol towards Klinsmann, the sheer entertainment provided by Nigeria, Bulgaria and Argentina and Pete Watson returns to discuss the downfall of Diego. If you’re enjoying your trip back to 1994 then let us know and share with your pals. This is a public...

Right, it’s time to get stuck into the football as Groups A and B come under the microscope. Mac Millings is back to happily reminisce about the USA’s surprising performance as hosts, give the Swiss some praise and wax lyrical about Gheorghe Hagi. Pete Watson, lecturer in Latin American Studies, takes us through the dark story of Colombian football and the tragic end for Andreas Escobar. And Gary Naylor runs through Brazil’s strong start and explains why Sweden were worthy of their FIFA...

We’re back! After a six month absence to deal with newborn babies and fight with schedules, Nessun Dorma returns to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1994 World Cup with an eight-part deep dive. Martyn is back on hosting duties as he speaks to Rob Fletcher about where the world of football was in the summer of ‘94, Mac Millings on how the US won the bid and prepared to host the greatest show on earth and Gary Naylor on the sneering cynicism at home. Romario, Baggio, Bergkamp all feature...

Our last draft of the year goes back to 1984-85, the season when the greatest team in Everton’s history romped to glory. Martyn, Gary and Mac Millings select their XIs from Division One that season. As you can imagine, Gary is like a pig in Chardonnary throughout. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Martyn and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher (aka 90s Football Writer) to pick their England XIs from a storied decade. As well as reaching the semi-finals of Italia 90 and Euro 96, England were involved in a true World Cup classic at France 98 and reached Euro 92 when it was still an eight-team tournament. Let’s not dwell on what happened when they got there). Some players were mainstays for large parts of the 1990s: Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, David Platt, Stuart Pearce, David Seaman, Paul...

With the 2023 World Cup entering its final week, Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Jonathan Hungin and Andrew Miller for another cricket draft - this time the fondly remembered 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand. It was the first World Cup with coloured clothing, white balls and Powerplays at the start of the innings. After a wretched start to the tournament, Pakistan’s cornered tigers roared to victory, beating England in a memorable final at the MCG. This was a different era of ODI...