In this podcast, I speak to four people involved in the telling of the story of Argentinian club Newell's Old Boys. Founded in 1903, the Rosario-based club was inspired to play by the influence of Isaac Newell, born in Kent, England, who moved to Argentina and set up a school where football and physical education complemented academic studies. 

In this podcast, we hear from (in order):

• Adrian Pope, who has been campaigning for a statue of Isaac Newell in his hometown of Strood for more than 20 years
• Amanda J. Thomas, who's writing a biography of Isaac Newell
• Jon Rye, who curated an exhibition about Newell in 2022
• Margarita Newell, great-great-granddaughter of Isaac Newell and great-granddaughter of Claudio Newell, the club's founder

I am joined by Dr Pete Watson from the University of Leeds, and Karen Ariza Carranza, journalist, founder of Tribuna Krizol - a platform to promote social change in sports and the participation of Colombian women in sports - and she's also an International Olympic Committee young leader.

We're looking at the role of women's football within Colombia as an agent for change. In this episode, we cover:

• The Rise of Women's Football in Colombia: We look at the historical context of women's football in Colombia, and its growing significance both nationally and internationally.
• The Development of Women's Football in Colombia: We explore how women's football in Colombia has developed later than the men's game, with the first professional league only established in 2017.
• The Global Stage: We highlight the importance of international tournaments, particularly Colombia’s 2015 Women's World Cup victory over France, in boosting visibility and media attention for the sport.
• 'Critical Visibility Moments': We analyse the role of 'critical visibility moments', where women's football gains media traction, often when the men's team underperforms or is absent from major competitions.
• Club Structures in Colombia: We examine how club football remains structurally weak, with a lack of investment, limited teams, and dependence on men's clubs for survival.
• The Role of Linda Caicedo: We discuss the growing impact of key figures like Linda Caicedo, an Afro-Colombian player who overcame cancer to become a global star, now playing for Real Madrid.
• Growing Media Attention: We acknowledge that while women's football in Colombia has gained more mainstream media coverage, it still faces systemic challenges, including gender inequality, inadequate funding, and inconsistent broadcasting.
• How Does Colombian Women's Football Compare with its Latin American Peers?: We compare Colombia’s success in women’s football to Argentina’s struggles, positioning Colombia as the second-strongest team in South America behind Brazil.
• Activism is Making a Difference: We emphasise the role of grassroots activism, independent media, and journalists advocating for greater representation and support for the women’s game.
• What Does the Future Hold?: We conclude by considering the future of Colombian women's football, noting its potential to rival Brazil, provided the necessary structural and financial support is secured from the federation and clubs.

On St Patrick's Day - 17 March 2025 - I gave a talk about my new book, 'Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football' at Dulwich Hamlet FC, co-hosted by the Football and War Network with the support of Stanchion Books. Have a listen!

My new book, Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football, is out NOW! It's part-groundhop, part-history discovery of football on the island of Ireland as an outsider.

My thanks to author and journalist James Hendicott for standing in as host in this episode to interview me (!) 

My guest is Joseph O'Sullivan, better known as 'Football Travel Man' on Instagram. You can also find him on YouTube and writing about football for Forbes.

Joseph discusses his experiences following the South American club tournaments for Copa90, plus his other experiences groundhopping in lower league Buenos Aires football clubs, such as Nueva Chicago or Defensa y Justicia.

My guest is Will Wardrop, otherwise known as 'Will in Brazil' over on Instagram. He's based in the capita, Brasilia, and we're discussing groundhopping in Brazil *outside* of the two main cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. We discuss matches in Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Goiânia, and Bahia in the north of the country. Will gives us his groundhopping tips for foreign visitors to Brazil, plus a few anecdotes from his time out there.

I am joined for a third time by Dr Pete Watson from the University of Leeds to discuss the ultimate grudge match in World Cup history, certainly from one side, at least. We're discussing Argentina versus England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 22 June 1986. 

It was the first time the two countries had met since the acrimonious Malvinas/Falklands Conflict four years earlier. Argentina famously won it with two of the most famous goals in history from Diego Maradona in the space of five minutes early in the second half. England almost pegged it back after John Barnes' brilliant impact off the bench, but it finished 2-1 to the South Americans. 

There is so much to unpack in this match, from international diplomacy to conversations about colonialism. 

I welcome Christopher Hylland, author of 'Tears at the Bombonera', back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, 'Dame Bola: A Journey Through the Language of Argentinian Football'. We look at the origins of some of the key words in the Argentine game and explore the wider culture of the matchday ritual.

My guests are Sam Kelly and Daniel Edwards from the Hand of Pod podcast, which focusses on Argentine football. I met up with Sam and Daniel while I was down in Buenos Aires and asked them about their experiences as foreigners getting to know the Argentine game and what foreign visitors - especially those who don't speak any/much Spanish - need to know.

In this podcast, I speak to Fernando Romero Nuñez, a sports journalist with the Buenos Aires Herald, about the evolution of Argentinian national identity and where football fits into that. We look at the emergence of the sense of an 'Argentine identity' in the 19th century, the growth of football and local-founded clubs.

We also discuss the 'sibling rivalry' with Uruguay and how that differs from Argentina's clashes with Brazil. We look back at 'La Nuestra' ('Our Thing'), and the clashing styles of Cesar Menotti and Carlos Bilardo, both World Cup winning coaches. 

Also, what does the 2022 World Cup win say about Argentina today?

I was in Buenos Aires recently and visited a number of places that I had already written about in my first book, Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World. In this episode, I was priveleged to have access to the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, the Buenos Aires English High School, where football was pioneered, and spoke to a historian at Quilmes Atlético Club, the oldest club in Argentina that is still playing.

I'm joined by Niamh O'Mahoney from Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and JulieAnn Thomas from Fulham Lillies. We look at fan cultures within women's football and the challenges in attracting fans. We also look at women fans within the men's game. What can be done to attract more women to the men's game and more men to women's football?

I welcome Alex Ireland back onto the podcast to discuss his new book on Manchester sports manufacturer, Umbro, which celebrated its centenary in 2024.

My guest is Dave Proudlove, whose new book 'Work and Play' looks at the relationship between the workplace and English football. How pivotal were factories in the foundation and maintenance of clubs within communities and how did that relationship get lost over time? 

My guest is Michael Hamlin, who runs the 80s90sFootball Twitter/X account, focussing on football nostalgia. Michael and I discuss the fall and rise of Brighton & Hove Albion. We both stood on the terraces of the old Goldstone Ground and Michael followed the club in its nomadic period and recalls the hard-fought move to the Amex. Brighton is now an established Premier League club and even experienced European football for the first time in 2023/24.

I welcome Belgrade-based Kirsten Schlewitz back onto the podcast for a third time to discuss the politics of identity in the Balkan region before and after the break-up of Yugoslavia.

If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review or rating on your preferred podcast platform. You can support the pod further by buying me a coffee. All support is hugely appreciated to keep the podcast coming.

My guest is Luka Lagvilava, whose @GeorgianFooty feed on Twitter/X has become an extremely popular resource on football in Georgia, especially when the former Soviet state made its European Championship debut in 2024. 

I chat to Luka about the history of football in Georgia, the country's clubs, its greatest players, the international scene, the politics, and get his groundhopping tips for visitors.

It's a fascinating insight into the Georgian football scene.

My guest is Derek Air, whose book 'Land of the Giants' explores Subbuteo culture. We're talking ahead of the Subbuteo World Cup 2024, hosted in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, where the game was invented. 

Everton is one of the grand old names of English football. Founder members of both the Football League (1888) and the Premier League (1992), Everton have the second-longest run in the top-flight of English football after Arsenal, with seven decades without a relegation - although they have come close. 

I discuss Everton's history with author Rob Sawyer and the club's legacy in South America with Jimmy Milner from The Ruleteros Society, focussing on the friendship between Everton in England and their namesake in Chile, Everton de Viña del Mar.

I'm joined by Claus Bermann, whose company Rome Derby organises match tickets and tours for groundhoppers visiting the Italian capital to watch AS Roma and SS Lazio matches, or meetings between the two - the 'Derby della Capitale' (the Derby of the Capital).

I am joined by Christopher Evans, author of 'Los Leones', a book on the history of Athletic Club de Bilbao. We're looking at the Basque Derby - Athletic Club v Real Sociedad. It's an iconic derby wrapped up in fierce Basque identity.

My guest is Ceylon Andi Hickman, director of the charity Football Beyond Borders (FBB). We're discussing how football is making a positive change to young people's lives, especially in their education. The charity has worked with footballers, including Marcus Rashford and Chris Smalling, and is proven to help children do well at school. Ceylon is also a centre-half for Dulwich Hamlet Women, so we also discuss the progressive culture around the South London club. They have been promoted since the time of recording, so congratulations to them.

My guest is Marius Helgå as we discuss groundhopping in Norway. It's Western Europe's longest country at 1,750km with clubs stretching from the south right up to the Arctic Circle. We discuss some big names like Vålerenga, Lyn, Odds, Viking, and Bergen, plus some smaller clubs and the national side. We also look at Norwegian fan culture and its influences, cheifly drawn from England and Germany.

My guest is Aidan Williams, whose new book 'Euro 1984: The Greatest Tournament You Never Saw'.

Back when the Euros was a proper elite eight-team tournament, France provided a sublime and dramatic tournament spearheaded by Michel Platini, who bagged nine goals in just five games as France won its first major tournament.

My guest is Ben Jackson, whose book The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament came out in time for the 2024 edition of AFCON. We look back at the tournament's roots, its key moments and players, plus where does it go from here?