Forgotten Stories of Football

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Latest Episodes:

How the white football was dismissed as an unwanted fad Aug 31, 2020

The white ball was widely disliked during trials in 1927 and one manufacturer declared it ‘practically impossible to make’. It would take another 24 years for the Football League to give it the go-ahead

The Colourful XI tragedy Aug 12, 2020

Stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In the final episode of this series: 15 Dutch footballers were among 176 people who died in a 1989 plane crash. Edu Nandlal, one of the survivors, tells his story

The France football captain who murdered for Hitler Aug 05, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: Alex Villaplane said captaining France was ‘the happiest day of his life’. Fourteen years later he was shot dead for being a traitor.

The 1985 English Super Cup Jul 29, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: after English clubs were banned from Europe in 1985, the Football League created a consolation competition for them.

How the white football was dismissed as an unwanted fad Jul 22, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: the white ball was widely disliked during trials in 1927 and one manufacturer declared it ‘practically impossible to make’. It would take another 24 years for the Football League to give it the go-ahead

Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean – part two of two Jul 15, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: the concluding part of a feature-length story about Jim McLean, the tactical genius, bully, visionary and ‘absolute bampot’ behind Dundee United’s unimaginable success in the 1980s

Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean: part one of two Jul 08, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: the first of a two-part feature-length story about Jim McLean, the tactical genius, bully, visionary and ‘absolute bampot’ behind Dundee United’s unimaginable success in the 1980s

Luton Town's Manager Idol Jul 01, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: Primetime TV would prove the inspiration for one of the most shambolic managerial appointments in football history. How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know

How John Crossan became football's most harshly treated player Jun 24, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: banned for ‘life’ in 1959, the former Northern Ireland forward John Crossan can consider himself the most harshly treated footballer of all time

Fred Spiksley: wing wizard, film star and POW escapee Jun 17, 2020

Football is more than just a game. The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: Fred Spiksley dazzled as an outside-left, but found his far-reaching coaching ideas spurned in England after success abroad, having also dabbled in film and been embroiled in a wartime escape mission

Abraham Klein, the 'master of the whistle': part two Jun 10, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: the concluding part of a two-part feature-length story about how the little Israeli Abraham Klein survived politics, prejudice and even the Holocaust to become the best referee in the world (listen to part one)

Abraham Klein, the 'master of the whistle': part one Jun 03, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: the first of a two-part feature-length story about how the little Israeli Abraham Klein survived politics, prejudice and even the Holocaust to become the best referee in the world

Jeff Hall: the footballer whose death turned the tide against polio May 27, 2020

The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: it took the sudden passing of the 29-year-old England right-back in 1959 to get a generation pouring into clinics for inoculation against polio, a disease that in the previous 10 years had killed over 3,000 people in England and Wales

Manchester United v Galatasaray, 1993 May 20, 2020

A new series from The Guardian, featuring the best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: few had expected much from Galatasaray in the European Cup, but United were out of their depth on the pitch amid terrifying hostility and harassment off it Episode one: farce and fascism at the 1936 Olympics

Farce and fascism at the 1936 Olympics May 13, 2020

A new series from The Guardian, featuring the best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists, and spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet. In this episode: how Nazi bullying and controversial victories overshadowed Italy’s gold medal at the Berlin Games

Forgotten Stories of Football podcast: season one trailer May 07, 2020

Your introduction to Forgotten Stories of Football, a new series from The Guardian, starting on Wednesday 13 May. The best stories from the beautiful game that you may never have heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists. Spanning more than 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet

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