17h ago

Tromsø IL — The Club at the Edge of the Football Map

Tromsø IL, Norwegian football, the Arctic Circle and one of Europe’s most extraordinary football environments are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel tells the story of Tromsø IL, the northern Norwegian club that turned geography, brutal weather and decades of exclusion into a defining identity. From being shut out of Norway’s national competitions to finally reaching the top division, Tromsø built itself into one of the country’s most distinctive football institutions. The episode revisits Tromsø’s stunning 1986 Norwegian Cup triumph, the dramatic 1996 final against fierce northern rivals Bodø/Glimt, and famous European nights including the snow-covered 3-2 victory over Chelsea in 1997 and the UEFA Cup upset of Galatasaray. Chris also explores life at Romssa Arena, the Battle of Northern Norway rivalry and the club’s decision to incorporate Northern Sámi language and culture into its stadium identity. At nearly 70 degrees north, Tromsø IL did not simply overcome its location. It made the Arctic part of what the club means. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2d ago

Antigua Barracuda FC — The Team That Never Came Home

Antigua Barracuda FC, Caribbean football, USL Pro, and Antigua and Barbuda’s remarkable World Cup qualifying run are at the heart of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel tells the extraordinary story of a professional club founded in 2010 to strengthen the Antigua and Barbuda national team by giving the country’s best players regular professional competition together. Barracuda entered USL Pro in 2011, played at Antigua’s converted Sticky Wicket cricket ground and helped provide the foundation for the Benna Boys’ historic run into the semifinal round of 2014 World Cup qualifying. But the project quickly became unsustainable. Declining crowds, expensive travel and the collapse of the league’s Caribbean footprint eventually forced Barracuda to relocate to the United States for the entire 2013 season. What followed became one of football’s strangest campaigns: 26 matches, 26 defeats and zero home games. Players lived in hotels, trained wherever space was available, endured unpaid wages and traveled enormous distances just to complete the schedule. This is the story behind the infamous zero-point season—and why Antigua Barracuda FC deserves to be remembered for far more than the league table. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4d ago

Al Ahly SC — The Club of the Nation

Al Ahly SC, Egyptian football, the Cairo Derby, and Africa’s most successful club are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel explores how Al Ahly grew from a meeting place for young Egyptians in 1907 into a sporting institution with 45 Egyptian league titles and a record 12 CAF Champions League trophies. The episode traces the club’s nationalist roots, its rivalry with Zamalek, the importance of Cairo International Stadium and the meaning behind Al Ahly’s identity as the “Club of the Nation.” The story also follows legendary figures including Mahmoud El Khatib, Mohamed Aboutrika, Manuel José and Pitso Mosimane, along with unforgettable continental triumphs in 1982, 2006 and the historic 2020 Champions League final against Zamalek. Chris also examines the rise of Ultras Ahlawy, their role in Egypt’s 2011 uprising and the devastating Port Said disaster, where 74 people were killed. From political symbolism and supporter culture to continental dominance and Al Ahly’s expanding global profile, this is the story of a club whose meaning reaches far beyond the trophies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18

B-67 Nuuk: The Championship That Fits Inside One Week

B-67 Nuuk, Greenlandic football, Arctic travel and one of the world’s most unusual national championships are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel explores the story of Greenland’s record men’s champion, a club based in Nuuk where football operates under conditions unlike almost anywhere else in the world. With no roads connecting Greenland’s towns, domestic competition requires flights, boats and a national championship tournament compressed into roughly one week. The episode traces B-67’s rise from its 1967 founding to 16 national titles, including a record run of five consecutive championships, while exploring its rivalry with N-48 of Ilulissat, the dramatic 2022 final featured in No Place for Football and the challenges facing amateur players balancing football with everyday life. Chris also looks at Nuuk Stadium, youth development, B-67’s partnership with FC Copenhagen, Greenland’s national football structure and the country’s unsuccessful efforts to join UEFA and CONCACAF. It is a story about geography, community and a football culture that continues to thrive despite extraordinary logistical and international barriers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 16

Corinthian-Casuals FC — The Amateur Club That Gave Its Name to a Giant

Corinthian-Casuals FC, São Paulo, Corinthians Paulista, and the origins of modern football culture are at the heart of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel explores the remarkable story of an English amateur club whose influence stretches far beyond its current ninth-tier home in Tolworth. The episode traces the history of Corinthian Football Club and Casuals FC, their 1939 merger, their commitment to amateurism and the ideals of sportsmanship that helped define “Corinthian spirit.” The story also reaches across the Atlantic to Brazil, where Corinthian’s 1910 tour inspired the creation of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, now one of the biggest clubs in South America. That relationship later produced unforgettable reunions involving legends including Sócrates and Rivelino. Along the way, the episode covers Corinthian’s role in early England teams, historic victories over Manchester United and other giants, the impact of two World Wars, the club’s long search for a permanent home and the volunteer-built ground at King George’s Field. It is a story about influence without wealth, tradition without professional status, and how a tiny English club helped leave a permanent mark on world football. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 14

Qarabağ FK — The Club That Carried a City Away From Home

Qarabağ FK, Ağdam, Azerbaijan, and one of football’s most extraordinary stories of exile and survival are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Founded in Ağdam in 1951, Qarabağ were forced from their home during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and played their final match at the old İmarət Stadium in 1993. Chris Horwedel traces how a club that lost its ground and its city continued playing, eventually becoming the dominant force in Azerbaijani football and a regular presence in European competition. The episode explores Qarabağ’s identity as the “refugee club,” the rise of longtime manager Gurban Gurbanov, domestic dominance, and landmark European nights against clubs including Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Braga and Copenhagen. It also examines the more complicated history surrounding the club’s connection to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including displacement on both sides and the responsibilities that come with turning football into a symbol of national memory. With plans underway for a rebuilt stadium in Ağdam, Qarabağ’s story remains unfinished: a club that carried the idea of home for more than three decades while waiting for the possibility of returning to it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 11

Chivas — The Club That Made a Nation Its Transfer Policy

Chivas, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, Liga MX, and the club’s famous Mexican-only player policy are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, exploring how one of Mexico’s biggest football institutions turned a self-imposed restriction into the foundation of its identity. Founded in Guadalajara in 1906, Chivas grew from an internationally assembled team into a club that eventually committed itself to using only Mexican players. Chris Horwedel traces how that decision shaped everything from recruitment and academy development to transfer prices, supporter expectations and the club’s national significance. The episode follows the rise of the legendary Campeonísimo teams, the rivalries with Atlas and Club América, major continental runs against clubs including Boca Juniors, and generations of stars such as Salvador Reyes, Omar Bravo, Oswaldo Sánchez and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández. It also explores Estadio Akron, Chivas Femenil, the influence of the Vergara family, and the continuing debate over dual nationals and what it means to qualify for the shirt. At its core, Chivas is a story about football and identity: a club that voluntarily narrowed its options and made that limitation part of what millions of supporters believe makes it special. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 9

Clapton Community FC — The Supporters Who Built Their Own Club

Clapton Community FC, the Old Spotted Dog and supporter-owned football in East London are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, telling the story of fans who decided that preserving a football identity meant building a new club themselves. Formed in 2018 by supporters connected to historic Clapton FC, Clapton Community was created around open membership, democratic control, published finances and equal voting rights. Chris Horwedel traces the boycott that preceded the club’s formation, the dispute over the future of the Old Spotted Dog Ground, and the supporters’ eventual purchase and restoration of London’s oldest senior football venue. The episode also explores CCFC’s distinctive culture, from its internationally famous Spanish Civil War-inspired away shirt to its cooperative structure, community programs and commitment to keeping football affordable and accessible. Along the way, the story touches on Walter Tull, East London football history, the Charity Commission investigation into the previous ground structure and the club’s rise through the non-league pyramid. At its core, Clapton Community FC is a story about what happens when supporters stop asking who owns their club and decide to become the answer themselves. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club. If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris. The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered The Underdog Football Show Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why We Love This Club

Tromsø IL — The Club at the Edge of the Football Map

Antigua Barracuda FC — The Team That Never Came Home

Al Ahly SC — The Club of the Nation

B-67 Nuuk: The Championship That Fits Inside One Week

Corinthian-Casuals FC — The Amateur Club That Gave Its Name to a Giant

Qarabağ FK — The Club That Carried a City Away From Home

Chivas — The Club That Made a Nation Its Transfer Policy

Clapton Community FC — The Supporters Who Built Their Own Club

Ratings & Reviews

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Why We Love This Club

Episodes

Tromsø IL — The Club at the Edge of the Football Map

Antigua Barracuda FC — The Team That Never Came Home

Al Ahly SC — The Club of the Nation

B-67 Nuuk: The Championship That Fits Inside One Week

Corinthian-Casuals FC — The Amateur Club That Gave Its Name to a Giant

Qarabağ FK — The Club That Carried a City Away From Home

Chivas — The Club That Made a Nation Its Transfer Policy

Clapton Community FC — The Supporters Who Built Their Own Club

Ratings & Reviews

About

Information