Why We Love This Club

Underdog Podcasts
  • 4.6 (10)
  • Soccer

Why We Love This Club explores the remarkable football clubs, supporters and communities that make the world’s game special. Hosted by Chris Horwedel, each episode travels to a different corner of global soccer to tell the complete story of one unforgettable club. Discover how each team was founded, what it represents to its community, and why its supporters developed such a deep connection to it. The show explores club history, legendary players, defining matches, stadiums, rivalries, traditions, supporter culture, famous triumphs, painful failures and the moments that shaped each team’s identity. From historic European champions and emerging women’s teams to supporter-owned clubs, lower-league institutions and overlooked teams across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, Why We Love This Club celebrates football in all its forms. Whether you love soccer history, football culture, passionate fanbases or discovering clubs beyond the biggest names, every episode offers a new reason to love the world’s game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Wrexham AFC — Saved by the Town, Lifted by Hollywood

    Wrexham AFC, Welsh football, supporter ownership, Hollywood investment, and one of the most remarkable revival stories in modern soccer are at the center of the Season 1 finale of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Wrexham’s story from its 1864 founding at the Turf and its deep roots in the town through famous European nights, the 1992 FA Cup upset of Arsenal and decades of financial instability that eventually threatened both the club and the Racecourse Ground. The heart of the episode comes in 2011, when supporters helped raise the money Wrexham needed simply to begin the season. The Supporters’ Trust later took control, stabilized the club and preserved it long enough for Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds to arrive in 2021. The episode then follows the arrivals of Paul Mullin, Ben Tozer, Ollie Palmer, Elliot Lee and James McClean, three consecutive promotions, the women’s team’s historic rise and new protections securing football at the Racecourse for generations. Hollywood helped Wrexham reach the world. But it was the town that was responsible for making sure there was still a club to find. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    Wrexham AFC — Saved by the Town, Lifted by Hollywood

  2. 3d ago

    Centro Storico Lebowski — They Sang Anyway

    Centro Storico Lebowski, supporter ownership, Italian lower-league football and one of Europe’s most unusual fan-built clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel tells the story of a group of teenagers in Florence who went looking for the worst team in the city, arrived late, watched it lose 3–0 and started singing anyway. What began as an almost absurd act of support eventually became something much bigger: when the original A.C. Lebowski disappeared, the supporters founded Centro Storico Lebowski themselves in 2010. The episode follows the club’s climb through Italy’s amateur pyramid, its transition into a cooperative where members have an equal vote, and the growth of youth, girls’ and women’s football programs built around accessibility and community. There’s also the wonderfully unlikely arrival of former Fiorentina and Inter midfielder Borja Valero, a 2,500-person regional cup final and the long search for a home of their own in Florence. Centro Storico Lebowski’s story proves that calling something “our club” can mean more than simply supporting it. Sometimes it means actually building 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.

    Centro Storico Lebowski — They Sang Anyway

  3. 5d ago

    Al-Wehdat SC — The Club Built from Temporary Housing

    Al-Wehdat SC, Jordanian football, Palestinian identity and one of the Middle East’s most powerful community clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Al-Wehdat’s story back to 1956, when a football club grew from a youth center inside New Amman Camp, a refugee settlement built for Palestinians displaced from their homes. The club’s name comes from the housing “units” that gave the camp its identity, turning something designed as temporary relief into one of Jordan’s most permanent institutions. The episode explores Al-Wehdat’s rise into a 17-time Jordanian league champion, its complicated relationship with Palestinian identity in Jordan and the fierce Derby of Jordan against Al-Faisaly. That rivalry carries sporting, social and historical meaning far beyond the table. There’s also Al-Wehdat’s continental journey, from three AFC Cup semifinal appearances to becoming the first Jordanian club to play—and win a match—in the AFC Champions League in 2021. Al-Wehdat’s story is ultimately about permanence: a community built from temporary housing creating a club strong enough to outlast the structures around 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.

    Al-Wehdat SC — The Club Built from Temporary Housing

  4. Oct 16

    Young Africans SC — The Club Built Before Tanzania

    Young Africans SC, Tanzanian football, the Kariakoo Derby and one of East Africa’s most important sporting institutions are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Yanga’s story back to 1935, when African residents in colonial Dar es Salaam formed a team before Tanzania itself existed. The club’s identity developed alongside the country’s independence movement, eventually becoming one of Tanzania’s biggest cultural institutions and earning the nickname Wananchi — “the citizens.” The episode explores Yanga’s historic rivalry with Simba SC, a club that actually emerged from a split within Young Africans in 1936. Their Kariakoo Derby grew into one of African football’s great rivalries, dividing supporters across Tanzania while helping define the country’s football culture. Yanga’s extraordinary domestic record includes generations of league dominance, regional success and two separate runs of five consecutive national championships. But the club’s greatest unfinished ambition remains continental glory. In 2023, Young Africans reached their first senior African final, defeating USM Alger in the second leg but losing the CAF Confederation Cup on away goals. Young Africans matter because their story began before modern Tanzania did. The country changed around them, but the meaning of the name remained the same: Young Africans. Wananchi. The citizens. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    Young Africans SC — The Club Built Before Tanzania

  5. Oct 14

    Sabah FK — Nine Years to the Champions League

    Sabah FK, Azerbaijani football, the UEFA Champions League and one of Europe’s fastest-rising young clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Sabah’s remarkable rise from its founding in 2017 to becoming a league champion, domestic cup winner and the youngest club ever to reach the Champions League league or group stage. Just nine years after being created, Sabah supporters were watching their team face Manchester United at Old Trafford. The episode explores the club’s rapid development through private investment, academy building and a growing football identity in Masazır. Sabah’s youth system quickly produced national champions, while the first team broke through domestically and began making noise in Europe. There are dramatic European nights too, including a wild penalty-shootout victory over Maccabi Haifa, a first major trophy against Qarabağ and the extraordinary Champions League qualifying run that ended with a 94th-minute rescue and extra-time victory over Hapoel Beer-Sheva. Sabah’s story asks a fascinating question: how does a club build tradition when the history is still being written? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    Sabah FK — Nine Years to the Champions League

  6. Oct 12

    FC St. Pauli — Where Football Became Resistance

    FC St. Pauli, German football, supporter ownership and one of the sport’s most distinctive political and cultural identities are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces St. Pauli’s transformation from a struggling Hamburg football club into an internationally recognized symbol of supporter culture, anti-fascism and community control. The story includes the rise of punk and activist support around the Millerntor, the adoption of the famous skull-and-crossbones flag and the successful 1989 campaign that stopped plans to replace the stadium with a massive commercial Sports Dome. The episode explores the club’s stance against racism, fascism, sexism and homophobia, while also examining how supporters have repeatedly challenged St. Pauli itself to live up to those principles. The Millerntor-Stadion became the physical center of that identity, filled with political banners, music, murals and one of German football’s most recognizable atmospheres. There’s football too: the Hamburg derby with HSV, the famous 2002 victory over Bayern Munich, financial crises, unlikely cup runs and repeated fights for survival. More recently, St. Pauli supporters helped create a cooperative that raised millions while preserving democratic influence over the club and stadium. St. Pauli’s story is ultimately about who gets to decide what a football club becomes—and what happens when supporters refuse to surrender that responsibility. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    FC St. Pauli — Where Football Became Resistance

  7. Oct 9

    SV Robinhood — The Club Between Two Football Worlds

    SV Robinhood, Surinamese football, Caribbean competition and one of CONCACAF’s most persistent clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Robinhood from its 1945 founding by rail-yard workers in Paramaribo to becoming Suriname’s record league champion and a club uniquely positioned between football worlds: South American by geography, Caribbean by competition and deeply connected to the Netherlands through language, migration and history. The episode explores Robinhood’s golden era under Ronald Kolf, its fierce rivalry with SV Transvaal and an extraordinary continental record that included five CONCACAF Champions Cup final defeats between 1972 and 1983. After relegation in 2014, Robinhood rebuilt. The revival culminated in the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup title, finally delivering a major regional crown 51 years after the club’s first continental final. Robinhood then returned to the Champions Cup and helped usher Surinamese football into a new professional era. Robinhood’s motto says it best: No Struggle, No Crown. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    SV Robinhood — The Club Between Two Football Worlds

  8. Oct 7

    Pohang Steelers — The Club Forged in a Steel City

    Pohang Steelers, South Korean football, K League history and one of Asia’s great club traditions are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club. Chris Horwedel traces Pohang’s story from its 1973 creation by steel giant POSCO to becoming one of the defining institutions of Korean football. Built alongside the rise of the industrial city itself, the club evolved from a company team into a true civic symbol, with red-and-black stripes, the famous Steel Yard and generations of supporters making Pohang their own. The episode explores Pohang’s remarkable record of player development, from Choi Soon-ho and Hong Myung-bo to Lee Dong-g**k and Hwang Hee-chan, plus the academy structure that made producing talent part of the club’s identity. It also covers Pohang’s three Asian championships, including the dramatic 2009 AFC Champions League run, and the unforgettable 2013 domestic double completed with Kim Won-il’s 95th-minute title-winning goal against Ulsan. That moment became one of the defining chapters in the fierce East Coast Derby. Pohang Steelers are a story of corporate origins becoming community identity: the company built the team, but the city gave it a life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

    Pohang Steelers — The Club Forged in a Steel City
See All (50)

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Why We Love This Club explores the remarkable football clubs, supporters and communities that make the world’s game special. Hosted by Chris Horwedel, each episode travels to a different corner of global soccer to tell the complete story of one unforgettable club. Discover how each team was founded, what it represents to its community, and why its supporters developed such a deep connection to it. The show explores club history, legendary players, defining matches, stadiums, rivalries, traditions, supporter culture, famous triumphs, painful failures and the moments that shaped each team’s identity. From historic European champions and emerging women’s teams to supporter-owned clubs, lower-league institutions and overlooked teams across Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, Why We Love This Club celebrates football in all its forms. Whether you love soccer history, football culture, passionate fanbases or discovering clubs beyond the biggest names, every episode offers a new reason to love the world’s game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Underdog Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Underdog Podcasts
  • Show Website
    Why We Love This Club

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