Forgotten Stories of Football

4.6 (31)
SPORTS

The best football stories you’ve probably never heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists. Spanning over 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet, the stories are narrated by leading actors and feature rich sound design and specially composed music

08/31/2020

How the white football was dismissed as an unwanted fad

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

19 min
08/12/2020

The Colourful XI tragedy

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

23 min
08/05/2020

The France football captain who murdered for Hitler

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.

13 min
07/29/2020

The 1985 English Super Cup

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.

19 min
07/22/2020

How the white football was dismissed as an unwanted fad

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

19 min
07/15/2020

Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean – part two of two

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

26 min
07/08/2020

Dundee United's glory years under Jim McLean: part one of two

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

22 min
07/01/2020

Luton Town's Manager Idol

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

10 min

See All (16)

4.6

out of 5

31 Ratings

Another Guardian Hit...

05/16/2020

SBywater

What we stateside football fans needed, when we needed it! The Guardian scores again!
I love a good story

10/09/2021

cjhermanns

… but nothing left to talk about?
Rerecord it!

05/27/2020

Mightyspong

The writing is excellent, the reading/attempted accents/"acting" are beyond cringy. It wouldn't be hard to do it again better
Quality Football/History

05/13/2020

DCI Banks

As to be expected from the Guardian. Grateful Yank

The best football stories you’ve probably never heard before, written by some of the world’s leading sports journalists. Spanning over 100 years of sporting history from across the footballing planet, the stories are narrated by leading actors and feature rich sound design and specially composed music