Best Groundhopping Podcasts (2025)

1
Footballs in international waters, an Alpine groundhop adventure & Uzbek World Cup dreams 52:25

21d ago52:25

52:25

In Paul’s absence, Producer Tom joins Lee to talk about their five-a-side football match on the German-Swiss border and their Alpine groundhopping challenge to watch live games in three countries in the space of seven hours – using only public transport! Join Lee and Tom to find out how they almost lost a football in international waters, why they …

1
Spanish Football Culture with Miguel Pereira 36:20

7d ago36:20

36:20

I welcome Miguel Lourenço Pereira back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, Pasión: A Journey to the Soul of Spanish Football. Following the success of his first book in English, Bring Me That Horizon, a deep-dive into football in his native Portugal, Miguel pops next door to explore the diverse and deeply rooted cultural identities that make …

1
Holy water in Benin, Greece’s season ticket dog & Ecuador’s indigenous trailblazers 52:49

7d ago52:49

52:49

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Europe and Africa are the focal points in a fan culture-themed Part 1. How did an American tourist on a hop-on, hop-off boat cruise in London get …

1
The Kentish Roots of Newell's Old Boys 40:25

21d ago40:25

40:25

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 t…

1
E118 - David Hasselhoff's kick-off, football scarves in the theatre & guest Mark Perryman 49:04

23d ago49:04

49:04

Fuelled on Manchester Tarts, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss UK Football Figures Down Under from Frank Pimblett to Charlie ‘Steptoe’ Dempsey via Peter Wilson’s ripped badge. Magazine Deputy Editor Ffion Thomas previews WSC issue 452, Record Breakers brings us a Deutsch delight and we continue our sprigh…

1
Colombian Women's Football as an Agent for Change 37:44

1M ago37:44

37:44

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…

1
Bonus Episode: 'Shades of Green' Book Launch Talk, recorded at Dulwich Hamlet FC 1:00:46

1M ago1:00:46

1:00:46

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!

1
The trillion-dollar Saudi team, Bosnia’s Serbian champions & Bulgaria's memorable minute's silence 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, the award-winning football journalist and author James Montague joins us in the studio to tell us about Neom Sports Club, the trillion-…

1
Book Launch: Shades of Green - A Journey into Irish Football 34:32

2M ago34:32

34:32

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 (!)

1
Japan’s ultimate bench-warmer, Andorra’s YouTube resurrection & Iceland’s volcano-hit team 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football from around the world, including the San Marino league and cup: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you…

1
Interview with Joseph O'Sullivan AKA Football Travel Man 35:49

2M ago35:49

35:49

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 Chic…

1
E116 - Bruce Rioch's family men, West Brom at the Great Wall and the Brunton Park barrier hunt 44:05

2M ago44:05

44:05

Refusing to bite the ears off a Lindt koala bear, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray quite incredibly introduce a brand-new feature: Backward Glance, in which a Random Issue Generator picks out an old copy of WSC magazine from the archives for them to chat about. This time, Issue 103 from September 1995 pops up to…

1
Romania's reality TV race, Australia's motorway trophy & the Marshall Islands' vanishing kit 49:31

2M ago49:31

49:31

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new football team to support. Some brillian…

1
Groundhopping in Brazil off the Beaten Track 54:58

3M ago54:58

54:58

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 groundho…

1
E115 - Unlikely Footballers of the Year, goose poo on the pitch & guest Joris van de Wier 57:08

3M ago57:08

57:08

Bringing a ripple of class to help you through the winter, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss Unlikely Footballers of the Year from The Oil Butcher to the Golden Fireman via Tony Book. Magazine Deputy Editor Ffion Thomas previews WSC issue 450, Record Breakers brings us a Brest banger and we continue our s…

1
Ferencváros' ultras in disguise, HamKam 2’s AI coach & Burkina Faso’s bus-funded leaders 43:12

3M ago43:12

43:12

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 is all about the final round of Europa League and Champions League action. How have Brest made the play-offs with an inexperienced coach and a shoestring budget? What d…

1
Political Football: Argentina v England, Mexico '86 52:21

3M ago52:21

52:21

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/Falkl…

1
Ascension Island’s tortoise troubles, Omonia’s fan-paid groceries & Lazio’s live-in falconer 53:04

3M ago53:04

53:04

There’s an island theme in Part 1. Starting with the return of football to Ascension Island, an isolated outpost in the Atlantic Ocean. It will be the second-most remote place to host football in the world – but what is the first?! Next up is Malta, where the only team in the pyramid from the neighbouring island of Gozo has made a 100% start to the…

1
The Language of Argentinian Football 32:56

4M ago32:56

32:56

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.…

1
Balzers’ Internet fame, the world’s newest league & The Strongest’s Chocolate Party 50:15

4M ago50:15

50:15

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper⁠ The Sweeper is back for the first episode of 2025 to round up all the world football headlines from over the Christmas and New Year period. Starting in Europe, where Balzers …

1
Interview with the Hand of Pod podcast: Argentine Football as a Foreign Visitor 48:36

4M ago48:36

48:36

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 k…

1
Víkingur’s 13-month season, Vitória’s crazy Kazakh away day & a Career We Go quiz 50:06

4M ago50:06

50:06

Part 1 is all about the drama of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland and Ireland have their first-ever representatives in a European knockout stage, Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes set a new continental away day record, Omonia’s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" coach is sacked & the reserves of English giants Chelsea ru…

1
E113 - Footballing families, Cole Palmer's Panenka test and the 8am kick-off 34:47

4M ago34:47

34:47

In this special Christmas episode – i.e. there is no guest because everyone was busy – magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss Footballing Families, from Hinshelwoods to Carrs via the Hertfordshire Chilavert. Magazine Deputy Editor Ffion Thomas previews WSC issue 449 and Record Breakers brings us a Hartlepudlia…

1
Football and National Identity in Argentina 34:49

4M ago34:49

34:49

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 'siblin…

1
Georgia’s bodyguard cup winners, Danish snowball fights & a smuggled skull in Paraguay 46:47

4M ago46:47

46:47

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Gift a Patreon subscription for Christmas: www.patreon.com/SweeperPod/gift Part 1 is all about the biggest domestic cup shocks and upsets across the globe, starting with Spaeri…

1
The Roots of Argentine Football 27:15

5M ago27:15

27:15

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 his…

1
E112 - Strange scorelines, Leicester's Ice Kings & guest Duncan McKay 55:54

5M ago55:54

55:54

Taking a pause from counting footballs lost in trees, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss Odd-Scoring Matches from six-goal-mad Charlton Athletic to rampant Hartlepools via Cornelius Bibby. Magazine Deputy Editor Ffion Thomas previews WSC issue 448, Record Breakers brings us a Swedish sizzler and we continu…

1
A SAN MARINO PROMOTION, Hispaniola at the Gold Cup & Coupe de France controversy 47:53

5M ago47:53

47:53

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper There was only ever going to be one starting point for our international coverage in Part 1: San Marino’s historic promotion to UEFA Nations League C! But how do we think they …

1
Balkan groundhopping, River Plate’s potent paint & Como’s war on Monza 45:42

5M ago45:42

45:42

In Part 1 of this bonus Patreon episode, which we have released in the absence of a fresh podcast on this occasion, the Sweeper team are joined by Tom Middler and Simon Clark – Lee's co-hosts on his other podcast, 'The Other Bundesliga' – to talk about their groundhopping trip to Slovenia & Croatia. Which UEFA Conference League match did they watch…

1
Montenegro’s mass collapse, Sweden’s perfect runners-up & Auckland’s A-League debut 44:03

6M ago44:03

44:03

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Swe…

1
E110 - The Prison Service derby, Bernd Schuster's strops & guest Phil Ball 1:01:11

6M ago1:01:11

1:01:11

Feasting on biscuits from the Greggs of Seville, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss Strops and Flounces from the Blond Angel to Jesper Blomqvist’s Moyes rebuke. Magazine Deputy Editor Ffion Thomas previews WSC issue 447, Record Breakers brings us a Kenyan classic and we continue our sprightly feature The F…

1
Women and Football Fandom 34:16

6M ago34:16

34:16

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?…

1
Bhutanese monk ultras, a golden era for micro-states & the Southgate of the Solomons 42:50

6M ago42:50

42:50

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to…

1
100 Years of Umbro 29:09

7M ago29:09

29:09

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

1
The Industrial Roots of English Football 34:23

7M ago34:23

34:23

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?By Outside Write

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