Lee Wingate and Paul Watson explore the weird and wonderful world of football across FIFA’s 211 member states – and sometimes beyond. Join us once a fortnight as we round up the global football headlines with a touch of geography, politics, history, culture and food, plus a healthy dose of humour. Listen to our next episode on Wednesday 16 October 2024 or join us for a bonus podcast on Patreon on Wednesday 9 October. Sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod.
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You like European football? You too can learn to love the Austrian Bundesliga! British sports reporters Tom Middler, Lee Wingate & Simon Clark are around the grounds in Austria to keep you up to date with all the exciting things going on in the Bundesliga and with the Austrian National Team. Come and join us for the ride with The Other Bundesliga.
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Montenegro’s mass collapse, Sweden’s perfect runners-up & Auckland’s A-League debut
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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…
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Bhutanese monk ultras, a golden era for micro-states & the Southgate of the Solomons
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42:50
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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…
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Assessing the Realism of Rapid's Title Ambitions: The Early Season Report Podcast
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52:51
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Tom, Simon & Lee are back at The Long Hall in Vienna to assess the Bundesliga situation after Matchday 9! Are Rapid's title ambitions realistic? What's causing Salzburg's struggles? SK Sturm search for more success! All that and more... Support Other Bundesliga: https://buymeacoffee.com/otherbundesliga Check out our sister pod The Sweeper: https://…
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Switalian adventures, Welsh routes into Europe & the Vatican on tour
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46:52
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In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speak…
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Turks & Caicos' 14-year-old goalie, Bolivia's altitude advantage & Argentina's gun-wielding chairman
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36:22
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36:22
This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa…
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BONUS POD: SAN MARINO WIN A FOOTBALL MATCH!!!
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Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Along with other content cre…
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Europe for Larne & TNS, Papua NG's breakaway league & Comoros’ wizard-loving boss
46:12
46:12
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Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus th…
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Noah’s unique European run, Djibouti’s power plant club & St. Kitts' three-legged final
46:02
46:02
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46:02
Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shor…
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A Tongan World Cup dream, Greenland’s Disko Island & Olympic sprinter-footballers
44:37
44:37
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44:37
In Part 1, we bring you all the top stories from around the football world: Maikeli Lomu, an American with Tongan heritage, has sold his pottery studio in Utah and relocated to his ancestral homeland in pursuit of a World Cup dream. The 2024 edition of the Greenlandic Football Championship – the shortest season in world football at one week – is ta…
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A victorious Faroese village, 27th time lucky for La Fiorita & North Korea’s ‘Pariah Derby’
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38:49
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38:49
In Part 1, we round up all the latest highlights from the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We talk about two villages of under 1,000 people in the Faroes & San Marino that claimed big European wins, the Slovenian keeper that went on a René Higuita-style dribble against Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and FC Copenhagen’s upcoming trip to face …
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Pub team's European win, a mystery island coaching job & a Sweeper-sponsored team
36:58
36:58
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36:58
Part 1 is dedicated to the best part of the European football calendar: the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We chat about the Gibraltarian pub team that claimed a win in the Conference League, the victorious Polish and Romanian teams in the Europa League and the part-timers from the Faroe Islands excelling in the Champions League. In Part …
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Rooftop viewings in Vanuatu, Zivzivadze’s house-turned-hotel & an Eritrean on the move
33:28
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Part 1 is dedicated to the overachieving underdogs at the continental competitions taking place this summer: Canada at the Copa América, Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup and Georgia at the EUROs. Meanwhile, in Part 2, there is a rare move to a European club for an Eritrean player and an ex-Gibraltar international is jailed for drug dealing. Join us f…
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The UEFA qualifier quiz, the Marshall Islands’ debut & a delayed Cold War friendly
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34:04
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With the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds getting under way this week, it’s time for a full Sweeper preview of the action in Part 1 – in the form of a trivia quiz, of course! Join us and play along in our three rounds – Multiple Choice, Odd One Out & The Right Order – as we look ahead to the Champions, Europa & Conference League qualifiers: …
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Gruppensieger! The EURO 2024 Group Stage Review
58:56
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Tom, Lee & Simon look back at the UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stages, after Austria sensationally topped a group including France, the Netherlands and Poland. What has Ralf Rangnick done right, and how far can this Austria team go? Check out our thoughts from Germany! Support us: buymeacoffee.com/OtherBundesliga…
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OFC Nations Cup chaos, Saint Helena rescue missions & Malaga’s 5am airport welcome
38:27
38:27
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Part 1 kicks off with some stories from around the footballworld. Why were the Solomon Islands locked out of their dressing room at the OFC Nations Cup? How come New Caledonia dramatically pulled out of the tournament? What are the most remote football tournaments in the world in terms of the distance to the closest inhabited land? And which footba…
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Kilts and concerts at EURO 2024, a university upset in Japan & an Icelandic village dream
37:56
37:56
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The European Championships are in full swing not only on the pitch but off it too. In Part 1, we pick out three themes from the opening stages of the tournament in Germany that have made us laugh: food wars, culture craziness & online polls/searches. Tune in to find out which country at EURO 2024 has the best national dish, who is empirically speak…
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The EURO 2024 coffee dealer, San Marino’s water slide away day & North Korea’s secret score
43:00
43:00
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43:00
EURO 2024 is just around the corner and we have put the tournament under the spotlight in typically Sweeper style in Part 1. How did Austria’s Maximilian Entrup go from a third-tier amateur/PE teacher to a place at EURO 2024 in the space of a year? Does Georgia’s Budu Zivzivadze harbour any regrets about choosing football over chess? Who is the onl…
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Quirky football stadia, the Corsica Cup & the Turkmen team that always wins
37:33
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Part 1 contains an international round-up of European minnows inside and outside of UEFA. In which version of football has Gibraltar become a European champion? Why has Corsica recently hosted their counterparts from Sardinia, Sicily & St. Martin? Will we watch San Marino vs. Slovakia from the top of a water slide? And which football stadium stradd…
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SK Sturm end Salzburg's Series and do the Double: The End of Season Pod
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Tom Middler & Lee Wingate are at The Long Hall to talk all about SK Sturm's title triumph on the final day of the Other Bundesliga season! How Sturm sealed it, what went wrong at Salzburg, your questions about the league and much more! Our sister podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1E9iAqmhrn1xOKz8G5V4BW?si=PShS0swuS7KsPwOiPrSvPQ Support the …
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Campsites in Luxembourg, proposals in Albania & free sausages in Finland
44:48
44:48
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Part 1 brings you a full round-up of all the news from the Benelux countries. What controversial actions recently earned a Dutch referee a lifelong ban from football? Why are two storied Belgian clubs facing an existential threat? And what strange series of events could lead to European football being played on a Luxembourgish campsite this summer?…
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An expedition in Kyrgyzstan, Romania’s twin identity saga & Sweden’s toilet goal
35:08
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35:08
Part 1 of the latest Sweeper sees Lee & Paul profile three clubs from around the football world: Italians Como, Australia’s Central Coast Mariners & Petrocub of Moldova. Join us to find out where Italy’s richest club might be playing their Serie A home games next term, why the Central Coast Mariners have flown 100,000km in economy class this season…
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Spain’s tiniest football town, North Sea pizza planes & a Dutch double invasion
31:37
31:37
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Is this the best-ever Sweeper line-up? In Part 1, Lee & Paul discuss stories from the lower tiers in Spain, Germany & the Netherlands. How has a team from a Spanish villageof 100 people gained promotion? What are the smallest European settlements with a football team? Why did a German footballer hire a plane for a derby on a neighbouring island? An…
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Sturm's "Half-Double", Salzburg's Slip, and a Response from Rapid: The Cup Final Podcast
55:50
55:50
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Tom Middler and Lee Wingate are at the Long Hall to discuss all the football-related goings on in Austria's ÖFB Cup Final, plus the business end of the Austrian Bundesliga season, as SK Sturm Graz and Red Bull Salzburg tussle for the title. Part 1: Sturm's second-straight ÖFB Cup Final, after they saw off SK Rapid 2-1 with a bit of controversy in K…
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The Valletta funeral parade, Al Ahly’s unique feat & dark arts in Chechnya
37:34
37:34
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37:34
Having just visited Malta and witnessed an historic weekend of football, Lee tells Paul all about the key events in Europe’s only island micro-state in Part 1. Who came out on top in the title-decider between Ħamrun Spartans & Floriana? Why do Valletta hold a funeral parade through the streets when they win the league? How has the island reacted to…
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Algerian airport anger, a 560km voyage to Mauritius & a Transylvanian cup run
35:01
35:01
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35:01
Part 1 is all about Africa, where a kit controversy has escalated into a geopolitical dispute between Algeria & Morocco ahead of the CAF Confederations Cup semi-final between USM Alger & RS Berkane. Elsewhere on the continent, Rising FC from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean have made the long voyage to mainland Mauritius to take part in the cup…
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The fabulous Fenix Trophy, Nordic nonsense & Liechtenstein’s quirky cup
40:49
40:49
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40:49
The latest Sweeper starts off in windy Wales with our visit to the game between Llantwit Major & Enfield Town in the Fenix Trophy and a wider look at the tournament regarded as the Champions League of non league. Then we're off to Scandinavia for some goalkeeper heroics, cupsets & geographical extremes, before finishing Part 1 in little Liechtenste…
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Struber Sacked by Salzburg, Sturm Close In, & Sageder Stood Down: The Matchday 26 Podcast
43:06
43:06
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43:06
Tom Middler & Lee Wingate are at The Long Hall again to look back on an extraordinary Bundesliga weekend! Salzburg sack Struber, Sturm pull back points, LASK lose Sageder and claim a big win, plus Leverkusen break the FC Bayern monopoly, and what can that do for Salzburg's Austrian title rivals? Support the pod: www.buymeacoffee.com/OtherBundesliga…
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Copa Chile charm, Peruvian player names & a transfer to Tanzania
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35:51
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This episode of The Sweeper begins with a focus on South American domestic cup competitions. We hear about the Juan Fernández Islands – 670km off the coast of Chile – taking part in the Copa Chile as a special invitee and the unusual journey opponents Santiago Wanderers must take to reach them. Up next is Ecuador’s non-existent cup competition and …
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Contrasting Cup Semis and a Busy Week in the Bundesliga: The Matchday 25 Podcast
1:02:21
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Tom Middler and Lee Wingate are at the home of the podcast, The Long Hall, to talk about the ÖFB Cup Semi-Finals and the latest Austrian Bundesliga football action. Sturm lose then gain ground on Salzburg in the league, Rapid are back in the Cup Final, Leoben have some wild ambitions, and Poland join Austria at UEFA EURO 2024. Support the pod: buym…
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North Korean no-show, Georgian jubilation & glorious groundhopping
40:17
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40:17
First up on this episode of The Sweeper, we delve deeper into North Korea’s mysterious cancellation of their World Cup qualifier against Japan and look back at memorable moments in the hermit kingdom’s football history. Then we’re off to Georgia to hear about the nation’s maiden qualification for a major tournament, before we chat through Austria's…
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San Marino’s 20 years of hurt, Austria’s six-second goal & Burrito Brava joy
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34:44
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34:44
Fresh from his trip to San Marino, Paul reflects on the attempt by FIFA’s lowest ranked country to break a 20-year winless streak against Saint Kitts & Nevis, before Lee rounds up the other international news - from the Basque Country's draw with Uruguay to the 'End of the Alphabet Derby - and Producer Tom chips in with a live report as Austria bre…
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The 'Virgin Derby', Basque aspirations & a record return in Romania
43:22
43:22
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43:22
This episode of The Sweeper begins by looking at the Virgin Derby between the British Virgin Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands in 2026 World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, a non-FIFA team, the Basque Country face Uruguay and may harbour UEFA aspirations. The Danish Superligaen strikes a huge blow to the European Super League, which might now be forced…
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The American (Samoan) Dream, a Scilly showdown & Swedish kayak smugglers
41:17
41:17
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41:17
The latest episode of The Sweeper kicks off with a tour of Oceania and the incredible story of two French journalists with an American (Samoan) Dream, before moving on to Pacific neighbours Micronesia & Nauru and their new coaches. David Johnson & Charlie Pomroy, who both partly credit the pod for their appointments, have sent us voice notes from t…
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Top Six Sorted, and Austria Fall Short: The Matchday 22 Podcast
36:53
36:53
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Tom Middler and Simon Clark meet to discuss the end of the regular football season in the ADMIRAL Austrian Bundesliga. We look at where each club lies ahead of the final 10 rounds of this campaign, with a relegation battle brewing, and Salzburg and Sturm fighting for first. Support us: www.buymeacoffee.com/OtherBundesliga…
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Tifos & ultras in Prague, Croatian VAR controversy & Argentina's park derby
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41:09
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41:09
On this episode of The Sweeper, we discuss our trip to Prague along with Patreon competition winner Joe McTaggart to watch the derby between Slavia and Sparta in the Czech Cup and enjoy a 24-hour whirlwind of Ultra-brewed beer, pyro and tifos. VAR controversies have rocked Croatia, where the head of referees Bruno Maric has resigned, derbies both r…
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Dating app dismissals, CONIFA anthem anxiety & a Sunday service with the Queen
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33:34
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33:34
The Premier League and the rest of Europe’s top five divisions totally dominate the football headlines, but have you ever wondered what other interesting news and stories the rest of European football and world football have to offer? If so, The Sweeper is the football podcast for you! On this episode, Turkish footballer Emirhan Delibaş is sacked b…
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Derby Delight for SK Rapid as Sturm Soar in Europe: The Matchday 20 Podcast
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42:25
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42:25
Tom & Lee look back on the 342nd Vienna Derby from Hütteldorf, as Rapid took a big step towards the top six of the ADMIRAL Austrian Bundesliga. Simon is in the studio too, as the Other Bundesliga team discuss Lustenau's first win, and all the rest of Austrian football in 2024. Support us: www.buymeacoffee.com/otherbundesliga…
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San Marino setbacks, the new FIFA Series & a Football Manager nerd in Iceland
30:36
30:36
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30:36
We kick off the podcast by announcing the news that we have moved to a shorter weekly format with a longer third segment available to patrons only. Then we’re straight to the familiar backdrop of San Marino and lowest ranked national football team in the world’s loss of two goalkeepers in two days. We then analyse San Marino’s chances of breaking t…
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High-speed car chases, Anguillan adventures & a German giant in decline
52:26
52:26
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52:26
Part 1 of this Sweeper podcast kicks off with an alternative look at the transfer window and Arturo Vidal’s dramatic helicopter & horseback unveiling at Colo Colo, before moving onto some of the best, worst & oddest transfer announcements in history. Continuing the transfer theme, we hear about a strange signing by Vilaverdense in Portugal's second…
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Dodgy Pitches & Deni's Dream Draws: The ÖFB Cup Quarter-Final Review
51:15
51:15
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51:15
Tom Middler & Anna Konovalova look back on the four ÖFB Cup Quarter Finals, before reflecting on the transfer window in Austria and looking ahead to the upcoming Bundesliga openers! You can nominate the pod here: https://oe3.orf.at/podcastaward/stories/3038638/ And you can buy us a beer here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/otherbundesliga…
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Derby day in Madeira, AFCON’s unlikely heroes and a crisis in Cambodia
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48:44
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48:44
The opening segment of this Sweeper episode is all about our first trip of 2024 - to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where we took in the derby between local teams Marítimo and Nacional. We also delve a little bit deeper into the unique football culture on the island with the help of some supporters and try to answer the big question that has bee…
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Azeri cakes & coaches, football’s final frontier in the Pacific & the Livonian League
51:06
51:06
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51:06
The first Sweeper episode of 2024 kicks off with some Azerbaijan anecdotes in Part 1. We discuss Adrian Mutu’s harsh sacking and some tasty treats from Turan Tovuz. From Mutu we switch to another ex-Premier League player in Pascal Chimbonda and his antics in charge of ninth-tier English side Skelmersdale. Finally, we talk about the Vatican City whe…
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We cast our eyes back over the last 12 months in Austrian football. We select (with the help of some polls) our favourite players and best moments from 2023, as we look ahead into 2024. Thanks for being with us this year!
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Robinhood’s Caribbean double, Pontypridd’s 141-point deduction & a Herculean effort against Ajax
52:54
52:54
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The final Sweeper episode of 2023 starts off with a look at continental competitions across the world in Part 1. We talk about the CONCACAF Champions Cup with its incredible away trips and interesting array of clubs – from Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to Robinhood of Suriname, who have won a Caribbean double this year – and the AFC Champions League, …
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The Belgian Cup arcade claw draw, Turkmenistan’s debutant champions & the Botafogo bottle job in Brazil
51:24
51:24
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51:24
Download Momento: acmomento.onelink.me/ckkf/SweeperPod Once we found out that the draw for the Belgian Cup quarter-finals was conducted using a former footballer and an arcade claw machine, there was nowhere else we were going to start this episode. But domestic cup competitions across Europe have produced plenty of other notable stories over the p…
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Austria Find Out EURO 2024 Foes: The Matchday 16 Podcast
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38:43
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Tom Middler & Lee Wingate meet to discuss Austria's EURO 2024 Group Stage draw and look back upon a one-sided home win against Germany. We also take listener questions, and round up the Austrian Bundesliga action from a snow-covered weekend. Presented with: AustrianFood.co.uk (Code: OtherBundesliga)
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The magic of the Coupe de France, Colo Colo’s trip to Easter Island & Spain's Mascot Olympics
53:13
53:13
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53:13
With overseas territories from all over the world taking part, the Coupe de France is one of the world’s most intriguing domestic football competitions. But who funds it? How do they decide who plays home and away? And could an overseas side play in a UEFA competition if they won the tournament. In Part 1, co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson answe…
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Frantic season finales in Scandinavia, the Te Runga Games in Kiribati & the sad story of Raphael Dwamena
51:10
51:10
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The Nordic nations served up tension, drama and excitement in abundance at the weekend as several titles were decided by the narrowest of margins. The Swedish men’s and women’s titles came down to goal difference, as did a bonkers goal-laden battle for promotion in the Norwegian third tier. That got co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson racking thei…
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Linz is Blue & White plus Sallinger & Schlager Save their Sides: The Matchday 14 Podcast
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56:07
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56:07
Lee & Tom look at Matchday 14 of the Austrian Football Bundesliga, which saw Blau-Weiß win the bragging rights of Linz with a superb display, Hartberg somehow defeating inefficient Rapid, and Alex Schlager saving Salzburg's away record. Presented with: AustrianFood.co.uk
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Sturm Lose to LASK, Burgstaller's Beauty and Entrup Scores Again: The Matchday 13 Podcast
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46:54
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Tom Middler & Simon Clark provide a detailed look at what's going on in both the Austrian Football Bundesliga and the ÖFB Cup, with exciting games all round and a cracking Cup QF draw to boot! In partnership with: AustrianFood.co.uk
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