Explore every episode of the podcast Football Travel by Outside Write

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.

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 know.

My guest is Derek Air, whose book 'Land of the Giants' explores Subbuteo culture. We're talking ahead of the Subbuteo World Cup 2024, hosted in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, where the game was invented. 

Everton is one of the grand old names of English football. Founder members of both the Football League (1888) and the Premier League (1992), Everton have the second-longest run in the top-flight of English football after Arsenal, with seven decades without a relegation - although they have come close. 

I discuss Everton's history with author Rob Sawyer and the club's legacy in South America with Jimmy Milner from The Ruleteros Society, focussing on the friendship between Everton in England and their namesake in Chile, Everton de Viña del Mar.

I'm joined by Claus Bermann, whose company Rome Derby organises match tickets and tours for groundhoppers visiting the Italian capital to watch AS Roma and SS Lazio matches, or meetings between the two - the 'Derby della Capitale' (the Derby of the Capital).

I am joined by Christopher Evans, author of 'Los Leones', a book on the history of Athletic Club de Bilbao. We're looking at the Basque Derby - Athletic Club v Real Sociedad. It's an iconic derby wrapped up in fierce Basque identity.

My guest is Ceylon Andi Hickman, director of the charity Football Beyond Borders (FBB). We're discussing how football is making a positive change to young people's lives, especially in their education. The charity has worked with footballers, including Marcus Rashford and Chris Smalling, and is proven to help children do well at school. Ceylon is also a centre-half for Dulwich Hamlet Women, so we also discuss the progressive culture around the South London club. They have been promoted since the time of recording, so congratulations to them.

My guest is Marius Helgå as we discuss groundhopping in Norway. It's Western Europe's longest country at 1,750km with clubs stretching from the south right up to the Arctic Circle. We discuss some big names like Vålerenga, Lyn, Odds, Viking, and Bergen, plus some smaller clubs and the national side. We also look at Norwegian fan culture and its influences, cheifly drawn from England and Germany.

My guest is Aidan Williams, whose new book 'Euro 1984: The Greatest Tournament You Never Saw'.

Back when the Euros was a proper elite eight-team tournament, France provided a sublime and dramatic tournament spearheaded by Michel Platini, who bagged nine goals in just five games as France won its first major tournament.

My guest is Ben Jackson, whose book The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament came out in time for the 2024 edition of AFCON. We look back at the tournament's roots, its key moments and players, plus where does it go from here?

My guest is Roberto Pennino, whose book 'Immortal Torino' covers the story of 'Il Grande Torino' - the Great Torino FC side that dominated Italian football in the 1940s. Tragically, the team and coaching staff all died as their plane descended into Turin on the way home from a friendly match in Lisbon against Benfica, crashing into the Basilica di Superga. 

My guest is Phil Harrison, whose debut book explores football in Europe's last communist state, Albania. It's a fascinated story of football in a secretive and isolated country.

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 'sibling rivalry' with Uruguay and how that differs from Argentina's clashes with Brazil. We look back at 'La Nuestra' ('Our Thing'), and the clashing styles of Cesar Menotti and Carlos Bilardo, both World Cup winning coaches. 

Also, what does the 2022 World Cup win say about Argentina today?

My guest is Ruben Clark (RM Clark), whose new book Winner Stays On covers his travels around England following clubs through every round of the FA Cup, trailing the winner of matches into the next round all the way up to the final. It's a fascinating insight into the English regions and the football pyramid.

My guest is Miguel Lourenço Pereira, who's written a number of football books, but his latest is his first in English, Bring Me That Horizon. It's all about getting to know Portugal through its football. We discuss Portugal's footballing roots and history under the long Salazar dictatorship and the role of football in its demise. We discuss the great players, like Eusébio and other stars from the African colonies, the great 'Golden Generation' Portuguese side of the 1990s and early 2000s, the Big Three, groundhopping, and more...

My guest is Peter Cinnamond from the Kicking Match podcast, which covers the Irish League/NIFL. We discuss groundhopping in Northern Ireland, covering famous clubs like Linfield and Glentoran, as well as some of the many great grounds that groundhoppers can discover in Belfast and beyond. We also look at some of the political history of the Irish League, which led to the loss of Belfast Celtic and Derry City.

After a successful 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, what does the future hold for women's football? My guest is journalist and author Carrie Dunn, who discusses some of the topics she raises in her latest book 'Woman Up: Pitches, Pay and Periods. The Progress and Potential of Women's Football'

My guest is Stephen C. Brandt, whose latest book explores the history of one of Brazil's most famous clubs, Flamengo. We discuss the history of the carioca club from its roots at a rowing team's footballing branch up to Copa Libertadores champions.

My guest is Matt Riley, who spent several years in Thailand exploring its football. He has chronicled the Thai game in his new book, 'Thai Football Tales: A Beautiful Madness'. His stories are quite something, give it a spin...

My guest for his third appearance is Daniel Williamson as he discusses his new book on Ronaldo Nazário - the original Ronaldo for people of a certain age... We look at his career from his teen breakthrough in Brazil through to his moves to PSV, Barça, Inter, Madrid, Milan and, of course, his international career.

My guest is Alex Ireland to discuss his book 'Pretty Poly: The History of the Football Shirt'. We cover everything from the origins of football shirts, to the emergence of numbering, sponsors' logos, new technologies and the retro appeal of football shirts.

My guest is Harry Robinson, author of 'The Men Who Made Manchester United: The Untold Story'. We're looking at the foundation of the club in a railway yard in Newton Heath through to the handover to Matt Busby in 1945. The club came very close to collapse on several occasions. It's a fascinating listen, even if you don't support Manchester United.

Londres es la casa del fútbol; aquí se formaron los leyes originales en 1863 y la ciudad contiene algunos de los nombres más famosas y historicos en el deporte. En este episodio, introduzco los clubes de Londres, sus historias en breve, sus culturas y zonas, hinchas y más.

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 historian at Quilmes Atlético Club, the oldest club in Argentina that is still playing.

My guest is Conor Curran, author of Soccer and Society in Dublin: A History of Association Football in Ireland's Capital. We discuss a wide range of topics, from why Dublin lagged way behind Belfast in soccer development, conflict with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the challenges faced by the women's game, and more...

I am joined by Kevin Pogorzelski, who travelled the world to experience some of the world's top derbies for his new book 'Divided Cities'. From Genoa to Glasgow, Buenos Aires to Budapest, Kevin talks about his experiences...

En mi segundo episidio en castellano, exploramos la relación histórica entre el fútbol y la política.

My guest is Dr Michael Connolly from the University of Stirling in Scotland. His book, Walfrid: A Life of Faith, Community and Football, is a biography of the Celtic FC founder, Brother Walfrid.

Bienvenidos a mi primer podcast en español. Vamos a ver como empezó el fútbol, desde los campos de las escuelas de Inglaterra hasta el consenso de reglas del Football Association en 1863. También, hablo sobre como el juego se convirtió a ser el juego del clase obrador y como se transporta a cada rincón del mundo...

My guest is Chris Etchingham, whose first book looks at football's role in the breakup of Yugoslavia. We discuss the role of ethnicity before and after the breakup of the nation, including its impact in the Balkan diaspora, particularly in Australia.

My guest is Dr Mark Orton, whose new book 'El Más Grande' (The Greatest) charts the rich history of Argentinean club, River Plate 

On 30 May, I delivered a talk at Dulwich Hamlet FC in South London in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton's Football and War Network and Stanchion Books. My topic was the long history of football's relationship with politics. When does it first get political? Who was the first to successfully exploit the sport for propaganda? What role has football played in bringing down dictatorships? Have a listen...

I am joined by Bess Dawson and Alan McDougall, who are two of a group of contributors on a new book that explores the role of football in German society.

England v Hungary in November 1953 was billed as the 'Match of the Century' - why is this match so significant in both England and Hungary? Matt Clough has written a book about the match and joins me to discuss.

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?

I am joined by Alex Pratchett, one half of No Score Draws, famous for their fantastic characatures of footballer, coaches, and others. What makes a great 'drawable' footballer and what has the feedback been?

Graeme Brown joins me to discuss the 150th anniversary of the world's first official international Association football match - Scotland v England, 30 November 1872, at the West of Scotland Cricket Club. What was the role of Queen's Park in setting the template for how we watch football today?

I welcome back Dr Pete Watson to discuss his new book on the role that football has played in Colombian society.

Martin da Cruz joins me to discuss his new book on how football got started in Uruguay. How did such a tiny country like Uruguay come to dominate world football in the 1920s?

I am joined by Rhys Richards, whose debut book explores the stories behind the controversial 1978 World Cup in Argentina. 

I welcome back Kirsten Schlewitz to discuss her upcoming book on the history of SSC Napoli. The book is titled 'More than Maradona', but yes, we spend quite a bit of time on him...but we also look at the entire history of the club, including groundhopping tips on how to catch a game in Naples.

My new book 'The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism' is out on 10 Oct. In this launch episode, I am interviewed by journalist James Hendicott about the book. We discuss the legacy of Mussolini, football against the dictatorships of Franco and Salazar, resistance fighters in World War II, modern progressive movements and much more...

My guest is Kit Holden whose new book covers the complex history and recent rise of 1. FC Union Berlin. This fascinating club from Berlin's southeastern suburbs has something of a cult following and is now enjoying regular European football. How? Find out here...

My guest is Chris Foley, author of a new book on the impact British and Irish coaches have made on Asian football. From Cambodia to Pohnpei, there are some incredible stories...

I am joined by James Kelly, author of a new book charting the history of Belgian football. We look over some of the country's 'golden generations' that nearly managed to take home silverware, while also exploring the domestic scene.

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

I welcome Aidan Williams back onto the show to discuss his new book on the greatest sides never to have won the World Cup. We've covered Brazil '82 and the Dutch sides of the '70s before, so we major on Hungary '54, Italy '90 and some lesser-discussed sides.

This extended version of the football travel podcast is a collaboration with the Borussia Dortmund London Fan Club Podcast and we're discussing the critical topic of sustainability in football.

From clubs to fans to football authorities, what can we all do to make the sport more environmentally friendly? The debate features:

- Benjamin McFadyean, host of the Borussia Dortmund London Fan Club Podcast and a football academic at the University of East Anglia

- Moritz Eckhert from Guterfussball.club

- Katie Cross from Pledgeball

I welcome Daniel Williamson back onto the podcast to discuss his second book on the Intercontinental Cup, which pitted the club champions of Europe and South America against each other from the 1960s until the early 2000s. This tournament was never far from controversy...

My guest is Michael Cox, author of The Mixer and Zonal Marking, and journalist with The Athletic. We're discussing the recent history of football tactics and also modern football journalism.