West Midlands Football Scene

Following his stunning debut, From Beauty to Duty, Martin da Cruz is back with Uruguay, which examines the small Latin American nation's golden age (1918-30). We look at the two epic Olympic triumphs and the first World Cup. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

My guest is Birmingham-born Hijab Shah, whose PhD explores football and radicalism. We look at the big clubs in the region and explore how demographics have influenced West Midlands football, including its multicultural hooligan scene in the 1980s. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

My guest is George Baker, who's been involved with the FC United of Manchester project since the beginning. We learn about how the club got started as a protest to the Manchester United ownership and how the club has grown since in its own right. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football  

We're discussing Cold War football today with Alan McDougall and Tony Shaw, who have written a book about the Cold War as told through ten matches. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

We kick off the next series of the Football Travel by Outside Write podcast with a visit to Clapton Community Football Club in East London, where the club was playing a like-minded side from the US, New York International. I caught up with Bernard Vere, a member of Clapton CFC and Nick Platt from New York International to discuss their clubs' ethos and find out what it means to be a 'community club'. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

My guest is Jonathan Wilson, whose latest book, The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup is comprehensive overview of the 22 tournaments to date. We major on the first World Cup in Uruguay, the pivotal Italia '90, the 1980s, USA 1994, and why all 21st century World Cups look the same. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football  

Dan Williamson joins me for a fourth time to discuss his latest book, 'If I Hadn't Seen Such Riches', which chronicles Manchester United's 1991 Cup Winners' Cup run. This is the last of the current series. I'll be back in the early summer for a one-off World Cup special episode with Jonathan Wilson. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism

My guests are Derek Watson, who's involved in the ultra scene at Motherwell FC, and Rory Bryce from the Football Heritage podcast. We're discussing the Scottish ultra scene in the wake of a recent three-part BBC documentary on the topic. The podcast I mentioned in the episode on the history of the ultrà movement is here over on Football Heritage. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

My guest is Rob Potts, whose new book, 'A Football Odyssey: Passion, Politics & the Beautiful Game', looks at 80 great stadiums from around the world, their significance, plus groundhopping tips. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football

My guest is James Stephen, whose book 'Auld Foes' chronicles the history of the world's oldest top-flight derby, Heart of Midlothian versus Hibernian in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visit Outside Write on Substack for more groundhopping and football history. Follow Outside Write on social media, on Bluesky and Instagram. If you enjoy Outside Write, do please leave a review. Check out Chris Lee's three books: ·      Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World ·      The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism ·      Shades of Green: A Journey into Irish Football