The Football Heritage Podcast

109. C.D. ÁguilaWe're joined by Steven Torres and journalist Rodrigo Arias to talk about the history, heritage and identity of one of El Salvador's biggest football clubs - C.D. Águila.Founded in 1926, C.D. Águila became the representative football club of eastern El Salvador and the people who call that region home.We cover the founding of the club, their golden era when they won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and the impact conflict has had on football in El Salvador.About UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHSubscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an additional podcast every Thursday.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout Our GuestsSteven TorresSteven is a founding member and the first elected president of ANCCIF – Asociación Norte, Centroamericana y del Caribe de Investigadores de Fútbol (Association of North, Central America and the Caribbean of Football Investigators). He is a highly respected sports public relations and media operations consultant with more than 30 years of experience in the global game.Rodrigo AriasA native of El Salvador, Rodrigo graduated with a degree in journalism from UCA University and began working in journalism in 1999. He worked for La Prensa Gráfica and El Gráfico while on television, working for Channels 12, 21, and33. In the United States, he worked as a sports producer for Telemundo between 2013 and 2018. He won two Grammy Awards as a sports producer for Telemundo. Since 2019, Rodrigo has been the sports editor at El Gráfico, and is also part of El Gráfico TV.'Fifty Years Ago: CD Águila Captures Its First International Title' by Rodrigo Ariashttps://www.anccif.org/articles-articulos/articles-english/2026/march/cd-%C3%A1guila-captures-76-champions-cup

108. Nairn CountyWe're joined by Board Member Michael Bochel and Director of Football Graeme Macleod to talk about Nairn County FC, one of the most exciting clubs in Scottish football.Founded in 1909, Nairn County have been a staple of Highland League football since they entered in 1914, winning it once in 1975-76.The club are central to the idyllic town of Nairn, situated next to the Moray Firth, and have recently made headlines with their unique kit designs and community outreach initatives, showing their commitment to representing the town and people of Nairnshire.About UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHSubscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an additional podcast every Thursday.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout Our GuestsMichael BochelMichael has looked after the communications, marketing andmerchandise for Nairn County for the last five years. In his day job, he is Head of Marketing and Partnerships for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and creator of the Scottish Football Kick-Off. Prior to this he was Head of Digital at the Scottish FA.Subscribe to the Scottish Football Kick-Off here:https://www.scottishfootballkickoff.co.uk/Graeme MacleodGraeme has been a fan, youth player and is now Director ofFootball at Nairn County, a love affair with the club that has spanned several decades. He is also the de facto club historian, and co-author of Nairn’s 100 Years in the Highland League history book.

107. Narcoball: Football in Pablo Escobar's ColombiaWe're joined by author David Arrowsmith to talk about the history of football in Pablo Escobar's Colombia - an era known as Narcoball.Throughout his life, Pablo Escobar had a deep love for football, especially the team he supported, Atlético Nacional. However, he also knew the power that it could bring him, and at his peak as a Narco-terrorist, he used football as a means to launder his dirty money.We discuss the defining events of the Narcoball era, as well as the legacy of Narco-terrorist involvement in Colombian football.About UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHSubscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an additional podcast every Thursday.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout Our GuestDavid ArrowsmithDavid is an author who’s writing focuses on the intersectionof organised crime, politics and football in South America. His first book, Narcoball, put the spotlight on football in Pablo Escobar’s Colombia, while his upcoming book,Killing Maradona, tells the dark story of Maradona’s relationship with criminals, cartels and cocaine.Author Profile:https://www.theportobellobookshop.com/contributed-by/david-arrowsmith?srsltid=AfmBOootT5vWlj-xzKcgucBdPUXHw_Gfy3qZTMnxXtzei3ldozdOZu81

106. Utah, Soccer and the Third ReichWe're joined by Brock Mildon to talk about the history of organised soccer in Utah and its origins in Nazi Germany.A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Helmuth Hübener, was active in the resistance against the Nazi's in Hamburg, and became the youngest person executed for being a member of the resistance against Nazism.Arthur Zander was the bishop of Hübener's congregation. He was a polarising figure who publicly opposed Hübener's resistance.Zander eventually fled to Utah, where he set about creating a soccer infrastructure which still lasts today.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestAbout Our GuestBrock MildonBrock Mildon is an all-around football enthusiast from Syracuse, Utah. He received a BA in German Studies with an emphasis in Culture, Literature, and History from Brigham Young University. Brock currently works as director of Administration and Operations for a local football club in Utah.

105. The Arsenal Women's ArchiveWe're joined by Adam Salter, founder and curator of the Arsenal Women's Archive, to cover the history of England's most successful women's club and the efforts he makes to ensure the history of the club is preserved.Creating archives of women's football has always been difficult due to the ban on women playing football which existed for 50 years. In many ways, Adam and other archivists of women's football have to rely on the community to come forward with information when they can't find it themselves..Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestAdam SalterAdam Salter is the founder and curator of the Arsenal Women's Archive, and an ardent follower of women's football in England. His passion is archiving the history of Arsenal women and making it accessible at the point of use.

104. Football TouristsWe're joined by Hijab Shah, a PhD student from the University of St. Andrews, to talk about the 'issue' of 'football tourists' and the connotations behind using those two words.Though it may seem and be innocent, anger often directed at so-called 'football tourists' is a facade for racism and xenophobia.We unpack all the issues surrounding problematic terminology such as this and how it is impacted by the erosion of our connection to our football clubs. We do this through the lens of Hijab's experiences of supporting Manchester United while growing up in Pakistan.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestHijab ShahHijab Shah is a PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews, studying the role of sports in radicalisation and counter-radicalisation. Although her current academic interests lie in the intersection of sport and politics, Hijab has over a decade’s experience as a defence research analyst in the academic, think tank, and the multinational sectors. She is a diehard Aston Villa fan.

103. Fan Culture in JapanWe're joined by freelance journalist Dan Orlowitz and Yokohama F. Marinos stalwart Stuart Woodward to talk about the vibrant, passionate and unique supporter culture in Japan.Outside of watching Japan supporters at the World Cup, football fans in Europe and elsewhere have likely saw little of the fervent football culture sweeping Japan.We take a whiste stop tour around Japanese fan groups, supporter culture from the J1 League to University clubs, and the modern history of football in Japan.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestsDan OrlowitzDan is a freelance journalist who has written about Japanese football for more than 15 years. He has covered a number of major international sporting events including the 2019 Rugby World Cup, 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.Stuart WoodwardStuart is a veteran groundhopper based in Japan. He is a fervent supporter of Yokohama F. Marinos and FC Ryukyu. He is also involved in organising the Tokyo Celtic Supporters' Club.

102. Saving the AcciesWe're joined by Rob Edwards, founder and CEO of Morley Sports Management and the new owner of Hamilton Academical Football Club.Hamilton Accies and their supporters have been through the ringer over the last few years. The way the club was ran by the previous ownership groups was amateurish, and little infrastructure was put in place to show that the club was in any way modern.Last year, Hamilton Accies made the decision to move away from Hamilton and instead play in Broadwood, a stadium in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. With tensions increasing with supporters' and an owner who was becoming aggressively hostile towards the existense of the club, it was announced that Hamilton were hours away from liquidation.Rob and MSM stepped in officially in January 2026, but it's been far from smooth sailing, and the existence of Hamilton Accies still very much hangs in the balance.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestRob EdwardsRob Edwards is the head of Morley Sports Management, who specialise in full ownership and consultancy projects. They have previously worked with Chelsea, Fulham and AS Roma, while they also own Haverfordwest County in Wales.

101. Ultras: A HistoryIn this podcast, we're joined by Chris Lee from Outside Write and Alex Wilson, a Board Member of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Trust, to talk about the past, present and future of Ultras and the culture surrounding them.From the origin of fanatic supporters to the alternative organised fan movements we see today, Ultras culture is a fluid and evolving phenomenon which surrounds our game.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestsChris LeeChris Lee is a football historian, author, and podcaster. He runs a podcast and Substack called Outside Write, which explores football’s off-field stories, including history, politics, culture, and groundhopping.He has also published three books, which you can purchase at the link below.https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop?combine=chris%20lee&category=AllAlex WilsonAlex is a Board Member of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Trust and an active member of their supporters' movements. He can often be found hauling a drum around at Dulwich Hamlet and co-ordinating fan chants and activities.

100. Inside Hibs: Heritage and BrandWe're back with our first podcast of 2026.More importantly, we're back with our 100th podcast episode. We're so happy we've made it this far, and we're equally as grateful for the support and love our listeners have shown us.This podcast is for you.On our 100th podcast episode, we're joined by Edd Norval alongside Greg McEwan, former Commercial Director and interim CEO of Hibernian Football Club.We pull on Greg's experience and talk about how heritage and club identity can be used in brand and marketing campaigns to strengthen the connection we feel with our football clubs.We talk about everything from commercial deals and sponsorship to kit design and advertising.It's always a pleasure being able to speak with people who have worked at the highest level of the game. We hope you all get as much out of this podcast as we did.Thank you as always for your constant support. Here's to our next 100 podcasts!Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestsEdd NorvalEdd is a creative director and brand strategist who has worked across the world on award-winning projects with brands ranging from Hennessey to Hibernian Football Club.Greg McEwanGreg is the founder of McEwan Marketing Group and has over 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industry. He has previously worked for Lead, The R&A, The University of Edinburgh and Hibernian Football Club.

99. The Kernow Football AllianceFor our last podcast of 2025, we're joined by co-founder of the Kernow Football Alliance, Jason Heaton.Like other Celtic Nations who have formed national teams, Kernow are the representative national team of Cornwall.Sadly though, unlike Alba, Ellan Vannin or other language-centred nations, Kernow aren't able to use their language as a central philosophy to their football.Instead, they choose to do their talking on the pitch to give Cornish people empowerment, inspiration and to raise awareness of Cornish culture and language throughout the world.Our podcast will return on 9 February 2026. We would like to thank all of the guests, supporters and listeners who have played a part in making the podcast so brilliant in 2025.We've got lots planned for 2026. See you all then.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestThe Kernow Football Alliancehttps://kernowfa.co.uk/

98. More Than A ShirtWe're joined by author and journalist Joey D'Urso to talk about the relationship between football kits, power, marketing and geopolitics through the lens of his recently published book.With huge commercial value and unlimited marketing opportunities, football kits have become the most popular way for brands to gain exposure to new audiences and demographics.But football kits often become central to other issues surrounding money and power, and sometimes not all is as it seems.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestJoey D'Urso@josephmdurso'More Than A Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power'https://stanchionbooks.com/products/more-than-a-shirt-how-football-shirts-explain-global-politics-money-and-power

97. União da MadeiraWe're joined by Director of Football André Encarnacao to talk about the life of phoenix club União da Bola Futebol Clube following the demise of their predecessor in 2021, C.F. União.Though both clubs are different in name and philosophy, the culture, legacy and heritage of C.F. União is felt through the continuation of União da Madeira - a name used to refer to any iteration of União in a sporting sense.Our discussion with André covers the history, culture and identity of both clubs as well as the unique identity of Madeira and it's place within Portuguese football.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestAndré Encarnacaohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/randreencarnacao/

96. Football in Upper SilesiaWe're joined by PhD researcher Tomasz Kosiński to talk about the history and culture of football in Upper Silesia, a diverse cultural region with its own unique identity and language.Spread across modern day Poland but historically also split between Germany and Czechoslovakia, Upper Silesia (and Silesia more generally) has always culturally stood on its own.These different identities and the mixture of cultures, beliefs and values often manifest themselves on the football terraces of Upper Silesia.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestTomasz Kosińskitomasz_k89

95. Charlie NicholasWe're joined once again by Colin Whelan to cover another player from his Super Squad series.This time, we choose to focus on the life and career of Charlie Nicholas - aka Champagne Charlie.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestColin Whelan@ColinWhelan63Super Squad: The 60s and 70s Greats Who Transformed English Footballhttps://troubador.co.uk/bookshop/sport-hobbies/super-squad

94. U.S. Clubs at the Champions CupWe're joined once again by Steven Torres, president of ANCCIF, to talk about his latest project - piecing together the scattered history of the U.S. representative clubs who competed at the Champions Cup before 1990.The Champions Cup is the equivalent of the Champions League for CONCACAF. But, unlike UEFA's premier competition, the early history of the competition is incomplete and lacking in key details.Steven recently published a document accounting for some of these knowledge gaps, and addresses the lack of information by investigating and discovering it himself.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestSteven Torres@Steve1TAsociación Norte, Centroamericana y del Caribe de Investigadores del Fútbol (ANCCIF)@ANCCIF_oficial

93. Displaying Fan IdentitiesWe're joined by Stijn van Gerrevink, a recent MA graduate who's research centres around museums, football kits and displaying fan identity.We cover themes like club sanctioned heritage v fan-led heritage, who the true owners of supporter identity are and how they can promote it more, and the different ways that we, as football fans, show our identities on the terraces.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestStijn van Gerrevinkhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stijn-van-gerrevink-a34a66151/

92. Fan Friendships, Fan IdentitiesWe're joined by Bundesliga journalist, author and founder of the Dortmund Fan Club London Ben McFadyean to discuss fan friendships and how this plays into fan identity.Most fan friendships are the alliances we see formed by different ultras groups. But fan friendships in football extend well beyond our most zealous fans, and the connections we make with each other are often underappreciated.However, each connections has its reason, and those reasons are tied to our identities as football fans.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestBen McFadyean is a football journalist, fan activist, translator, and writer with a specialized focus on German football, particularly the Bundesliga. He is also a PhD researcher in professional football at the University of Portsmouth, where he completed an MA in Translation Studies. He has been following German football since the 1990s. He is the founder and president of the Borussia Dortmund Fan Club London 2013.Ben McFadyeanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-mcfadyean-ma-3161349/Dortmund Fan Club London Podcasthttps://mcfadyean.podbean.com/

91. KocaelisporThe real owners of the club are the supporters.No one else.We're joined by Eray Cayli and Murat Odabasi to talk about Kocaelispor, the club from Türkiye who refuse to die.Surviving financial annihilation, an attempted takeover by Türkiye's state and a devastating earthquake, Kocaelispor have stood as İzmit's true representative, giving its people a place of community, identity and expression.This is their story.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestsEray Cayli@eraycayliMurat Odabasi@odabasi41

90. Football and Myth: The Orient GameWe're joined by lecturer David Moreton to discuss the myths created in football and how they relate to the beautiful game.We do this by looking at a cast study: Burnley's match v Leyton Orient on the last day of the season in 1987, where the club came from within an inch of falling out of the football league and falling out of existence.Subscribe to The Footbal Heritage Extra on Patreon for £3 per month and get an extra podcast every week.https://www.patreon.com/cw/FootyHeritageAbout UsWebsitefootballheritage.co.ukEmailhello@footballheritage.co.ukX@_footyheritageBlueSky@footballheritage.bsky.socialInstagram@_footyheritageYouTube@FootballHeritageFHAbout Our GuestDavid Moreton@moreton40