Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast

Our last draft of the year goes back to 1984-85, the season when the greatest team in Everton’s history romped to glory. Martyn, Gary and Mac Millings select their XIs from Division One that season. As you can imagine, Gary is like a pig in Chardonnary throughout. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Martyn and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher (aka 90s Football Writer) to pick their England XIs from a storied decade. As well as reaching the semi-finals of Italia 90 and Euro 96, England were involved in a true World Cup classic at France 98 and reached Euro 92 when it was still an eight-team tournament. Let’s not dwell on what happened when they got there).Some players were mainstays for large parts of the 1990s: Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, David Platt, Stuart Pearce, David Seaman, Paul Ince and Tony Adams. Others burned brightly and briefly at either end of the decade: Gary Lineker, Michael Owen, Chris Waddle, Paul Scholes and Mark Wright.You can listen the pod and then vote for the winning team @nessundormapod. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

With the 2023 World Cup entering its final week, Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Jonathan Hungin and Andrew Miller for another cricket draft - this time the fondly remembered 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand.It was the first World Cup with coloured clothing, white balls and Powerplays at the start of the innings. After a wretched start to the tournament, Pakistan’s cornered tigers roared to victory, beating England in a memorable final at the MCG.This was a different era of ODI cricket, with only eight centuries scored in the entire tournament. But it was chockfull of legends of the past, present and future, from 39-year-old Imran Khan to 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, not to mention some celebrated one-tournament wonders.These are the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Wasim Akram has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their performances in the 1992 World Cup. So, for one draft only, Eddo Brandes is a better pick than Malcolm Marshall.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X (@nessundormapod) on Wednesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Nessun Dorma ventures into new territory this week, with Martyn and Rob joined by two special guests for our first ever cricket episode. Jonathan Hungin and Andrew Miller, who worked with Rob at Wisden.com at the turn of the century, join us to draft their XIs from the memorable 1999 World Cup.The list of players includes all-time greats hitting the heights (Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath, Rahul Dravid, Wasim Akram, Allan Donald) and unheralded players having the best month of their careers (Gavin Hamilton, Neil Johnson, Geoff Allott).Somewhere in the middle was Lance Klusener, who dominated the tournament to a frightening degree before a devastating twist in the semi-final against Australia.These are the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Klusener has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their performances in the 1999 World Cup. So, for one draft only, Moin Khan and Ridley Jacobs are better picks than Adam Gilchrist.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X (@nessundormapod) on Wednesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Martyn and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher, author of 1992: The Birth of Modern Football, and Ally Bain of Retro Football Analysis to pick their teams from a classic European season. Marquee picks include Raul, Oliver Kahn, Gaizka Mendieta, Fernando Redondo, Patrick Kluivert, Mario Jardel, Roy Keane, Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Jaap Stam.A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Raul has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their performances in the Champions League in 1999-2000. So, for one season only, Ivan Campo is a better pick than Tony Adams.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X (@nessundormapod) on Wednesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher, author of the superb 1992: The Birth of Modern Football, to draft their teams from the inaugural Premier League season. Marquee picks include Eric Cantona, Alan Shearer, Paul Ince, Paul McGrath, Les Ferdinand, Steve Staunton, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs.A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Eric Cantona has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their performances in the Premier League in 1992-93. So, for one season only, Micky Quinn is a better bet than Ian Rush.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X (@nessundormapod) on Wednesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

It’s a big one this week: France 98, a tournament full of great games and all-time-great players. Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg - who worked with Glenn Hoddle on his autobiography, Playmaker - to draft their XIs from the balmy, barmy summer of 1998.A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Ronaldo has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their performances at France 98. Thus: Jose Luis Chilavert good, Teddy Sheringham not so good.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X (@nessundormapod) on Wednesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

This week’s draft is a challenge: picking an XI from England internationals of the 1980s. Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by… nobody, and that’s probably a good thing because it's hard enough finding 33 players, never mind 44.A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft:1. Each player can only be picked by one person. When Bryan Robson and Gary Lineker have gone, they’ve gone.2. Players are judged solely on their form for England in the 1980s. Greatness at club level, or for England at Italia 90, is worth bugger all.3. You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X on Tuesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

We’re going draft daft over the next few weeks, with a mini-series devoted to arguing over the best XIs from various tournaments, seasons and eras.We start with English football’s summer of love, also known as Euro 96. Martyn and Rob are joined by Mike Gibbons, whose When Football Came Home is the best book around on that tournament, and Jonathan O’Brien, author of the definitive European Championship history.The rules of the draft are simple:* Each player can only be picked by one person. When Matthias Sammer has gone, he’s gone.* Players are judged solely on their form during Euro 96. Thus: Dieter Eilts good, Zinedine Zidane not so good.* You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter/X on Tuesday morning to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at 5pm on Friday (UK time).* All the Euro 96 squads in full* Euro 96 statistics, awards and team of the tournamentThe first rule of Draft Club is… YOU MUST TALK ABOUT DRAFT CLUB. The more people who listen to the podcast, the more of these we can do, so please spread the word. And send your ideas for future drafts to @nessundormapod. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Gary and Rob talk to Martyn about his book Revolution: Rangers 1986-92, and how Graeme Souness changed Scottish football when he became player-manager at Ibrox. It was a perfect storm, and for a short time Rangers had a pulling power that not even England’s biggest clubs could match. Souness was prepared to rip up traditions - and pick fights with just about everyone - in his attempt to continue lifting trophies after hanging up his boots.Revolution: Rangers 1986-92 by Martyn Ramsay is published by DB. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Welcome to the Nessun Dorma Book Club, a kind of sporting Late Review but without Tony Parsons.The premise this week is simple: Mike, Gary and Martyn bring a football book that made an impact on their lives and explain why.From the definitive and myth-shattering history of West German football and the instant window into the past provided by Panini to a delve into the world of sports psychology at a time when Sven-Göran Eriksson was still considered to be a Svengali and not a Scandi Benny Hill, there is something here for everyone. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Welcome to the inaugural Nessun Dorma Draft, in which we each pick an XI from a particular tournament, season or era. Given the name of our podcast, we had to start with a trip back to Italia 90.Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Mac Millings to pick their XIs from a tournament full of superstars.These are the rules:1. Each player can only be picked by one person. When Andy Brehme has gone, he’s gone.2. Players are judged solely on their form during Italia 90. Thus: Salvatore Schillaci good, Marco van Basten bad.3. Managers must announce their planned formation before the draft begins.4. You decide who wins the draft. Go to Twitter, X or whatever it’s called today to choose which team you think is the best. The poll will close at midday on Friday (UK time).As well as giving four ageing men a frankly disproportionate thrill, the draft is an excuse to rhapsodise the players we love from Italia 90, and to make snide comments about each other’s selections.You can view our teams in formation by clicking here, though you may want to leave that until after you’ve listened to the pod. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

In the last episode of our Euro 88 special, Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Jonathan O’Brien to discuss the final in Munich and the tournament as a whole.They look at whether the suspended Oleg Kuznetsov would have changed the game, why we remember the Netherlands so fondly and whether a goal as extraordinary as Marco van Basten’s can create the illusion of inevitability. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Both Euro 88 semi-finals were intriguing culture clashes. The first match, in Hamburg, was loaded with historical significance. West Germany v Netherlands evoked the 1974 World Cup final and even the second world war. A good (if slightly overrated) match had a savage late twist that went straight into European Championship folklore.USSR v Italy did not have the same mutual enmity, but they were also a study in contrasts. The Soviet Union were experienced and streetwise, Italy young and upbeat. They met on a dank, moody night in Stuttgart.Martyn, Mike and Rob are joined by Jonathan O’Brien – author of the superb Euro Summits, a history of the European Championship – to discuss both games and give some love to a slightly forgotten great: Andreas Brehme. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

By the final round of group games, Euro 88 was effectively a six-team tournament. Denmark and England were already eliminated and barely had any pride left to play for.Group A was concluded with simultaneous games on Friday night, just a week – and a lifetime – after the tournament had begun. The hosts West Germany played Spain in Munich, with the likelihood that the semi-finals wouldn’t be big enough for the both of them. West Germany needed a draw, Spain a win.Italy, who many felt had been the best team in the tournament to date, needed only a draw against Denmark to guarantee qualification.Group B was settled the following afternoon, with the BBC deciding to show Republic of Ireland’s decisive match against the Netherlands instead of England v USSR. Assuming a collectively depressed England side didn’t win that game (spoiler alert…), Ireland knew they would reach the semis with a draw. The Netherlands had no such luxury; if they didn’t win, they were almost certainly going home.Martyn, Gary and Rob chat about all four games… and Bryan Robson taking our his frustrations on Peter Shilton’s chin. Oh, and Rob’s dog Margot makes an unscripted appearance.If you like the podcast, please spread the word and rate/review us on your podcast app. The more people who listen to Nessun Dorma, the greater our chances of one day telling The Man where he might like to deposit his 9-5. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Euro 88 was only four days old when the second of group games began, but our old friend jeopardy was already running amok. After a nervous start, the hosts West Germany took on an ailing Denmark in Gelsenkirchen. A few hours later, also in Group A, Italy met Spain in what was felt like a de facto quarter-final.Then, on Wednesday afternoon, we rushed home from school (or, in Gary’s case, grabbed a seat in front of a 15-inch TV with a load of fashionistas) for the big one: England v the Netherlands, a match that both teams could barely afford to draw, never mind lose.In the evening, Ireland produced arguably the finest performance of the Jack Charlton years against the USSR in a game that included a famous goal and a forgotten first touch to die for.Martyn, Gary and Rob rave about a teenage Paolo Maldini, discuss English football’s obsession with individual heroism, question an iconic hat-trick and celebrate a partnership from the future: Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Our look back at Euro 88 continues with the first round of group games. On Friday 10 June 1988, the tournament kicked off with a tense match between West Germany, the hosts and favourites, and a vibrant young Italian side.The other Group A game took place the following afternoon, a thrilling if slightly shambolic contest between Denmark and Spain. There were five goals and a fair bit of controversy, but the highlight for English audiences was a brief, comic loss of temper from the usually immaculate Barry Davies.In Group B, two of the pre-tournament favourites – England and the Netherlands – got underway. England faced an FA Cup tie against the Republic of Ireland, whose 20-man squad included 16 England-based players.In the evening we finally got to see the Netherlands, including their Ballon d’Or-winning captain Ruud Gullit. They took on European Championship royalty: the USSR. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

A new series of Nessun Dorma starts with the first part of our deep dive into Euro 88, the last major tournament in Europe before the big bang of Italia 90. Martyn Ramsay, Gary Naylor and Rob Smyth set the scene for a much anticipated tournament. “Whatever happens,” wrote David Lacey in his preview for the Guardian, “the 1988 European Championship should set new standards on the field.”Martyn, Gary and Rob discuss where football was at in 1988, recall the highlights of qualification – including Ireland’s favourite Scotsman and the Cypriot keeper who was almost blown up – and preview each team’s prospects ahead of the tournament. Were England valid second favourites? How much did we know about the Netherlands? And who was Matthias Herget?The drawGroup 1 West Germany, Italy, Spain, DenmarkGroup 2 England, Netherlands, USSR, Republic of IrelandPre-tournament odds7/4 West Germany5/1 England, Netherlands13/2 Italy7/1 USSR11/1 Spain, Denmark25/1 Republic of Ireland This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Nessun Dorma returns from hibernation for a one-off special ahead of the World Cup, and a deep dive into one of the greatest matches in its storied history: the Espana 82 semi-final between West Germany and Germany. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com

Lee, Mike and Gary pick a couple of goals each from the legendary BBC VHS This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com