Soccer Nostalgia Talk Podcast
In February 2020 I began a podcast with Shahan Petrossian of the Soccer Nostalgia website. The original idea was inspired by the Shoot! the Breeze podcast, where the presenters and guests discuss old editions of Shoot! and other football magazines. We intended to give our version an international flavour by using World Soccer magazine as the basis of each episode, initially from the 1980s where our formative football memories came from. We settled on Soccer Nostalgia Talk as our podcast title, giving an accurate description of the content!
After three episodes, we were unexpectedly contacted by Oronde Ash, who had played international football, representing St Vincent & the Grenadines at the 1995 Gold Cup in California, and has since had a long coaching career in the US. After our interview with Oronde, we decided to concentrate on this format for future podcasts. Soccer Nostalgia Talk developed into conversations with authors, coaches, fans, historians and journalists about different aspects of the game worldwide.
We have an ongoing series on various national teams – Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, England, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Uruguay – and domestic leagues. We have also been able to discuss the origins of football in different countries, and individuals who have shaped its development, with enthusiastic experts. Shahan and I have learned a great deal during the course of these conversations and hope to continue to expand our podcast content.

With many thanks to all of our contributors so far: Jo Araf, Daniel Arce, Oronde Ash, Esteban Bekerman, Wolfgang Berger, Roberto Brambilla, James and George Brown, Gavin Buckland, Simon-Peter Charamza, Joško Čučuk, Stanley Cunha, Nacho Dimari, Jakub Drożdż, Rob Fielder, Djamshid Foroughi, Vadim Furmanov, Bob Gansler, Clark Gillies, Tom Griffiths, Rick Holden, Patrick Horne, Alex Jackson, Christopher Lash, Clemente Lisi, Carles Lozano, Tom McCabe, Alan McDougall, Tony McLaughlin, Aldo Mazzucchelli, Andy Mitchell, Eduardo Monsanto, Stephen Murray, Davey Naylor, John O’Carroll, Pål Ødegård, Miguel Lourenço Pereira, Steve Pye, David A.J. Reynolds, Jan Roskott, Davide Eskelund Rota, Franco Spicciariello, David Stuart, Salvador Torres, Cătălin Tudose, Stefan Van Loock, Sergio Vilariño, Peter Watson, José Inácio Werneck.
All podcasts can be found on Apple, Google Podcasts, Soccer Nostalgia and Spotify. Please contact myself or Shahan if you have any feedback, suggestions or thoughts on the series. Thank you for listening.
Episode List
2020
Podcast #1 (Feb 2020): World Soccer, March 1988
Podcast #2 (Mar 2020): World Soccer, May 1983
Podcast #3 (Mar 2020): World Soccer, October 1986
Podcast #4 (Apr 2020): Interview with Oronde Ash (St Vincent & the Grenadines)
Podcast #5 (May 2020): England 1982-83 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #6 (May 2020): Interview with James and George Brown (US Soccer History)
Podcast #7 (May 2020): Mitropa Cup with Jo Araf
Podcast #8 (May 2020): Republic of Ireland 1982-83 with John O’Carroll
Podcast #9 (June 2020): Italy 1982-83 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #10 (June 2020): England 1983-84 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #11 (June 2020): Serie A 1982-83 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #12 (June 2020): Scotland 1982-83 with David Stuart and Clark Gillies
Podcast #13 (July 2020): ‘Pioneers of Early Football’
Podcast #14 (July 2020): Netherlands 1982-83 with Jan Roskott
Podcast #15 (July 2020): The career of Vittorio Pozzo with Jo Araf
Podcast #16 (July 2020): Interview with Bob Gansler, USA 1990 World Cup Coach (Shahan only)
Podcast #17 (July 2020): Republic of Ireland 1983-84 with John O’Carroll
Podcast #18 (Aug 2020): Lord Kinnaird and early football with Andy Mitchell
Podcast #19 (Aug 2020): England 1984-85 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #20 (Aug 2020): Italy 1983-84 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #21 (Aug 2020): Netherlands 1983-84 with Jan Roskott
Podcast #22 (Sept 2020): Scotland 1983-84 with David Stuart and Clark Gillies
Podcast #23 (Sept 2020): History of Uruguayan football with Aldo Mazzucchelli – part 1: Early years
Podcast #24 (Sept 2020): English League 1980-81 with Gavin Buckland and Steve Pye
Podcast #25 (Sept 2020): Interview with Oronde Ash and Lenny Taylor (St Vincent & the Grenadines at the 1995 Gold Cup)
Podcast #26 (Oct 2020): History of Argentinian football with Esteban Bekerman – part 1: Early years
Podcast #27 (Oct 2020): Argentina 1974-75 with Nacho Dimari
Podcast #28 (Oct 2020): Brazil 1980 with Eduardo Monsanto
Podcast #29 (Oct 2020): Football and the First World War with Dr Alex Jackson (thanks to Dr Alex Alexandrou of the Football & War Network)
Podcast #30 (Oct 2020): California Football Federation with Salvador Torres (Shahan only)
Podcast #31 (Oct 2020): Croatia 1990-94 with Joško Čučuk
Podcast #32 (Nov 2020): Hungary pre-War with David A.J. Reynolds
Podcast #33 (Nov 2020): Serie A 1983-84 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #34 (Dec 2020): Republic of Ireland 1984-85 with John O’Carroll
Podcast #35 (Dec 2020): England 1985-86 with Davey Naylor
2021
Podcast #36 (Jan 2021): West Germany 1980-81 with Roberto Brambilla
Podcast #37 (Jan 2021): Brazil 1958 World Cup with José Inácio Werneck
Podcast #38 (Jan 2021): Norway 1990-91 with Pål Ødegård
Podcast #39 (Feb 2021): Soccertown USA documentary with Tom McCabe
Podcast #40 (Feb 2021): The career of Josef Bican with Jo Araf
Podcast #41 (Mar 2021): Italy 1984-85 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #42 (Mar 2021): Netherlands 1984-85 with Jan Roskott
Podcast #43 (Apr 2021): Scotland 1984-85 with David Stuart and Clark Gillies
Podcast #44 (Apr 2021): NASL ‘Black Pioneers’ with Patrick Horne
Podcast #45 (May 2021): History of Argentinian football with Esteban Bekerman – part 2: The 1920s
Podcast #46 (May 2021): Croatia 1994-95 with Joško Čučuk
Podcast #47 (June 2021): English League 1981-82 with Gavin Buckland and Steve Pye
Podcast #48 (June 2021): Argentina 1976 with Nacho Dimari
Podcast #49 (July 2021): History of Uruguayan football with Aldo Mazzucchelli – part 2: The 1920s
Podcast #50 (July 2021): Bundesliga 1982-83 with Roberto Brambilla
Podcast #51 (July 2021): Republic of Ireland 1985-86 with John O’Carroll
Podcast #52 (Aug 2021): USSR 1986 World Cup with Vadim Furmanov
Podcast #53 (Aug 2021): England 1986-87 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #54 (Oct 2021): Hungary post-War with David A.J. Reynolds
Podcast #55 (Oct 2021): Interview with Rick Holden
Podcast #56 (Oct 2021): Spain 1982-83 with Sergio Vilariño
Podcast #57 (Oct 2021): Brazil 1981 with Eduardo Monsanto
Podcast #58 (Nov 2021): West Germany 1981-82 with Roberto Brambilla
Podcast #59 (Nov 2021): Brazil 1962 World Cup with José Inácio Werneck
Podcast #60 (Dec 2021): Netherlands 1985-86 with Jan Roskott
Podcast #61 (Dec 2021): Argentina 1977 with Nacho Dimari
2022
Podcast #62 (Jan 2022): England 1987-88 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #63 (Jan 2022): Belgium at the 1982 World Cup with Stefan Van Loock (Shahan only)
Podcast #64 (Jan 2022): Portugal 1982-83 with Miguel Lourenço Pereira (Shahan only)
Podcast #65 (Feb 2022): Austria 1976-77 World Cup qualifiers with Wolfgang Berger and Simon-Peter Charamza
Podcast #66 (Feb 2022): Denmark 1979-80 with Davide Eskelund Rota
Podcast #67 (Mar 2022): East Germany 1974 World Cup with Alan McDougall
Podcast #68 (Apr 2022): Romania 1982-83 with Cătălin Tudose
Podcast #69 (Apr 2022): Serie A 1984-85 with Franco Spicciariello
Podcast #70 (May 2022): 1982 World Cup, 40th Anniversary Special – Memories of Frequent Guests (part 1)
Podcast #70 (May 2022): 1982 World Cup, 40th Anniversary Special – Memories of Frequent Guests (part 2)
Podcast #71 (May 2022): Republic of Ireland 1986-87 with John O’Carroll
Podcast #72 (May 2022): Poland 1974 World Cup with Christopher Lash
Podcast #73 (June 2022): English League 1982-83 with Gavin Buckland and Steve Pye
Podcast #74 (June 2022): Scotland 1985-86 with David Stuart
Podcast #75 (July 2022): 1980 European Championship with Rob Fielder
Podcast #76 (July 2022): Barcelona under Terry Venables with Carles Lozano
Podcast #77 (August 2022): Scottish football pioneer John William Madden with Tony McLaughlin
Podcast #78 (August 2022): Real Madrid’s ‘La Quinta del Buitre’ with Sergio Vilariño
Podcast #79 (Sept 2022): History of Argentinian football with Esteban Bekerman – part 3: The 1930s
Podcast #80 (Sept 2022): England 1988-89 with Davey Naylor
Podcast #81 (Oct 2022): James Brown book interview, Mud Blood and Studs
Podcast #82 (Oct 2022): Origins of football in Colombia with Dr. Peter Watson
Podcast #83 (Nov 2022): World Cup history with Clemente Lisi – 1990
Podcast #84 (Nov 2022): Republic of Ireland 1987-88 with John O’Carroll
2023
Podcast #85 (Jan 2023): Iran 1978 World Cup with Djamshid Foroughi
Podcast #86 (Jan 2023): Poland 1992 Olympics with Jakub Drożdż
Podcast #87 (Feb 2023): History of Uruguayan football with Aldo Mazzucchelli – part 3: 1930 World Cup
Podcast #88 (Mar 2023): Peru 1970 World Cup with Daniel Arce
Podcast #89 (Mar 2023): Brazil 1966 World Cup with José Inácio Werneck
Podcast #90 (Apr 2023): Croatia 1995-96 with Joško Čučuk
Podcast #91 (Apr 2023): Brazil 1989 with Stanley Cunha (part 1)
Podcast #91 (Apr 2023): Brazil 1989 with Stanley Cunha (part 2)
Podcast #92 (May 2023): Oldham Athletic 1989-94 with Tom Griffiths
Podcast #93 (May 2023): Celtic in Europe in the 1980s with Stephen Murray