Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast

With the Spanish World Cup on the horizon and the Argentinian flag being raised in Port Stanley, fears were high that England may not even get to go. Trouble off the field - both historical and hypothetical - would shape the English game in the 1980s.

In his brilliant new book 'Go To War: Football On The Brink In The '80s', Jon Spurling brings out both the light and shade of a turbulent decade for the national game. From trouble to tragedy and inflatables to fanzines, he sits down with Martyn to discuss the fan experience of the 1980s.

Jon's book can be found here https://amzn.eu/d/c56EFo9  and all good bookshops.

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After the Christmas freeze of 1981, Liverpool sat 12th in the First Division table with John Toshack's Swansea City leading the way. How they reeled in the field to ultimately grab the title, the psychological impact of a feared chaser, Luton and Watford's rise out of the Second Division, QPR's plastic pitch and much more are on the agenda for a roundtable episode on the season with Gary Naylor, Mac Millings and Scott Murray.

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After every football season deep dive we will take a short break into the wider world of sport and in 1981 there really was only one story for us to pick up. That summer's Ashes series has forever been synonymous with one man: Ian Terence Botham. His heroics with bat and ball transformed the prospect of another miserable summer into a famous win.

How simple a story was it in reality? Do we laud the main character at the expense of the rest of the cast? And do we do that in history as a whole?

To reflect on this legendary tale, Martyn is joined by Rob and Gary as they look at the loss of the England captaincy, the miracle of Headingley and the other actors who shared the stage. Before that, The Rest Is History's Dominic Sandbrook discusses the cultural importance of Botham in Britain at the time and the acute need we have for heroes in storytelling.

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With a schedule so in keeping with recent events, this week's episode is about the sacking of a Manchester United manager in 1981 but with so much relevance to the current day. The author Wayne Barton joins Martyn and Rob to talk about the weight of the job in difficult times, the tension between the technocrat and the force of personality and how brand of football and fan power are nothing new...

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In order to add more colour and cultural relevance to our trip through footballing history, the Draft has been applied to popular culture. Lawrence Donegan, David Edgar and Jonny McFarlane battle it out to try and pick the strongest card from 1980 containing a film drama, film comedy, band, album, tv show and news story.

Three strong cards to choose from but hear their arguments first and enjoy conversations about living close to George Lucas, the Elephant Man as a Marvel character and why you don't get any famous assassinations anymore...

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1980/81 was a very poor domestic season for Liverpool by their own high standards but, even though they were a side in transition, they were still able to regain their European crown. Author and former football editor of the Times, Tony Evans, is on great form as he talks Martyn through a campaign with bags of goals, semi-final tension and character, a second round tie that changed history and perhaps the origins of the famous 'perch'...

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The Crystal Palace side that was promoted to the First Division in 1979 under Terry Venables had so much youthful promise that some considered the coming decade to be theirs to grab. They could be, it was reported, the team of the 1980s. What went wrong is the subject of this week's episode as Martyn sits down the with American author Stephen Brandt to chat about his new book 'The Team That Could Have Been' and then Rob Smyth discusses the wider impact of projecting hope and expectation onto young teams.

Stephen's book can be found here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-that-Could-Have-Been/dp/1801506639

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The Draft is back on Nessun Dorma and this time with a sporting twist. Gary, Mac and Mike join Martyn to try and convince him and then you the listener, that they have the strongest draft card that best captures the world of sport in 1980. But, there can be no crossover in the six categories whatsoever. Male, Female, Team, Single Achievement, Surprise and Minute of Action are all required.

In this episode we have Borg v McEnroe, Coe v Ovett as well as some speed skating, a foul that changed the laws of football and an obscene gesture to fans.

You can vote for your winner on Thursday at patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast for free.

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It is April 1981 and Ipswich Town look set for a historic treble. With a talented English manager blending the best of British with Dutch flair, it all looked on. Wobbles, comebacks, replays and momentum shifts are everywhere in the conclusion to this fantastic season as three clubs grab their own share of the glory.

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At the start of April 1981, it looked likely that Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town were going to win an incredible treble of the league, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. How those dreams were dashed and how others benefitted is the subject of this two-part series.

In this first episode, Martyn is joined by Richard Moss of 'The Suffolk Crunch', the author Colin Plumb who attended nearly every Ipswich game that season, Mike Leigh of 'The Spurs Show' and the BBC's Pat Murphy, who was a young reporter covering the Midlands at the time, to put together the background as to how these three teams were built and ready for glory.

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