Rory and Phil are joined by League of Ireland historian Karl Reilly to discuss Thurles Town, a club close to Phil's heart and with a feel-good factor about them.

Thurles Town played in the League of Ireland from 1977-1982. During their time in senior Irish football, they didn't win any trophies and their highest success was a 9th place finish.

They also discuss the common reasons why clubs in Ireland have to fold, importance of your club having connections to your community, and the League of Ireland pyramid system.

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Guest: Karl Reilly (@HistoryLOI)

This week, Rory and Phil tackle their first visit to a club in Sweden before returning to Australia.

Juventus IF were an interesting team. Based in Västerås, they were founded by Italian migrants in 1948, who made the clubs badge and colours extactly like those of Italian giants Juventus.

Canberra Cosmos existed for 6 years during the NSL era in Australia. They failed to attract many supporters and had very little on-field success.

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Rory and Phil cover clubs in Bolivia and Australia in this episode.

La Paz FC were the third biggest club in La Paz and incorporated a rich culture of symbolism and meaning in the design of the clubs kits and crest.

Northern Spirit FC existed in the twilight years of Australia's National Soccer League. During their short 7-year existence, they received investment from Crystal Palace and were briefly owned by Rangers.

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Rory and Phil head to North America to cover the stories of British Club from Mexico and Atlanta Chiefs from the USA.

British Club were one of the early football teams to develop the game in Mexico, and is as much the story of their founder, Percy Clifford, who aimed to become the best and most successful footballer in Mexico.

Atlanta Chiefs were founded during the NPSL era in the USA after their founder was inspired by the 1966 World Cup. Though they only lasted in their original form for 6 years, their legacy would directly lead to the founding of Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa.

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Rory and Phil head to Finland and Iceland to cover the stories of IB Akureyri and FC JokerIt.

IB Akureyri attempted to establish a northern football powerhouse to match the success of Reykjavik-based clubs, but were ultimately unsuccessful and de-merged in 1974.

FC JokerIT won a Finnish Cup, played in Europe against West Ham, finished second in their domestic league, got relegated, gained promotion again and then dissolved - all in the space of four years. They were known for their shady politician owner and the 116% Boys, a 'hooligan' firm with extreme leanings.

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Rory and Phil are joined by Phil Harrison to cover the next 2 clubs from Phil's book - KF Spartak Tirana of Albania, and Partizan Minsk of Belarus. Both have political aspects to their existence and dissolution.

Phil Harrison also tells us about his love for Albanian football history and his book, on football in Stalinist Albania, due for release in 2024.

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Guest: Phil Harrison (@fussballgeekz)

'Inside The Hermit Kingdom: Football Tales from Stalinist Albania' is available for purchase here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Hermit-Kingdom-Football-Stalinist/dp/1801506892

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Forgotten Football Podcast! Podcast host, Rory Bryce, is joined by co-host and author Philip O'Rourke to discuss the lost football clubs he wrote about in his book and then some. We aim to unpack some common themes found among the clubs we discuss surrounding heritage, identity, and history.

This episode focuses on Sporting Fingal and FC Amsterdam, the first two clubs from Phil's book. Sporting Fingal were a bright flame who burned a little too quickly, while FC Amsterdam were an attempt to establish a second club in the Dutch capital.

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