Following the sudden passing of Diego Maradona, we decided we had to pay tribute to the Argentina legend. Ste McGovern and Colm Boohig caught up to discuss our reaction to his passing, why he avoided the sad fate of George Best, look at the problematic side of a “raging dickhead”, and why the England game in 1986 defined his career. We also revisited the podcast we recorded about Maradona in 2018 in the aftermath of his antics at the World Cup in Russia, so you can listen to that in the second half of this episode. Or not. I’m not the boss of you. RIP Diego, we’ll miss you.

Nostalgia Ultras

#33: Farewell, Diego

Yes, that’s right. The actual Neville Southall – the goalkeeping legend once considered the best in the world for a period in the eighties – joins us on the Nostalgia […]

#32: Neville Southall on football, not putting up with idiots, and the “biggest liars in the world”

What is about football stadiums that we hold so dear to our heart? They’re only bricks and mortar after all. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s where […]

#31: Football stadia old and new

We’re back with a new episode of the podcast and this time we’re talking about one of the most dominant teams in football history: Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. I was delighted […]

#30: Barcelona, Guardiola and the legacy of the 2009 Champions League final

Just like the bus, you wait ages for a Nostalgia Ultras podcast and two come along in quick succession. Well, quick for us anyway. This is a special edition of the podcast, as it signals the return of the original trio: Ste McGovern, Colm Boohig and the immaculate emigrant himself, Conor Clancy. In celebration of the return of The Artist Formerly Known As Concalcio, we've decided to talk about his favourite team (other than the mighty Bray Wanderers, obviously) Atalanta and Italian football culture, his raison d'etre. We ask Conor how he even began supporting this provincial club from Bergamo, what makes it so special, the reasons for their recent surge these past few seasons, what makes Italian football good (and bad), why it's different from British and Irish football, and the worst type of fans in the country he now calls home. Yeah, this basically turned into an AMA with Conor. We also discuss the four players that mean something to us, Colm's adoration of the "high octane Lee Trundle", otherwise known as Ronaldinho, classic football boots, retro video games and Ludo.

#29: Atalanta and Italian football culture

Marcelo Bielsa is one of the most influential football managers in the modern era, shaping many of the tactical trends that pervade the game today.  Ste McGovern is joined by Ben […]

#28: Bielsa at Bilbao and beyond with Ben Jarman

Your typical hard man of football — the no-nonsense, hard tackling, kick-it-into-Row-Z, tough bastard of a footballer — used to be a staple of the game. Every team in England […]

#27: Where have all the hard bastards gone?

What was the greatest title race of all time? Was it 1996 when Manchester United and Newcastle United went head to head? Perhaps it was Arsenal overcoming an 11 point deficit in 1998 to win their first league title under Arsene Wenger? Or maybe it was Liverpool slipping up to Manchester City in 2014? In light of the insanely close battle between Liverpool and City for this year's title, Ste McGovern, Peter Henry and Maurice Brosnan discuss some of the most entertaining, thrilling and dramatic title races over the years. Intro theme: The Shaker Hymn Logo: Michael Raisch

#26: The Best Premier League Titles Races Ever

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Nostalgia Ultras! To celebrate our first year as a podcast and somehow reaching 25 episodes, Ste McGovern and Colm Boohig bring you the first annual Christmas Selection Box. Rather than focus on one subject as we usually do, we talked about a number of things for which we didn't have to do any research, and for that, we are truly grateful this holiday season. We each revealed our favourite Irish footballers of the Premier League era, talked about Ireland's footballing diaspora, our favourite sports books of the year, some choice moments from our first few months in podcasting, and gave our unpopular opinions. Intro: Dead Trees by The Shaker Hymn Outro: Inter Bells by FC Internazionale

#25: Christmas Selection Box

One of, if not the, greatest strikers in the history of the Premier League, Thierry Henry revolutionised the forward position. We talk about the Frenchman's special qualities, why Arsene Wenger was the perfect manager for him at the right time in his career, and the fourth evolution of his career at Barcelona. There's also an extended chat on why great players like Henry struggle to adapt to punditry, and how athletes and sports personalities are allowed to get away with reprehensible actions and behaviour. Brought to you by: Ste McGovern (Balls.ie, Football.London, MARCA), Maurice Brosnan (Balls.ie, Irish Examiner, Irish Times) and Kevin Beirne (Football.London, UK Independent, BBC)

#24: Liberty, Egality, Thierry

There's nothing quite like the sight of an out-and-out winger taking on man after man before dispatching the ball into the net. Paddy McCourt did this on many an occasion, and we talk about his career, flashes of brilliance for Celtic, and why his lifestyle held him back from being the next Lionel Messi. We discuss why the old school winger has become virtually redundant, the value of entertainment v results, Ste's local team Ballybrack FC, and a new documentary about FC Barcelona.

#23: Paddy McCourt And The Decline Of Old School Wingers

David Squires joined us on the latest episode of the Nostalgia Ultras podcast to talk about his new book, Goalless Draws. The Guardian's resident football cartoonist speaks on why self-doubt can be a healthy tool a creator, the insanity of Poppygate, James McClean, the death of satire, Emo José Mourinho, the unintentional hilarity of LinkedIn, and his beloved Swindon Town. (Disclaimer: audio is patchy in parts. Thanks a lot, Skype)

#22: Poppygate and Swindon Town with David Squires

Few men have had such a demonstrable effect on British football in the past thirty years as Eric Cantona did during his time in England. Ste McGovern and Colm Boohig discuss why this is so, his complex and often contradictory nature, and how that was reflected in his style of football.

#21: The Essence of Eric Cantona

As ancient as it was lovable, the old Lansdowne Road stadium was home for Irish football fans. It was far from perfect, but it was the place where many a famous sporting memory was made before being demoilshed. Ste McGovern, Colm Boohig and Peter Henry of Football Faithful, remember the old ground, its special qualities, and some of the best moments that it featured.

#20: Charming Yet Inhospitable, Remembering The Old Lansdowne Road

Paul Gascoigne signed for Lazio in 1992 for a then-British record fee, despite having spent the previous year on the sidelines following a serious knee injury sustained in the 1991 […]

#19: Paul Gascoigne’s Adventure at Lazio, with Daniel Storey

The football show living off past glories. Brought to you by Ste McGovern, Conor Clancy and Colm Boohig. Fueled by biscuits.

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