Nostalgia Ultras

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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

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

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)

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.

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)

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.

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.

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 […]

Giovanni Trapattoni's reign as Republic of Ireland manager is generally regarded as a failed experiment, but there were some great moments in between the depressing style of play and weird team selections.  Ste, Colm and Brian remembered the good times with Trap on the latest podcast, but the conversation inevitably turns to the bad times, and a wider debate on the state of Irish football and what the Italian's hiring represented for the game on this island.  There's also some chat on the Liam Miller Tribute Match, dad bods in nineties football, and the 1998 Tour De France. 

The era of Thaksin Shinawatra was as crazy as it was curt, but should be recognised as the first step in Man City's journey towards Premier League glory in the coming decade.   On the latest podcast, Ste, Colm and Maurice discuss the Thai businessman's ownership at City, his questionable past, their derby wins over Man United, and how it all came apart by the end. To top it all off, the affable Sven Goran-Eriksson was at the helm. 

When Holland came to Lansdowne Road on September 1st, 2001, they brought with them a mighty squad full of world-class talent; a master tactician and Champions League winning manager; a reputation as one of international football's greatest forces; and the overbearing weight of expectation of a nation on their shoulders.  The Dutch left that day with nothing.  So how did a team featuring Ruud van Nistelrooy, Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, Jaap Stam, Mark van Bommel and Edwin van der Sar fail to get a result against the Irish? How exactly was it possible that a nation that could leave Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the bench, couldn't beat a ten-man Ireland? Ste McGovern, Colm Boohig and special guest Brian Wyse sit down to discuss how Ireland's famous 1-0 victory over Netherlands happened. We also talk about the Declan Rice situation, whether he will play for Ireland again, and our favourite Granny Rule players.

How did Atletico Madrid, a club eternally in the shadow of their city rivals, win LaLiga and reach two Champions League finals? Euan McTear, author of Hijacking LaLiga, talks to our host Ste McGovern about the significance of Atleti's league title in 2014, why they should have five Champions League titles instead of Bayern Munich, and how they broke the Spanish football duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Stephen Ireland was his country's great white hope when he came on the scene as a prodigious young talent in 2005. Through a combination of injuries, controversies and poor form, his creative skill and footballing talents have gone to waste. Ste, Colm and a departing Conor wonder what constitutes a wasted talent in football, who are the best examples and is Stephen Ireland the biggest one of them all.

Transfer deadline day always brings a surprise or two, so we decided to talk about some of the most surprising deals in recent memory. From Robinho's shock move to Man City, to Claudio Caniggia settling in Scotland, there are countless examples of player moves that no one saw coming. Ste, Colm and the prodigal son Conor sit down to discuss. Follow us on: https://twitter.com/nostalgiaultra5

Brian Kerr is one of the most influential figures in Irish football, producing some of the country's best talent as the FAI's youth manager in the nineties. Yet, he's not only out in the cold from the game, but he also divides opinion among football fans in Ireland. Some see Kerr as a legend, others as a jackeen fool. Ste McGovern and Colm Boohig discuss his legacy as a manager and why he's now performing a public service as a TV pundit. Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/NostalgiaUltras Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostalgiaultra5

Diego Armando Maradona is not only one of the greatest sports people to have ever lived. He is an enigma who has lived every day of his life to the […]

Listen To Our Latest Episode Covering Roy Keane: Subscribe On iTunes, Or Download Directly Here. This week marks a quarter of a century since Roy Keane’s landmark transfer to Manchester […]

Little did we know when Spain eliminated the Irish on penalties from the World Cup in Suwon back in 2002, it would be our last appearance at the tournament. Ste McGovern (Balls.ie), Conor Clancy (Forza Italian Football) and Colm Boohig (Storyful) reminisce on Ireland vs Spain, Damien Duff's best game in an Irish jersey, and why Ireland would have won with Roy Keane in the squad. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@nostalgiaultra5). Rate and review us on iTunes: https://goo.gl/VfMsEV

The World Cup is here! You know what that means: it's time to watch English fans get ridiculously excited before it all comes crashing down, of course! England's failure to make any sort of impact at a major tournament in the past twenty years has been a great source of amusement for Irish football fans, and beyond. Ste McGovern (Balls.ie), Colm Boohig (Storyful) and Conor Clancy (Forza Italian Football) run through each English exit since France 98 to see which one they find the funniest. The Ultras also chat about their first World Cup memories, Wes Hoolahan's goal vs Sweden two years ago, and Anthony Bourdain. Follow us on Twitter (@NostalgiaUltra5) and Facebook. Please rate and review us on iTunes and elsewhere.

Few teams stir the emotions of neutral football fans quite like the glorious Parma side of the nineties. Ste and Conor return having not recorded together for a over a month now to talk about the ridiculous quality in the Parma team, how a small provincial club rose to the top table, and why it will never happen again. The Ultras also debate whether or not this iconic team are too romanticised and if Fabio Cannavaro really deserved to win the Balon d'Or in 2006. Let us know what you think by tweeting us @NostalgiaUltra5. Intro theme by The Shaker Hymn.

Patrick O’Connell is not a household name when it comes to Irish football, but it should be. A footballer who grew up across the road from Croke Park, the Dubliner […]

Was France-Italy the best final of the best international tournament ever? Ste, Conor and Colm discuss the dramatic Euro 2000 finale, which French players became a rally driver and a rap artist, classic chocolate bars, and chippers in Cork. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NostalgiaUltra5 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NostalgiaUltras/

In 2005, the Champions League quarter-final between rivals AC Milan and Internazionale was abandoned amidst a flurry of flares and bottles raining down on the pitch. On the anniversary of that famous night Ste and Conor talk about the Milan Derby, how it started and why it's actually one of the friendlier rivalries in football. Find us on Facebook and Twitter, let us know your favourite memories of clashes between the Milanese clubs.

Whatever happened to Master Football? It used to feature regularly on Sky Sports up until 2011, but no Masters events have taken place in the UK since then. We talk […]

Considered one of the great football mavericks, Robin Friday was infamous for his debauchery and crazy antics. But he also happened to possess an innate talent that wowed crowds when […]

When Manchester United achieved what was thought to be the un-achievable in claiming the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all in one season, it was not only ground-breaking, […]