The Blizzard

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller head back to June 1992 for the Copa Libertadores Final second leg between Sao Paulo and Newell's Old Boys - joining them to discuss it is Joshua Law. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Joshua Law is the features editor for Planet Football. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Dave Farrar to review the Euro 2000 play-off first leg between Slovenia and Ukraine in 1999. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Dave Farrar is a football commentator and writer, who covered the finals of the European Championships in 2000 and 2004. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller head back to 1981 with Steve Tongue to review the FA Cup Final Replay between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Steve Tongue is an author and former sports journalist who has covered nine World Cups - his latest publication is a book on the history of football in the West Midlands called West Midlands: Turf Wars. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Nick Barnes to discuss Sunderland's surprise victory over Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Nick Barnes is a commentator for Sunderland at BBC Radio Newcastle. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Christoph Biermann joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the all-German Champions League final of 2012/13 between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at Wembley. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Christoph Biermann is a reporter for 11Freunde in Berlin and author of Football Hackers: The Science and Art of a Data Revolution. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Ben Bailey Smith joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to remember the infamous Crystanbul night at Selhurst Park. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Ben Bailey-Smith is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, voiceover artist and producer. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Rob Bagchi to discuss the 1970 European Cup semi-final between Celtic and Leeds United. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Rob Bagchi is the co-author of The Unforgiven, True Grit, Determined, Hooked and author of The Biography of Leeds United. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Michael Taylor to discuss Northern Ireland's win over Spain at the 1982 World Cup. A win or a 2-2 draw is what Northern Ireland needed if they were to progress through to the second round of the tournament. However, they had never beaten Spain in their history and the tournament hosts has qualification aspirations of their own. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Michael Taylor is a historian and author whose book The Interest: How the British Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery was shortlisted for the 2021 Orwell prize for political writing. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Aet Süvari to discuss Estonia's win over Russia in 2002. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Aet Süvari is a broadcaster for ERR, Estonia Public Broadcasting. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

David Owen joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the immediate ramifications that the 1925 offside rule change had on English football. Villa were keen to impress their fans after a disappointing 1924-25 campaign, and the squad selection had its doubters. But this thumping of Burnley would quell those fears and prove football administrators right who had hoped to bring some much-needed entertainment back to the game following a cagey footballing era post-WW1. Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. David Owen is a freelance sports journalist, an author and former sports editor of the Financial Times. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On today's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Mike Keegan to remember a classic League Cup upset. Joe Royle and Oldham Athletic's 'pinch-me season' saw the side reach the FA Cup Semi-Finals for only the 2nd time in their history, and the Final of the League Cup –  the club's first-ever appearance at Wembley. When Arsenal, the First Division champions, rocked up to Boundary Park they hadn't a clue what was about to hit them. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Mike Keegan is the author of This Is How It Feels – An English Football Miracle, Sports News Correspondent and Sports Agenda Editor for MailSport. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Nick Miller joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the second leg of the 1978-79 European Cup semi-final between Koln and Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Nick Miller is a football writer for The Athletic and editor of the Totally Football Yearbook. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Matthew Lorenzo joins Jonathan and Marcus to discuss the 1982 World Cup final. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Matthew Lorenzo is a TV presenter and producer for Bo66y. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Jack Pitt-Brooke joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the final home game to be played at the old White Hart Lane. As another high-flying season for Pochettino's Spurs began to wrap up, a performance that epitomised the Argentine manager's reign over the club spoiled the fans on an emotional day in North London. Jack, Jonathan and Marcus ponder over just how Pochettino could make Spurs purr, what it is that makes Harry Kane so good, how the opposition's goalscorer that day appears in Jonathan's dreams and much more. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Jack Pitt-Brooke covers Tottenham Hotspur and England for The Athletic. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

This week we're celebrating 100 episodes of our weekly podcast, Greatest Games! To celebrate, we've got back the guest from our very first episode, Ian Hawkey. This time, Ian's picked the 2013 Copa del Rey final at the Bernabeu which provided Diego Simeone with silverware to cap off his first full season as manager of Atletico Madrid. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Ian Hawkey is a writer for The Sunday Times, previously as their European football correspondent based in Spain for 12 years. Ian is the author of several books including The Feet of the Chameleon: The Story of African Football and Di Stefano, the Real Madrid legend. Listen to every episode of Greatest Games: theblizzard.co.uk/podcasts/greatest-games Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: theblizzard.co.uk Twitter: twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: instagram.com/theblizzard__

This week on Greatest Games, John Brewin joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to remember the 1990 FA Cup final between Crystal Palace and Manchester United. The Eagles and the Red Devils had only managed to finish 15th and 13th respectively in the First Division, but after being on the right side of a pair of memorable semi-finals, both sides would provide the Wembley crowd with an FA Cup final classic. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. John Brewin is a football writer and contributor for the Guardian. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Simon Kuper joins Jonathan and Marcus to look back on the 2011 Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United.  Over the decade preceding this final, Barcelona's fabled academy La Masia was quietly assembling the greatest generation of footballing talent to be produced at one time by a single club. It was in this final when that crop of talent – which included Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique along with the addition of extraordinary imports Dani Alves, Eric Abidal and David Villa – best applied their abilities to Barcelona's Cruyffian tactics and decimated the Premier League champions on European football's grandest stage. Recorded on Tuesday 3 August, just ahead of the news regarding Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona. About the panel:   Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.   Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Simon Kuper is a columnist for the Financial Times and author of many books, including Soccernomics, Ajax: The Dutch, The War and most recently Barca: The Inside Story of the World's Greatest Football Club released this week. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/  

Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller discuss Senegal's famous win over France at the 2002 World Cup on this week's episode of Greatest Games alongside James Copnall.     About the panel:   Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.   Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   James Copnall is the presenter of Newsday on the BBC World Service and author of A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts, a book about the two Sudans. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Matthew Watson-Broughton to discuss the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final second-leg between Újpesti Dózsa and Newcastle United.    About the panel:   Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.   Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.    Matthew Watson-Broughton is the author of The Amazing Journey: How Newcastle Conquered Europe, he's also worked for Uefa, the LOCOG, FINA and is currently the English-speaking editor for the Hungarian Football Federation. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week's episode of Greatest Games, Colin Udoh has chosen to discuss Nigeria's 1996 Olympic Games semi-final win over Brazil with Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller.   For Brazil, Olympic gold continued to elude them, hence the strength of the squad they boasted for this tournament – Dida, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Juninho all started this match, Rivaldo would come off the bench. It wouldn't be until they hosted the Olympics in 2016 when they finally won their first Men's final.    Meanwhile, many of Nigeria's Dream Team were already established names after their enthralling appearance at the USA '94 World Cup, having been knocked out by two extremely late goals from Italy's Roberto Baggio. However, no one would have anticipated what they'd achieve at the 1996 Olympics, especially with the calibre of opposition – and the players chosen for those sides – in front of them.   About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.   Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Colin Udoh is a journalist from Nigeria, a contributor to ESPN, The Blizzard an many more outlets and was previously the press officer to the Nigeria national team. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Dion Fanning joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for this week's episode of Greatest Games to remember a First Division meeting between the two Merseyside rivals. Last season's champions v the would-be champions of the 1987-88 season. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Dion Fanning is a journalist and broadcaster previously as the Sunday Independent covering the Premier League and the World Cup, currently of the Currency. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Tim Vickery joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for this week's episode of Greatest Games to relive the 1992 European Cup final at Wembley. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Tim Vickery is a long-time contributor to BBC Sport, ESPN, World Soccer and can be seen on-screen regularly in his country of residence, Brazil. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Brian Oliver to discuss the Euro 2000 semi-final between Italy and the Netherlands. Both nations had gotten the group stages and a quarter-final with little to worry about up to this fixture. The co-host, Netherlands, were spurred on by a 34th minute Gianluca Zambrotta red card and seemed destined to advance to the final of their own tournament. However, a triumphant display of Catenaccio values deployed by Dino Zoff's Nezzuri ensured Italy were headed for a meeting with the world champions in Rotterdam. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Brian Oliver is a sports journalist having covered many international tournaments, former sports editor of the Observer and author of The Commonwealth Games: Extraordinary Stories Behind The Medals. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Michael Yokhin is our guest on this week's Greatest Games, joining Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the 2008 European Championship quarter-final between Russia and the Netherlands. The Netherlands blitzed through their group with convincing wins over Italy, France and Romania – leading many to think that perhaps Marco van Basten had returned total football to the Dutch national side. However, Russia, galvanised by the Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, also looked promising after group stage wins against holders Greece and Sweden. The match signalled the start of two polarising eras for the two national sides. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Michael Yokhin is a freelance football writer for the BBC, the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN, among others and regular contributor to The Blizzard.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week's Greatest Games, Jonathan and Marcus are joined by Eero Laurila to discuss what it's like to spy on Marcelo Bielsa and the state of football in Finland via the 2012 Europa League qualifier between HJK Helsinki and Athletic. At the time Athletic were led by the influential Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, whilst their hosts had former Finland national team manager Antti Muurinen in charge. The Finnish side were to lose 9-3 on aggregate but the occasion proves to be a perfect platform to discuss advances made in Finland over the past 20 years up to qualification for the current European Championship.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Eero Laurila is a former football correspondent covering the Premier and Football League, now back in his native country, Finland, coaching third-tier side Espoon Palloseura and runs the football website brittifutis.com.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On Greatest Games this week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by David Diaz Bejarano to discuss the 1987 Copa Libertadores final decider between Penarol and America de Cali. America de Cali were heading into the tie having already lost the 1985 and 1986 Libertadores final and hoped to break a long-standing curse on the Colombian club. Penarol, managed by Oscar Tabarez, were already giants of South American football and aiming for their fifth Libertadores triumph.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He's contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. David Diaz Bejarano is a political scientist and founder of Pinceladas de Fútbol, a Colombian-based journalistic project which envisions football as a social and cultural phenomenon.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week’s Greatest Games we remember a Skol Cup Dundee Derby at Dens Park in 1987 with Alan Patullo. Following football in Dundee is unlike no other city such is the close proximity between the two sides, whose stadiums reside just a matter of yards away from each other. Alan remembers the history of this rivalry throughout the early years of his life and the atmosphere at this League Cup fixture that’s lost in time as the game wasn’t broadcast.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Alan Patullo is a football writer for the Scotsman and a Dundee fan.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week’s Greatest Games, Nick Ames joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to share his story from the abandoned Serbia v Albania 2016 European Championship qualifier.Eyebrows were raised when the draw placed these two nations in Group I in February 2014. Political disagreements regarding Kosovo, which culminated during the Kosovo War, meant that tensions were bound to be high when the sides came to meet. In Belgrade, when a drone flew into the Partizan Stadium carrying a nationalist flag depicting a map of ‘Greater Albania’, the Serbian crowd responded in fury – forcing the match to be abandoned by referee Martin Atkinson.If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support!About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.Nick Ames is a football reporter for the Guardian.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Vithushan Ehantharajah re-joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller this week to discuss an eight-goal thriller at White Hart Lane – Spurs 3 Manchester United 5. Goals from Richards, Ferdinand and Ziege raced Spurs into a three-goal lead at half-time against the champions but an infamous Alex Ferguson three-word half-time speech was all that was needed to inspire an exhilarating second-half performance this Man United side – a vintage comeback. If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support! About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Vithushan Ehantharajahis a sportswriter for the Independent and IndySport as well as being a part of The Football Ramble.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Steve Crossman joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller on this week’s Greatest Games to discuss the Euro 2016 Group F opener between eventual champions, Portugal, and the tournament’s surprise package, Iceland.The Nordic nation had never featured at a major tournament finals before but were unfazed by going toe-to-toe with the 2004 finalists, captained by the mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo. The result, and the remainder of the tournament, would catapult Iceland out of footballing obscurity and capture the hearts of football fans across Europe.If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support!About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.Steve Crossman is a Five Live presenter and producer/presenter of The Hurricane Tapes podcast.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games, Michael Walker joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to remember Northern Ireland’s return to Windsor Park after three and a half years of international football exile.The Northern Ireland national team had been playing their “home” games up and down England since their last Windsor Park international in October 1971 against the Soviet Union. This game against Yugoslavia brought Northern Ireland out of football isolation. If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support!About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.Michael Walker is a football reporter for The Athletic, the Irish Times and the I and an author of Up There: North East Football Boom and Bust and also Green Shoots: Irish Football Histories.Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this week’s Greatest Games Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the 1954 exhibition match between English champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and Hungarian champions Budapest Honvéd. Under the Molineux floodlights and broadcast on the BBC, excitement swept across Wolverhampton and the entire nation for this one.  Honvéd starred many of the Mighty Magyars who finished as runners-up in the 1954 World Cup and had sent shockwaves through English football after becoming the first team from outside the British Isles to defeat England at Wembley. After the win, the English press coined Wolves the ‘champions of the world’, spurring a desire for more continental club football and the formation of regular contests under the guise of the European Cup. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Dominic Sandbrook is a historian, author, columnist and co-presenter of The Rest Is History podcast. Dominic’s most recent book Who Dares Wins, about Britain in the 1980s, is available from all the expected retailers now.Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd

We’re off to a cup final, everyone! Faye Carruthers joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the 1988 Littlewoods Challenge Cup Final between Luton Town and Arsenal. Defending champions Arsenal were considered heavy favourites, but Ray Harford’s Luton Town had been performing well in the First Division and were raring for this cup final. Gus Caesar errors and Andy Dibble heroics make the difference in this frantic cup final in front of 95,000 at Wembley which features four goals in the game’s last 20 minutes.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Faye Carruthers is a presenter and reporter for Sky Sports, talkSPORT, IMG and many more.  Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd

David Jones joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to remember the second 1997 FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.David Jones presents Super Sunday and Monday Night Football on Sky Sports.Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd

It’s a World Cup final edition of Greatest Games! Herbie Sykes joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss Italy’s first World Cup triumph on home soil in 1934.Mussolini’s Italy greeted the world for the second Fifa World Cup competition, the first to feature teams from three continents. In a tournament designed to highlight Italian superiority and values, the only team left standing in their way of lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy – then called “Victory” – was Czechoslovakia. Italy would emerge victorious, albeit in a victory shrouded by accusations of bribery, corruption and meddling, and the fascist anthem Giovinezza would play out in celebration around the Stadio Nazionale in Rome.If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support!About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.Herbie Sykes is a Turin-based journalist who specialises in the history of road bicycle racing and an author of a number of books including the award-winning The Race Against The Stasi and recently Juve: 100 Years of an Italian Footballing Dynasty.Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Back to Wembley for this week’s Greatest Games as  Maciej Iwański joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss a famous draw between England and Poland in October 1973. After suffering defeat in Chorzow in June, Alf Ramsey’s side needed to win in order to avoid missing the World Cup finals for the first time since their first entry in 1950. However, the heroics of goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski helped Poland secure their spot at the World Cup at England’s expense and managed to make a fool of Brian Clough in the process.If you can ever spare the time to leave a review wherever you get your podcasts from, it could really help. Thanks for your support! About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.Maciej Iwański is a presenter on TVP Sport in Poland and a member of the Ballon d’Or jury.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Listen to every Greatest Games podcast ever, here.  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Rory Smith joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller on this week’s Greatest Games to reflect on one of football’s most highly-anticipated fixtures to have never even happened – the postponed 2018 Copa Libertadores final second-leg between River Plate and Boca Juniors. A rousing 2-2 draw at La Bombonera had perfectly set-up a winner-takes-all Copa Libertadores superclásico final – the like of which never to have been witnessed before in the 58-year history of the competition. However, it was an occasion that proved too seismic to even taken place – where it was originally intended to have been hosted, at least. The local and global significance of the superclásico, Conmebol tribulations, Jacaranda trees and more.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Rory Smith is the chief soccer correspondent for the New York Times, a regular on BBC Radio Five Live and author of Mister: The Men Who Gave The World The Game. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller discuss a 1954 World Cup semi-final with Martin Da Cruz – Hungary 4 Uruguay 2.  Going into the match in Lausanne, Switzerland, Hungary’s ‘Mighty Magyars’ hadn’t lost a full international since 1950 – winning Olympic gold and thrashing England a couple of times in that time. But of course, Uruguay were yet to lost a World Cup fixture themselves, winning the inaugural competition in 1930 and then in 1950.  Two international football heavyweights meet in a defining fixture at a pivotal time in their footballing histories. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Martin da Cruz is an Australia-based PhD student, researcher and writer specialising in Uruguayan football history, contributor to The Blizzard and is currently working on his first book on the early years of the Uruguayan game. Order our latest quarterly –  including how the COVID-19 pandemic changed football, a look at a selection of infamous footballing individuals and an investigation of the Afghanistan women’s national team and their fight for justice – Issue 40.Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Leon Mann is this week’s guest on Greatest Games, joining Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to remember the 1991 FA Cup semi-final North London Derby between Terry Venables’ Tottenham and George Graham’s Arsenal. Rather than traipsing the sides up to the midlands, the tie became the first-ever FA Cup semi-final to be hosted at Wembley. This meant a first Wembley trip for Leon and a grand setting to further encourage Mr Paul Gascoigne for the occasion. What followed was a clash of styles between two cherished managers and one of the great semi-final performances.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Leon Mann is an interviewer, consultant, filmmaker and founder of BCOMS and the Football Black List.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games, Brian Homewood joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the 1981 Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final first-leg between West Ham United and Dinamo Tbilisi. So to the Boleyn Ground for this one, where the ardent West Ham crowd – then used to cruising second division and on the verge of promotion – warmly welcomed the Soviet Cup winners from Georgia. The reception was shortly followed by disbelief as the Georgians picked apart the FA Cup holders on a blustery March night in East London. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Brian Homewood is a freelance journalist based in Portugal, contributor of Reuters, World Soccer, ESPN and When Saturday Comes among others.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On Greatest Games this week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Cecilia Lagos to remember the 1962 World Cup group stage tie between hosts, Chile, and two-time World champions, Italy – the ‘Battle of Santiago’. David Coleman’s introduction to the BBC’s broadcast of this game is the stuff of legends – “The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football in the history of the game…” it began.  Ceci, Jonathan and Marcus remember the remarkable events which unfolded just months after an earthquake devastated the host nation and were stirred by the comments of two European journalists.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Cecilia Lagos is a Chilean freelance European football correspondent based in the Netherlands, football writer and content producer for The Tactical Room as well as her own YouTube channel, Sportiva.  Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Laurence McKenna is our guest on Greatest Games this week to rewind back just five years to Liverpool’s last-gasp Europa League quarter-final win against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield. Laurence, Jonathan and Marcus remember the landmark moments of Jurgen Klopp’s early days on Merseyside, recall the stars of the side that Jurgen inherited from his predecessor Brendan Rodgers and ask what is it that makes European nights on the Kop so special? About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Laurence McKenna is most notably the creator and host of The Kick Off, The True Geordie Podcast and The Front Three. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games, Paul Myers joins Jonathan and Marcus to discuss the 2012 Cup of Nations final and one of the most emotional stories in football history. Extraordinarily reaching the final meant that Zambia would compete to win their first-ever Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon – the city where 30 passengers and crew, including the Zambia national team and support staff, lost their lives in a tragic plane crash on the way to a World Cup qualifier in Dakar. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Paul Myers is the sports editor at Radio France International’s English service.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this edition of Greatest Games, Gary Al-Smith is on the pod to remember a dramatic Afcon semi-final which took place six years ago on Friday alongside Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller.  Tournament hosts, Equatorial Guinea, meet a Ghana side managed by Avram Grant and looking in great stead to win the Cup of Nations. The hosts’ fans weren’t short of optimism and unduly encouraged to be so confident that 2015 was their year, leading to an outpouring of emotion when their hopes of glory diminished in Malabo. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Gary Al-Smith is a sports journalist reporting locally and internationally from Ghana, contributing to the BBC, CNN and The New York Times as well as being a Unicef ambassador. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games, Richard Jolly joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss one of the Premier League’s most extraordinary results ever – Manchester City’s 6-1 win away at Old Trafford in 2011. 'A statement' undermines quite what happened on this day. The trio looks back on how the Manchester clubs reached this point, the starring members of Roberto Mancini’s 2011-12 Premier League-winning side and much more.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Richard Jolly is a football journalist for the National, the Guardian, the Observer, the Straits Times, the Independent, FourFourTwo, Sporting Life and contributor to The Blizzard.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

On this episode of Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Uli Hesse as they remember the 1985-86 Bundesliga relegation/promotion playoff which could’ve seen Borussia Dortmund drop out of the top-flight. Uli, Jonathan and Marcus discuss the troubles facing of German football in the 80s, the remarkable desperate situation Borussia Dortmund found themselves in and the chaotic scenes which helped ensure their survival.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Uli Hesse is an author and journalist who has written extensively on German football, with books including Tor! The Story of German Football, Bayern: Creating a Global Superclub and Building the Yellow Wall: The Incredible Rise and Cult Appeal of Borussia Dortmund. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

In this week’s Greatest Games, Saša Ibrulj takes Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller back to Florence in 1990 for Yugoslavia and Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final.   With social instability in the backdrop of this fixture for both nations, the potential ramifications of this fixture could have extended far beyond football. Reigning champions, Argentina, hoped to reach another semi-final whilst Yugoslavia’s talented side looked to establish themselves as genuine tournament contenders for the new decade.    About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Saša Ibrulj is a football writer, a columnist for TeleSport, a contributor to the Guardian, World Soccer, ESPN and many others.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

In this week’s Greatest Games, Paul Hayward joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for a tactical review of one of the World Cup’s most famous matches – the 1970 Group C encounter between Brazil and England.   For holders England, the 1970 summer kicked off with controversy after the skipper, Bobby Moore was arrested in Colombia before the World Cup had even begun for allegedly stealing a bracelet from a Bogata jewellers. The preparation was far from ideal, but the meeting with Brazil set the tournament alight – the two tournament favourites toe-to-toe under the blazing Mexican sun. The match that unveiled proved to be a tactical turning point in international football history.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Paul Hayward is one of the most recognisable names in British sports journalism, having written for the Guardian, the Independent, the Mail and until recently the chief sports reporter at The Telegraph. Paul was also ghostwriter to Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Robson and is currently working on a biography of the England men's football team. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Maher Mezahi joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for this week’s episode of Greatest Games to look back on the chaotic World Cup qualifying play-off between north African rivals Algeria and Egypt in 2009.   The match was the third of the year between the two sides played on neutral grounds in Omdurman, Sudan. The rivalry between the two nations resurfaced at the previous meeting in Cairo, just four days prior, as fans clashed before and after the match. The tension was paramount in Sudan as the stakes were high with qualification for the 2010 World Cup, the first hosted in Africa, on the line in this one-off clash.   About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Maher Mezahi is an Algerian journalist covering sport in north Africa with contributions to the BBC, the Guardian, the Telegraph, Al Jazeera and many more.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

Melissa Reddy is on this week’s Greatest Games, joining Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss a seven-goal thriller between Liverpool and Manchester City in January 2018.   Oozing invincibility, Manchester City were flying at the top of the Premier League having won 20 of 22 fixtures so far. But they were yet to visit Anfield, where Jurgen Klopp was looking for an invigorating response after the record sale of Philippe Coutinho. Both sides flew out of the traps and produced one of the most thrilling Premier League encounters in recent memory.About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.   Melissa Reddy is a senior football correspondent at the Independent, author of the newly-released book Believe Us: How Jurgen Klopp Transformed Liverpool into Title Winners, and host of the new podcast Between The Lines. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week, Harry Pearson joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the third fixture of the 1998 World Cup – Italy 2 Chile 2.   Having reached the final four years ago, Cesare Maldini’s Who’s Who of Italian football in the 90s were hoping to get off to a flyer against Chile. However, with one of the tournament’s most exciting strike partnerships headlining Chile’s starting XI, this World Cup 98 fixture wasn’t to go as entirely expected.Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/