The Pioneers

Podcast: Glasgow’s Early Football History

Queen's Park FC, Scotland's pioneer Association rules club [Photo: Queen's Park FC] My guest is Richard McBrearty from the excellent…

3 years ago

How Vasco Da Gama fought for equality in early Brazilian football

Vasco flag fluttering by the beach in Rio de Janeiro Football was established relatively late in Brazil. When Charles Miller…

3 years ago

Podcast: The History of Dutch Football

Gary Thacker's book on Dutch football is out in summer 2021 (Photo: Pitch Publishing) I welcome Gary Thacker back onto…

3 years ago

El Clásico Uruguayo: The Roots of South America’s Oldest Derby

Nacional fans at the Estadio Centenario (Photo: Marcus Haydon) Between them, Peñarol and Nacional have won 98 of the 116…

3 years ago

Visiting the Royal Arsenal – and other important Arsenal sites south of the river

The Royal Arsenal, the workplace of the original 'Gunners' [Photo: Christopher Hylland] In this guest post, Arsenal fan and author…

3 years ago

Women’s Football and the Scottish Football Association

A match between Stewarton Thistle and Holyrood Bumbees in May 1964. Finding match officials was a perennial problem for women's…

3 years ago

The Philadelphia Story: Irish Footballers in Early US Soccer

Modern Philadelphia [Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash] In this guest post, Irish football historian Gerard Farrell explores the role of Irish footballers in…

3 years ago

Podcast: Andrew Watson – The First Black International Footballer

Queen's Park in the early 1880s. Andrew Watson is standing top left [Credit: Queen's Park FC] My guest is Llew…

3 years ago

Podcast: Pioneers of Women’s Football

The statue of Lily Parr. The UK's first-ever statue of a female footballer [Photo: National Football Museum, Manchester] My guest…

3 years ago

BOOK LAUNCH: Origin Stories – The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World

Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World is out NOW! It's finally out! Origin Stories: The Pioneers…

3 years ago