Football History

Podcast: A Global History of Modern Football

Alan McDougall’s new book explores the role of economics, race, gender and much more in the spread of football

We welcome Alan McDougall from the University of Guelph in Canada back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, Contested Fields, A Global History of Modern Football. In the book, Alan explores the roles of migration, money, competition, gender, race, space, spectatorship, and confrontation in the growth of the game worldwide.

We discuss the pivotal moments in world football – such as 1992 with the creation of the Premier League, the Champions League, the backpass rule – and also the Bosman ruling, and other key events that changed the course of the game. We discuss the role of the British Empire and mercantile networks in the game’s spread and also look at where football goes from here.

Alan’s podcast with us on East German football history is one of our most downloaded episodes, so be sure to check that out too.

We release a new podcast every Monday, so be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. We’re on AppleSpotifyStitcherPlayer.FM and Anchor. Look for us in Google Podcasts too. We’d really appreciate a rating or view if you like what we’re doing as it helps others discover our podcast.

Chris

Recent Posts

Podcast: Spanish Football Culture with Miguel Pereira

Estadio Mestalla, home of Valencia CF [Photo: Miguel Pereira] I welcome Miguel Lourenço Pereira back…

6 days ago

South American Football’s British Founding Fathers

Fluminense fans with a Union Flag in their club's colours, acknowledging Fluminense's roots [Photo: Will…

2 weeks ago

Podcast: The Kentish Roots of Newell’s Old Boys

Bust of Isaac Newell at a 2022 exhibition in Rochester, Kent, England [Photo: Isaac Newell…

3 weeks ago

Corinthian-Casuals: Living History in the English Non-League

Corinthian-Casuals at home in the ninth tier of English football [Photo: Chris Lee/Outside Write] Down…

4 weeks ago

Podcast: Colombian Women’s Football as an Agent for Change

Colombian national team shirts hanging out [Photo: Berend Leupen via Unsplash] I am joined by…

1 month ago

Iconic Football Stadiums: The Oval, Glentoran

The Oval, home of Glentoran, as seen from the away end [Photo: Chris Lee/Outside Write]…

1 month ago