The Second Pint Podcast

The French and Michel Platini capture the national team championship in any sport, and they did it on their home turf. The 1984 Euros are regarded as one of the best international tournaments ever. The French were outstanding hosts, the football was excellent, and the drama was at a minimum.

The 1980 Euros were not well remembered. The game's were low scoring and not well attended, but we find some silver linings in the clouds. The event expanded in 1980, which helps set the table for future tournaments and the growth of the event. 

Both Long goes deep on cleats and the tournament ball. We also discuss the insane mascot, the best game, the golden boot winner, and who might have helped their legacy with strong performances.

In their latest project, Sean and Both dive into the European Championship. This episode is the first in a series looking back at past tournaments: The winners, losers, disappointments, legacies, rising stars, boots, uniforms, and more!

In the first episode of this series, the guys look at the first five Euros from 1960-1976. The event was in its infancy with just four teams qualifying for the finals. The quick tournament grew over time, but these first five set the table for what would become the second biggest international soccer tournament in the world. 

Crotone is one of only 14 teams from Southern Italy to qualify for Serie A. It took almost 100 years to do it, but in 2016, the club with a 10,000 seat stadium and a tiny budget found their way to the top league of Italian football. Crotone is a small city in the southern most region of Italy. The city is poor and trying to find a way to create jobs for its citizens. The football team might not have any big stars, but it’s full of stories and is a ray of light for its fans.

We finally head to Rome for a visit to Lazio! Found in 1900, the club has plenty of great stories and characters. We go way back to discuss heroes like Silvio Piola, who is the all-time leading scorer in Italian top league calcio. The 1974 Scudetto winning squad was a team of individuals that met an incredible amount of tragedy in the following years punctuated by the death of a player and the manager. Giorgio Chinaglia might be one of the most fascinating player's we have learned about during this entire project, a man that fought with everyone, including is NY Cosmos teammate, Pele! 

This week we head to Parma and learn about a club that has had a number of rebirths in its history. Most notably, the club crawled out of the depths of Serie D this decade, which is an astounding accomplishment. To be a fan of Parma is to be tortured, but they also have European glory to remember and wish for again.

AC Milan is one of the greatest clubs in world club football. They have collected trophies throughout much of their history while also experiencing heartbreak on the field, too. While some stars like Ronaldo and Beckham have donned the red and black, the club’s biggest heroes are ones that played at the San Siro for decades like Paolo Maldini and his father Cesare. It’s incredible that the San Siro is home to both AC and Inter Milan, there probably aren’t two more successful tenants in any stadium in the world. Recently, the club has struggled to find success after Silvio Berlusconi stepped away from the club but there are rays of hope poking through the clouds. 

Florence is a cultural center, not just for Italy but for the world. For all it’s importance, Florence is also a relatively small city and Fiorentina is its only soccer club. The club has experienced a few rebirths over its history. One by force of hand by a new owner in 1980 and another through bankruptcy in 2002, which led to the their crest becoming the most expensive logo in European football. Their trophy case is anything but bare, and they found the most success in the 1950s and 60s. There is no shortage of history, great characters, and cameos through the years at Fiorentina.

Cagliari is a club based on the island of Sardinia, one of the healthiest places in all the world. The club was founded in 1920 and reached great heights in 1970 when it won it’s first and only scudetto. It remains the only club from one of the Italian islands to win Serie A. The club seems to be a siren song for many, as managers and players would leave only to return. We hope you enjoy listening to stories about Gigi Riva and the history of Cagliari Calcio.

Born from two Genoese clubs - Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria - Sampdoria was formed in 1946. The name, crest, uniform, and club colors depict the combination of two clubs. We dive into the history of the club, the heroes and villains, highs and lows. However, the cameos are certainly a highlight, including the son of Muammar Gaddafi who had a cup of coffee in European football. The club reached the highs of European football in the late 80s and early 90, culminating in a 1992 Champions League final appearance against Barcelona at Wembley Stadium.

Sassoulo is the only club in Italy that has been in every division, from Serie A to Serie D. It started as an amateur club and remained that way for the first 50 years of it’s existence. They didn’t climb out of Serie D for good until 1998. The tiny club is also one of six clubs to play in Serie A that isn’t from a provincial capitol city. In short, this club is the little engine that could. It’s a remarkable story.

Join Both and me as we discuss the history of the club.

Many would say the city of Naples is the black sheep of Italian cities. Their soccer club has had an amazing history. When Maradona arrived in the mid-80s the club became the center of the soccer universe, and their success matched the attention they garnered. Their fans are rampant and their club has been resurrected in the last decade after a tough stretch.

Both and I cover the history of the club: their heroes, villains,The stadium DJ, the high-points, low-points, trophies, close-calls, and the most impressive cameo appearances by the stars of the sport.

A quick note about the timing of this episode. We recorded it before Maradona passed away in late November. Both and I took 10 minutes to discuss his passing. You can find it at the end of the episode.

The club everyone loves to hate. Join us as we dive into the history of Juventus. The Old Lady has quite a story to tell. We discuss the nearly 100 year  Angelli ownership, the trophies, the gold stars, the scandals, the heroes, the villains, the club cameos by players and managers, the close calls, and what could have beens. 

If you're going to start in Italy, it makes sense to start with Juventus.

Original Date: April 1, 2020

West Ham United had three players on the pitch for the 1966 World Cup Final. Those three players were responsible for all four goals. Bobby Moore captained that team and his 16 years at West Ham United earned him legend status. He's described as a "National Treasure" and "Imperial Defender" on a statue outside of Wembley where he won three different trophies in three successive years. The man was a force and the topic of our hero portion of this episode. 
On the villain end of things, Both outlines the role that ownership has played in the last decade at West Ham: a new stadium, poor results, and pissed off fans. Two adult entertainment moguls, David Gold and David Sullivan, have not covered themselves in glory as local owners. On the cusp of relegation, these two men are villains at West Ham.

Leicester City has plenty of heroes, especially in the recent history of the club following their miraculous Premier League title in 2016. A quiet French midfielder, whose experience matches the development of the club during the 2010s was Both's choice as a hero. Sean's choice for an lCFC villain was a 35-year-old hothead that was sacked by the club for punching a teammate. He sued Leicester City for 2.3 million pounds while the club was circling the financial drain and heading for administration.

Original Date: March 24, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Every club has its heroes and villains. We highlight one hero and one villain in the history of Leeds United. Harry Kewell held a financially strapped Leeds United hostage in order to play for his favorite childhood team, Liverpool. In the flip side, Tony Yeboah brought great joy to Leeds fans in such a short amount of time. His "Thunderbastards" are a thing of legend, destroying opponents and sending Elland Road's faithful into a frenzy.

First we visited 12 small English clubs, and for our next set of clubs, we head to Italy. 

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Original Date: March 3, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

It's time to build the club we'd wish upon our worst enemies. Both and Sean use the ten teams from their Past and Present Series and make the worst club they can. The catch? They can only use each club once as they pick a city, crest, uniform, stadium, and more.

Original Date: February 24, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

After researching and learning about ten English clubs, we decided to see if we could build a dream club using facets of just those ten teams. Both Long and I each make our own selections and talk about our choices.

Original Date: March 17, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

We’ve learned a lot about ten teams in England for this series of podcasts.  This week, we each spent some time digging through the archives to pick out the 5 best games that any of our clubs have played in.

Original Date: March, 10 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Both and Sean step into the team room and try to build a starting 11 with a $120 million budget and the collection of players that are currently on the ten teams we have researched for this series. Our philosophies differ and Both's knowledge outpaces Sean's by a healthy amount (pay no attention to the section where Sean gets Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey confused....). They believe their final team selection would be a formidable mid-table foe in the Premier League, and we can tell ourselves that because, well, it's out podcast.

Original Date: February 17, 2020

Southampton F.C. was founded in 1885, and has enjoyed long runs of consistent performance during its existence. Nothing too high, though. It's a club short on trophies and top-flight triumph. Administration in the 2000s left them having to sell off some exceptional talent to make some money back. The likes of Gareth Bale, Virgil van Dijk, Luke Shaw, Sadio Mane have worn the red and white stripes. The Southampton Academy continues to churn out talent, while the club maintains some semblance of consistency in the Premier League.  Join Both and I as we discuss the old and new of Southampton F.C.

Original Date: February 10, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Southampton F.C. was founded in 1885, and has enjoyed long runs of consistent performance during its existence. Nothing too high, though. It's a club short on trophies and top-flight triumph. Administration in the 2000s left them having to sell off some exceptional talent to make some money back. The likes of Gareth Bale, Virgil van Dijk, Luke Shaw, Sadio Mane have worn the red and white stripes. The Southampton Academy continues to churn out talent, while the club maintains some semblance of consistency in the Premier League.  Join Both and I as we discuss the old and new of Southampton F.C.

Original Date January 17, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Leicester City started the 2015-16 season with 5000/1 odds to win the title. By February, the bookies were asking to buy out people who had bet Leicester to win the league. Bet a pound, win 5000. The shocking victory didn’t start in 2015, though. It started when the team was relegated in 2007 to the third tier of English football and slowly rebuilt with smart signings, strong leadership, and a dose of luck. What happened after the won the championship is why Leicester fans say supporting the club is a rollercoaster. Listen along as we talk about the lead-up to a championship and what has happened at the club since their historic championship.

Original Date: January 6, 2020 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Crystal Palace's history dates back to the 1860s, but after a 30 year hiatus, the club really got its start in 1905. It seems as if that throughout the club's history they have always been given the short end of the stick. Chelsea was granted a place in the football league and Crystal Palace wasn't in 1905. They hold the "honor" of being relegated with the highest point total in top flight history. Their highest finish ever, third place in 1990, was rewarded with European competition because of a stadium disaster five years prior. It might be too much to say this club is cursed, but there seems to be a bit of a jinxed vibe after looking into their past. To be a Crystal Palace fan is to be frustrated but hopeful and proud. Roy Hodgson has come along and settled the club down, creating an identity on the field of hard working, counter-attacking football. What does the future hold as the roster ages past their prime and Hodgson looks towards the end of his illustrious career? We have no idea, but we have some guesses.

Original Date: December 23, 2019 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Everton is one of the most storied clubs in English football.  Their successes stretch more than a century and they are currently locked in a battle at the bottom of the league table. A new manager was just announced and a massive stadium might be on the horizon. Everton is on the outside of the "Top 6" and wants back in badly. In the 1980s, greatest collection of talent they ever had was robbed of European glory due to a stadium tragedy. A tortured fanbase, an interesting city and stadium, some excellent folklore, an incredible crest, and a bossy neighbor made this a really fun project.

Original Date: December 20, 2019

Leeds United is a club of worldwide fame. This midlands club, the only one in Leeds, England, has reached the highest of highs, but have also experienced the lowest of lows in English and European football. Financial ruin, and a run of bad luck, nearly left Leeds in complete shambles at the turn of the 21st century. In this deep dive podcast, Sean and Both look at the history of Leeds United, along with their present day resurgence under the coaching of Marcelo Bielsa. This is the perfect time to learn about this club, as they chase promotion to the Premier League.

Original Date December 16, 2019 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

The Sheffield Wednesday Owls hail from the Steel City in England. Their history runs deep, all the way back to 1867 when a cricket club was looking for something to do in the winter. As the soccer club grew, it went its separate way from the cricket club. They avoided their own extinction in 1887 when they decided to follow the crowd and begin to pay their players. Their stadium, Hillsborough, is infamous for a game Sheffield Wednesday wasn't even involved in; that event continues to haunt two clubs, and the victims, in the courts and the news. Presently, the club is in the Championship, fighting for promotion while their crosstown rivals, Sheffield United, play in the Premier League. Their club is in hot water due to some shady dealings around the sale of their stadium. An interesting pod that left us wanting to know more about Sheffield Rules Football, a match-fixing scandal in the 1960s, and the club's potential automatic relegation at the end of this season.

Original Date: December 9, 2019 on The Imperfect Game Podcast

Sheffield, England is known at the Steel City. The new promoted Sheffield United Blades have done the city proud so far this season. The city is a tough one with an industrial history. The team hasn't won a trophy since 1925. But there's some history in this team, back in the day Sheffield United won leagues and cups. They play in a stadium that was built in 1855. Presently, The Blades are a home grown unit. English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish players abound. Their manager was a Sheffield United ball boy who also played for the team, who has injected new ideas to the team tactics. Tactics that other managers wouldn't imagine trying, especially with a newly promoted team. Foreign money made them "Giant Killers" in 2014/15, while  propelling The Blades back to the Premier League, even though they've made few transfer splashes; their success thus far has them hoping for a long run in the top division in English Football.

Original Date: November 15, 2019 on The Imperfect Game

In the second of their deep dive series, Both and Sean looked at West Ham United from all angles. Their past, built out of the hot steel and rivet hammers of the shipbuilders, to their present, a side looking for a new identity in a new stadium with some rather upset fans. Their Academy program arguably won England the 1966 World Cup and also flooded the Premier League with great players in the early 2000s. Hooliganism, songs about bubbles, youth development, and the eternal struggle to remain relevant among their London brethren marks this club's past and present.

Original Date: November 8, 2019 on The Imperfect Game.

Sean and Both decided it was time to learn about a non-Big 6 club, so they gave themselves some homework. Sean went all the way back to the 19th century and learned about the origins and history of Wolves; it's one of the OG clubs (and stadiums) in England. Both researched the present day club and how they have found success, particularly how they are targeting foreign players.

Have a team you'd like us to spotlight in the future? Email your ideas to TheImperfectGamepod@gmail.com or find Sean at the twitter handle: BostonHomer.