Celebrating their big 4-0 with a disgusting Coconut Kinder Bueno, magazine editor Andy Lyons, writer Harry Pearson and host Daniel Gray discuss the Euros so far, from Lukas Carnival to Bovril Popsicles via players who ‘know where the goal is’. There is an important update on the train station situation in Horden, parakeet news and talk of players who were good at other sports, including Lev Yashin and Reginald ‘Tip’ Foster. Record Breakers takes us to Amsterdam, Helsinki and Ischia, while Dan talks all things Newport County with Ed Bridges of the 1912 Exiles podcast.
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Stories
Players, just like fans, have their own quirky habits and routines ahead of a match, including Lev Yahsin smoking and Ian Wright preferring something stronger
From cricketers to athletes, plenty of sportsmen have tried to become footballers – though few have switched disciplines with much success
Paul Kelly looks at how the award for the world’s best player has evolved since 1956
In Paris three years ago, after Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth Manchester United player to win the Ballon d’Or presented by France Football magazine, Alex Ferguson was asked which Old Trafford legends he considered unlucky not to have lifted the prize. “Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs,” he replied. No Roy Keane? No David Beckham? Ferguson’s wrong side is a lonely place to be.
With the Soviet national team causing huge disappointment at the 1952 Olympics, Sasha Goryunov explains how the fallout had huge ramifications for the Soviet league
The long-term significance
This was a year of upheaval for Soviet football. After a hiatus of 17 years the national side took to the field again and participated in its first ever official international tournament, the 1952 Olympics. In losing to Tito’s Yugoslavia in the first round, the team failed in both sporting and political terms with grave consequences for the reigning champions, CDSA. The famous “Lieutenants’ Team” had dominated post-war USSR football, with five titles in seven years, but was held responsible for what happened in Helsinki and disbanded. This opened the door for Spartak Moscow, who went on to dominate the domestic scene for the next dozen years.