This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bhutan courtesy of football kit designers Icarus. Which footballing figure flew the plane that transported him from Kathmandu to Paro? How did a 10-goal thriller have more drama after the final whistle than in the game itself? Which endangered species are Thimphu City fighting to help save? And how could YOU join the Overseas Board of a football club in Asia?   Part 2 is dedicated to the best stories from the international game in the October window. Why was oxygen being provided on the sidelines at Bolivia’s World Cup qualifier against Colombia? Who holds the longest ongoing winless run in international football now that Liechtenstein and Andorra have both won? Why did Turkmenistan’s government deny their national football team permission to travel to Malta? And for what unusual reason did the Turks & Caicos goalkeeper miss the CONCACAF Nations League clash with Anguilla?   If you don’t want to wait another fortnight for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus podcasts in the in-between weeks at patreon.com/SweeperPod. The next patron-only episode will hit the airwaves on Wednesday 23 October. Subscribers can also read our bonus blog about our trip to Lugano, join several hundred other patrons on our Discord chat community, enter our regular shirt giveaway contests and get a sneak preview of each podcast on the weekend before it is released. Follow Matthew Eide’s Faraway Football account: Twitter: x.com/FarAwayFootball Instagram: Instagram.com/farawayfootball RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – Lee & Paul’s travel disasters 02:57 – A groundhop to beautiful Bhutan 18:24 – FIFA+: South America & Oceania 26:58 – A golden era for Europe's micro-states 34:57 – Country vs. club in Turkmenistan 38:36 – Poolside viewing in the Caribbean Editor: Ralph Foster

In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speaking region since 1949? We also hear from YouTuber and friend of the pod TheTimTraveller about Campione d’Italia (the exclave on the other side of Lake Lugano) and their eighth-division football team.   Next up, it’s Paul’s turn to tell the story of his visit to Welsh outfit The New Saints ahead of their UEFA Conference League clash with Fiorentina. But what about the four Welsh clubs in the English pyramid dreaming of European football? Why is Norwegian second-tier club Bryne inviting spectators to bring their tractors to matches? And why are the Vatican’s men’s and women’s teams making a trip to Berlin soon? We answer all those questions in Part 2, which includes another guest appearance from YouTuber and Away Days host Ellis Platten.   For the chance to win a Vatican national team shirt, to read our in-depth bonus blog about Lugano’s rise and to join our chat community on Discord, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You can also listen to our bonus podcast out on Wednesday 9 October, in which we talk about our visit to the Serie B match between FC Südtirol and Palermo, the Iranian ballistic missiles that made an appearance in the AFC Champions League 2 and the Romanian sporting director urging fans to abandon adult content creators. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 00:51 - The rise of Swiss side Lugano 10:34 - Mascots & miniature models 13:15 - Campione d'Italia with TheTimTraveller 17:25 - A stop-off at FC Südtirol 18:52 - Behind the scenes at TNS 25:00 - Alternative Welsh routes in Europe 29:21 - Tractor tickets in Norway with Ellis Platten 33:53 - The quirkiest VIP offerings in football 38:27 - Peru's Vatican-themed football club 42:12 - The Vatican's upcoming tour to Berlin   Video: Away Days at Bryne: Out on Saturday 5 October   Video: TheTimTraveller on Campione d’Italia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fqinoNiZE   Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa’s first win since 2015 among the highlights. There’s also a mention for the Turks & Caicos Islands’ 14 year-old goalie, a rare competitive away win for altitude specialists Bolivia & a presidential helicopter disruption at Guyana vs. Suriname.   There’s a special announcement to kick off Part 2, as we tell the listeners all about The Sweeper Podcast’s brand-new partnership with FIFA+ and all the matches around the world that can be live-streamed in top quality for free. The episode then finishes off with some great headlines from Chile and Argentina: Huachipato’s two games in one day, Barnechea’s 45-point deduction, Talleres’ gun-wielding chairman & Banfield’s half-time coach sacking.   To enter the draw to win the San Marino-Liechtenstein match programmes & the Anguilla shirt, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. There you will also be able to read our San Marino bonus blog and find our next bonus podcast on Wednesday 25 September, in which we talk about the Welsh substitute who got arrested before the final whistle, the Italian coach who scythed down an opponent & Chris Smalling’s nightmare debut for Al Fayha.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – San Marino: Local disbelief 05:00 – Anguilla: First victory in 14 years 06:42 – Turks & Caicos: 14-year-old goalie 10:21 – Bolivia: Altitude & away wins 14:18 – International window: The best ever? 16:08 – Guyana: The presidential helicopter 18:55 – FIFA+: Introducing our new partner 22:43 – Chile: Huachipato’s two games in a day 26:50 – Chile: Barnechea’s 45-point deduction 29:27 – Argentina: Talleres’ feisty chairman 32:20 – Argentina: Banfield’s half-time sacking Editor: Ralph Foster

Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Along with other content creators, friends & listeners, Sweeper duo Lee Wingate & Paul Watson were live in Serravalle to witness this monumental moment and talk about it afterwards in a special one-off bonus pod in a local bar after the final whistle. We hope you enjoy it - and please try out our other episodes if you do!

Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus the best European groundhops you could make to take in the league phase action. In Part 2, we divide our time between domestic club football and the international game. A broken goal is met with the suggestion of blowtorch repair in the Icelandic top tier, Papua New Guinea’s Admiralty Islands FC relocate to the mainland for six months and the international break looms large with three standout fixtures: San Marino vs. Liechtenstein, Comoros vs. Madagascar and Guyana vs. Suriname. If you don’t want to wait until 18 September for our next episode, then you can join us for a bonus podcast on 11 September at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You will also be able to read our blog about the 2024 Greenlandic Football Championship, enter the draw to win a B67 shirt, become part of our growing Discord community and get exclusive content from our trip to watch San Marino take on Liechtenstein in Serravalle. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 03:04 – UEFA qualifiers: Upsets & underdogs 09:00 – UEFA qualifiers: Media & memes 14:13 – UEFA qualifiers: Unfamiliar formats 18:56 – UEFA qualifiers: Groundhopping guidance 24:29 – Collapsing goals in Iceland & Romania 30:56 – Papua New Guinea’s relocating islanders 36:56 – San Marino & the international break 44:12 – Patreon perks & B67 shirt giveaway Editor: Ralph Foster

Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shortest European away days of the summer, football’s huge carbon footprint and two clubs with close links to the political leaders of their countries: Puskás Akadémia of Hungary & Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih of Ukraine.In Part 2, we turn our attentions to continental competitions in Africa, Asia & the Caribbean. We hear about Djiboutian club Arta Solar 7 in the CAF Champions League preliminaries and their takeover by a solar power company, find out whether Paul Watson will abscond to the Maldives to take charge of AFC Challenge League participants Maziya and learn why Haitian club America des Cayes did not turn up in Curacao for the CFU Caribbean Shield. There are also shirt giveaways for Village Superstars of St. Kitts & Nevis & the Chagos Islands national team.As per usual, you can join us for our next bonus episode if you don’t want to wait until Wednesday 4 September for another pod. That episode will be out on Wednesday 28 August and will take in some stories from the Nordic nations, including a collapsed goal and a blow torch in Iceland, an island club triumphing in the Danish Cup and the Swedish club with the most youth teams in Europe. We will also be sharing our own personal football bucket lists and telling you about an upcoming Q&A session for patrons on our Discord server.RUNNING ORDER:00:00 – Intro00:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Penalty pandemonium07:32 – UEFA qualifiers: History-making hopefuls11:11 – UEFA qualifiers: Epic away days15:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Supportive statesmen21:02 – San Marino & Nauru competition winners22:38 – Africa: The space and weapons derbies30:34 – Asia: Coaching vacancy in the Maldives36:48 – Caribbean: America des Cayes' no-show39:35 – St. Kitts & Nevis and Chagos Islands giveawaysJoin Sangalo's mailing list at the bottom of the homepage to enter the Village Superstars shirt competition: www.sangalo.com.Get yourself a Surprise Shirts mystery box at www.surpriseshirts.co.uk.

In Part 1, we bring you all the top stories from around the football world: Maikeli Lomu, an American with Tongan heritage, has sold his pottery studio in Utah and relocated to his ancestral homeland in pursuit of a World Cup dream. The 2024 edition of the Greenlandic Football Championship – the shortest season in world football at one week – is taking place on Disko Island off the west coast. And the FA Cup preliminary rounds are serving up some great stories, including the earliest goals in the history of the world’s oldest club competition. Then in Part 2 we turn our attentions to the men’s and women’s football tournaments at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris: the chaos and controversy between Argentina & Morocco, Canada’s spying scandal, the 6-5 thriller between Australia & Zambia, and the Malawian footballer-sprinter racing the 100 metres. There is also a selection of great listener emails, a competition to accompany the Sweeper team to San Marino vs. Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League and a giveaway for a limited-edition Nauru national team shirt. If you don’t want to hang on until Wednesday 21 August for another dose of world football goodness, then sign up to our Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod to get the bonus episodes. In the episode set for release on Wednesday 14 August, we talk about Japan legend Keisuke Honda’s one-match contract with Paro FC of Bhutan, Kuwaiti club Kazma’s phantom pre-season friendly, Libertad de Pirayu of Paraguay's trophy that disappeared from an open-top bus parade and Partick Thistle’s failed substitution due to accidentally cropped team sheet. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 00:32 - The Football Cliches Quiz 02:01 - Tongan World Cup dreams 07:18 - The FA Cup preliminary rounds 13:25 - Disko Island in Greenland 18:53 - San Marino & Nauru competitions 24:24 - Olympics: Opening game outrage 28:45 - Olympics: Drone debacles 32:06 - Olympics: Goals galore 36:28 - Olympics: Sprinting strikers 38:51 - Listener emails Editor: Ralph Foster

Co-host of The Sweeper Lee Wingate has a message for listeners of the show about the change of podcast frequency from weekly to fortnightly, which many of you will have heard us announce on the last episode. If you want podcasts in the in-between weeks too, plus a whole host of other bonus world football content, then join our Patreon community now over at patreon.com/SweeperPod.

In Part 1, we round up all the latest highlights from the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We talk about two villages of under 1,000 people in the Faroes & San Marino that claimed big European wins, the Slovenian keeper that went on a René Higuita-style dribble against Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and FC Copenhagen’s upcoming trip to face ‘pub team’ Bruno’s Magpies at a stadium overlooking the African coastline. That is followed in Part 2 by an announcement about a change to the podcast, which will return to its previously fortnightly rhythm. We then round off the episode by talking about the ‘Pariah Derby’ between the North Korean and Russian women’s teams and turn our attentions to pre-season friendlies: the pitch invaders at Rapid Vienna vs. AC Milan, Augsburg’s immigration disaster and a playground-style switch in Heilbronn. If you don’t want to wait until Wednesday 7 August for our next podcast, then join us on Patreon for our bonus podcasts. In the episode on Wednesday 31 July, we will examine the intriguing back stories of three promoted clubs from Eastern Europe, take a look at the Coupe de France action in St. Pierre & Miquelon and discuss the upcoming Milne Cup between Orkney & the Shetland Islands in Scotland. You can sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Victorious villages 04:52 - 27th time lucky for La Fiorita 11:38 - The NK Bravo keeper on the run 13:41 - Icelandic accumulator threats 15:19 - Pub team with a view of Africa 21:31 - Podcast frequency announcement 23:52 - North Korea's 'Pariah Derby' 29:22 - Rapid vs. Milan & pre-season friendlies Video of the NK Bravo goalkeeper on a run: x.com/FootballBurp/status/1814063958224978365 Editor: Ralph Foster

Part 1 is dedicated to the best part of the European football calendar: the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We chat about the Gibraltarian pub team that claimed a win in the Conference League, the victorious Polish and Romanian teams in the Europa League and the part-timers from the Faroe Islands excelling in the Champions League. In Part 2, we bring you a random mix of stories from across the football world: Paul has been offered a coaching job on a mystery island in the South Pacific, Thimphu City of Bhutan have come up with a great initiative to protect the white-bellied heron and The Sweeper has sponsored a football team for the first time at the Icarus Cup in the USA. Join us for Part 3 over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod to hear about the Brazilian policeman who fired a rubber bullet at a goalkeeper, an Anguillan side that allows their supporters a top-flight run-out and the Icelandic footballer presented with a bottle of champagne by a Fantasy Football Winner. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - EURO 2024 disappointment 02:44 - Second-tier Corvinul's quirky situation 09:39 - UEFA win for pub team Bruno's Magpies 13:10 - San Marino, Wales & the Faroe Islands 19:38 - A mystery island coaching job for Paul 23:46 - Thimphu City's white-bellied heron initiative 30:50 - The first Sweeper-sponsored football team Buy your Sweeper-sponsored football shirt from the Icarus Cup: https://icarusfc.com/products/malmo?_pos=1&_psq=malmo&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Part 1 is dedicated to the overachieving underdogs at the continental competitions taking place this summer: Canada at the Copa América, Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup and Georgia at the EUROs. Meanwhile, in Part 2, there is a rare move to a European club for an Eritrean player and an ex-Gibraltar international is jailed for drug dealing. Join us for Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we round up some headlines from the home nations and bring you some spectacular transfer fails too. RUNNING ORDER: Intro - 00:00 Canada at the Copa América - 00:59 Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup - 07:58 Georgia at the EUROs - 14:36 Listener mails - 20:30 A rare Eritrean transfer to Europe - 24:02 Ex-Gibraltar international jailed - 28:13

As an exception, we are uploading a bonus podcast that we make for our Patreon community to give our listeners a foretaste of what they will get each week if they sign up - in addition to our blog posts, Discord server access, weekly World Football Newsletter and shirt competitions. Out of respect to our paying patrons, we only upload a bonus episode to our main feed once per quarter and the podcast will only be available for a limited time (until midday CEST on Monday). The Sweeper Podcast is fully independent with no network backing and is entirely reliant on our Patreon contributions to keep going. If you find you are tuning into us each week and you enjoy what you hear, please do consider supporting us for only £5 / €6 / $7 per month at patreon.com/SweeperPod. Those contributions are the only reason we are still going and go a long way to helping us cover our editing and production costs plus our various subscriptions. We hope you enjoy the episode! Lee & Paul ---- First up on Sweeper Xtra this week are two little-known football competitions taking place in Europe at the moment. There is the UEFA Regions Cup, a biennial tournament for amateur teams across Europe including the likes of Galicia, Jersey & San Marino. And then there's the Europeada, a football tournament for indigenous and national minorities in Europe that is dominated by the northern Italian region of South Tyrol. After the break, we take an alternative look at the transfer window. Rosario Central have offered Angel Di María an armoured car as part of a transfer proposal to return to his boyhood club, while fifth-tier Spanish side Illueca have signed Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo - but not those ones. Finally, 57-year-old Kazu Miura is on the move again, returning home to Japan with fourth-tier Atletico Suzuka - but he's not the oldest currently active pro in the world...

With the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds getting under way this week, it’s time for a full Sweeper preview of the action in Part 1 – in the form of a trivia quiz, of course! Join us and play along in our three rounds – Multiple Choice, Odd One Out & The Right Order – as we look ahead to the Champions, Europa & Conference League qualifiers: the debutants, the second-tier teams, the geographical extremes, the funny back stories and much more besides. And there’s plenty at stake, with Lee and Paul competing for a coveted prize.   We’re off to the Pacific in Part 2 to look ahead to the Marshall Islands’ long-awaited international debut at the end of July. But where will the match take place? Who will the opponents be? And why is the landmark fixture taking place on a futsal court rather than a football pitch? Finally, we discuss a match between Germans Erzgebirge Aue and Glenavon of Northern Ireland that should have taken place in 1960. So what’s the reason for the 64-year delay? Why is it taking place now? And what other unlikely fan friendships exist in the football world?   Join for our patron-only Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a deeper dive into two little-known international football competitions that are taking place at the moment: the UEFA Regions Cup and the Europeada. There’s also an alternative look at the transfer window, including Rosario Central’s offer of an armoured car to Angel di María, a lower-league Spanish side signing Zidane and Ronaldo – but not those ones – and Kazu Miura’s loan move to Atletico Suzuka in his homeland at the age of 57. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - UEFA qualifier quiz: Multiple choice 08:53 - UEFA qualifier quiz: Odd one out 17:17 - UEFA qualifier quiz: The right order 22:46 - Marshall Islands' international debut 28:36 - A delayed Cold War friendly

Part 1 kicks off with some stories from around the football world. Why were the Solomon Islands locked out of their dressing room at the OFC Nations Cup? How come New Caledonia dramatically pulled out of the tournament? What are the most remote football tournaments in the world in terms of the distance to the closest inhabited land? And which footballer has recently established himself on the over-45s tennis circuit in South America?   We’re back to Europe for Part 2. Which Spanish fallen giant recently gained a dramatic promotion and celebrated with their supporters at the terminal building of the local airport? We’re joined by Matt Harrison of the Guiricast Podcast to find out more. What are the standout ties of the Champions League first qualifying round? And how did Bodø/Glimt manage to send scouts to check out the wrong Latvian opponent?   Join us for the patron-only Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we take our listeners behind the scenes for the first time and explain how we make the podcast. Where do we find our stories? What is the process for deciding which ones make the cut and deserve inclusion in the episode? How do we keep tabs on everything that is happening around the world? And what happens when we have a “bad pod day”? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - Chaos at the OFC Nations Cup 09:46 - Rescue missions on Saint Helena 16:47 - Diego Forlán's tennis transition 22:29 - Malaga's promotion madness 28:40 - European fallen giants 31:46 - The UCL first qualifying round 34:57 - Bodø/Glimt scout wrong Latvian opponent

The European Championships are in full swing not only on the pitch but off it too. In Part 1, we pick out three themes from the opening stages of the tournament in Germany that have made us laugh: food wars, culture craziness & online polls/searches. Tune in to find out which country at EURO 2024 has the best national dish, who is empirically speaking the sexiest of the 24 head coaches, why Niklas Füllkrug has the best ‘Personal life’ section on Wikipedia and why Ralf Rangnick has taken the Austria squad to a Rod Stewart concert in Berlin.   The focus is on club football in Part 2, with three amazing stories from Portugal, Japan and Iceland. Why could a Santa Clara player’s tattoo to commemorate winning the Portuguese second division prove to be premature? How has a university team managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Emperor’s Cup in Japan? And will lower-league Icelandic club FC Reynir, who are based at the foot of a volcano, get the home cup tie they have been dreaming of for 30 years?   For Part 3 and some international football headlines from three other continents, join us over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. Why is 16-year-old Bolivian wonderkid Moisés Paniagua unable to travel to the Copa America in the United States? What emotional moment of unity took place at the world’s newest international football derby between Sudan and South Sudan? And why has Singapore’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Hassan Sunny had to beg Chinese football fans to stop sending him money?   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:40 – EURO 2024 – Christmas for adults 03:40 – EURO 2024 culture craziness 07:02 – EURO 2024 food wars 11:15 – EURO 2024 online polls & searches 15:57 – Guest podcast appearances 17:52 – A tattoo mishap in Portugal 22:01 – A university upset in Japan 27:29 – An Icelandic village dream 34:53 – Listener emails   Podcast guest appearances: Lee on The Totally Show: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6npASOQ1BZPvYYFpnb4ssE Paul on Guardian Football Weekly: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uu1QCQC1vH2ISK8euq8kj Lee on The Window: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tPj0TvQ5NQfN6CcQPDOCA Paul on World of CONCACAF: https://open.spotify.com/episode/24hiIr0iqUW7MSEKGnY5ol

EURO 2024 is just around the corner and we have put the tournament under the spotlight in typically Sweeper style in Part 1. How did Austria’s Maximilian Entrup go from a third-tier amateur/PE teacher to a place at EURO 2024 in the space of a year? Does Georgia’s Budu Zivzivadze harbour any regrets about choosing football over chess? Who is the only player at the tournament currently on the books of a third-tier European club? And where does Latvia’s 0-0 draw with Germany in 2004 rank among the all-time biggest EURO shocks? Part 2 is dedicated to the rest of the international football news. Was San Marino’s recent friendly against Slovakia at a stadium with a water slide behind the main stand in Austria's ugliest town our most random live game to date? Why have FIFA ruled that AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue has actually been ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea over the past 11 years? And why did everyone think that Syria had beaten North Korea 1-0 when it was actually the other way around? You can join us for Part 3 over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we reflect on some international news from the Caribbean and a selection of other stories. What did the Cayman Islands players fear they might lose ahead of their recent World Cup qualifying trip to Cuba? Why did Bonaire contest a recent friendly against a ninth-tier team from the Netherlands? And why has Spanish goalkeeper Miguel Guerreiro given up on his Only Fans dream and made a return to football with Velez in the fourth tier? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 01:05 – EURO 2024 alternative career paths 09:28 – EURO 2024 players outside the top tier 14:17 – EURO 2024 underdogs & outsiders 21:20 – Mystery shirt guessing game 24:36 – San Marino’s water slide away day 33:46 – Emilio Nsue’s Equatoguinean ineligibility 39:02 – North Korea’s secret Syria score

Greenland tops the agenda in Part 1 following the news of their CONCACAF application and their friendly against Turkmenistan – the Arctic island's first game against a senior men’s national team since 2013. But what are their odds of making it into the governing body of North and Central America & the Caribbean? Where will they play their home games? And how did they engineer a friendly against the national team of one of the world’s most repressive countries? In Part 2, we look at some more headlines from across the football world. Why are the Afghanistan women’s national team in exile in Australia and how are Melbourne Victory supporting them? How did inspirational amputee footballer Marcin Oleksy turn personal tragedy into incredible success? Why has a Hungarian U14 regional league made headlines across the football world? And could an Italian footballer’s touchline fight with a ball boy end his career? Join us for Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we discuss further international and club football stories. What can we expect from the CONIFA Women’s World Cup in Bodø, Norway? Why was Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o forced to reinstate coach Marc Brys? What non-footballing factor led to Columbus Crew’s downfall in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final? And how will new Fenerbahçe boss José Mourinho fare in Türkiye? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 00:57 – Greenland’s CONCACAF application 10:56 – The friendly vs. Turkmenistan 17:53 – Random friendlies involving CONCACAF nations 21:19 – The Afghanistan women’s team in exile 26:48 – Crutch fight at the AFCON for Amputees 30:42 – A 41-goal swing in an U14 league 34:02 – A suspicious fight with a ball boy VIDEO: The crutch fight at the AFCON for Amputees: x.com/AfricaFutbolera/status/1795194203619647904 VIDEO: Marcin Oleksy’s Puskas Award-winning goal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJhcsMfWeg&ab_channel=FIFA

Part 1 contains an international round-up of European minnows inside and outside of UEFA. In which version of football has Gibraltar become a European champion? Why has Corsica recently hosted their counterparts from Sardinia, Sicily & St. Martin? Will we watch San Marino vs. Slovakia from the top of a water slide? And which football stadium straddles an EU/non-EU border? Up next in Part 2 are a series of records and achievements from across the football world. What remarkable feat did Attack Energy Herat accomplish en route to winning the Afghan Super League? Why did a goalkeeper recently take three penalties in Israel? And is Turkmenistan's dictator partly responsible for the longest winning run in football history? Join us for Part 3 on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we look at Pas de la Casa's run to the Andorran Cup final without winning a game, hear about the world's ugliest building in the Kosovan capital Pristina, play a UEFA Conference League-themed game of 'Pointless' and discuss the collapse of a goal frame in the USA. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Gibraltar's walking football triumph 06:20 - The return of the Corsica Cup 15:03 - San Marino vs. Slovakia & quirky football grounds 21:54 - Attack Energy Herat's perfect Afghan season 24:56 - A 22nd consecutive Bosnian title for SFK 2000 26:54 - The longest penalty shootout ever in Israel 29:06 - Ascent Soccer U21s' remarkable feat in Malawi 32:36 - 47 straight wins for Arkadag in Turkmenistan VIDEO: The annual All-Priests Over 75s Five-a-Side Football Challenge Match from Father Ted: https://bit.ly/FatherTedVideo VIDEO: The longest penalty shootout in football history in Israel: https://bit.ly/IsraelPenaltyShootoutVideo

Part 1 brings you a full round-up of all the news from the Benelux countries. What controversial actions recently earned a Dutch referee a lifelong ban from football? Why are two storied Belgian clubs facing an existential threat? And what strange series of events could lead to European football being played on a Luxembourgish campsite this summer? Next up in Part 2 is a round-up of all the action from the rest of Europe. How have Sturm Graz finally managed to dethrone Red Bull Salzburg and does it mark a turning point for Austrian football? How did a marriage proposal mentally unsettle a goalkeeper in the Albanian Cup final? And why have Finnish club SJK Seinäjoki started giving away free sausages to fans? Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for Part 3 to find out how Baltika have managed to reach the Russian Cup final despite already being eliminated, why Poland wins our award for the most unpredictable country in Europe in the 2023/24 season and how a raccoon managed to evade capture for 161 seconds in a recent MLS fixture. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - The Dutch referee who celebrated 10:00 - The two Belgian clubs on the brink 15:08 - Surprises and campsites in Luxembourg 20:40 - Party time for Sturm Graz in Austria 33:11 - Egnatia's Albanian double bid & a proposal 38:02 - Free sausages at SJK Seinäjoki in Finland

Part 1 of the latest Sweeper sees Lee & Paul profile three clubs from around the football world: Italians Como, Australia’s Central Coast Mariners & Petrocub of Moldova. Join us to find out where Italy’s richest club might be playing their Serie A home games next term, why the Central Coast Mariners have flown 100,000km in economy class this season and how a Ghanaian takeover has propelled Petrocub to Super Liga success. In Part 2, the team swap the serious journalism for a selection of silly stories. Why did a Dinamo Bucharest player refuse to show the club his driving license? What outlandish claim did the Lion City Sailors social media admin recently make on Twitter? Why has an untimely toilet break in the Swedish fifth tier prompted furious calls for a replay? And what led a club doctor in Brazil to take over the coaching reins at half-time in a recent game? The bonus segment includes Lee’s desperate attempt to zoom across Austria on Sunday morning in the hope of seeing Sturm Graz lift the Bundesliga, a story from Paul about an unusual Italian football auction & the tale of the Vatican team docked points for guarding the Pope. You can join us for that and plenty more benefits besides at patreon.com/SweeperPod. Your support is appreciated and all proceeds are reinvested into the podcast. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Como's meteoric rise 07:15 - Central Coast Mariners' Asian odyssey 13:40 - Petrocub's first-ever title 20:06 - Romania's twin identity saga 23:45 - A social media slip-up in Singapore 26:57 - Sweden's controversial 'toilet goal' 30:24 - Brazil's club doctor turned head coach 32:43 - The Thimphu City competition draw

Is this the best-ever Sweeper line-up? In Part 1, Lee & Paul discuss stories from the lower tiers in Spain, Germany & the Netherlands. How has a team from a Spanish village of 100 people gained promotion? What are the smallest European settlements with a football team? Why did a German footballer hire a plane for a derby on a neighbouring island? And how can the longest journey in Dutch football be between two towns that are 4km apart?   Part 2 contains more stories from across the European continent. What mistake did a Dutch stadium announcer recently make to cause a pitch invasion? Which second-tier club might we see in European competition next season? Why did a Polish football fan hike 100 kilometres to meet a goalkeeper who scored on April Fool’s Day? And why do Oslo-based YMCA club KFUM Kameratene have to go across a Zebra crossing to reach their pitch? If you want scintillating stories from other continents, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we travel to Argentina, Canada & the Philippines. Why has an Argentinian football coach spent 24 years living at club headquarters? Is Canada’s Frostbite Cup really the coldest competition in world football? And why has the Philippines allowed non-professional teams to compete with pro clubs in its top flight? RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Subiza's rise to Spanish fourth tier 03:51 - Smallest football towns in Europe 06:17 - The island derby in East Frisia 09:59 - The island derby in West Frisia 14:00 - The sorry plight of Vitesse Arnhem 17:57 - The Roda JC stadium announcer 20:45 - Second-tier Wisła Kraków's cup win 24:57 - A 100km hike to meet scoring keeper 26:49 - The goal-kick that took out a seagull 28:08 - Cringe rap & Zebra crossings in Oslo

Having just visited Malta and witnessed an historic weekend of football, Lee tells Paul all about the key events in Europe’s only island micro-state in Part 1. Who came out on top in the title-decider between Ħamrun Spartans & Floriana? Why do Valletta hold a funeral parade through the streets when they win the league? How has the island reacted to the capital club’s first relegation? And what is it like to accidentally get caught up in a bus parade? Part 2 is dedicated to three big stories on three different continents: Africa, Europe & South America. Two teams think they have won the Republic Youth League in Egypt – but why? Who was allegedly behind the poisoning of Sochi’s players before their recent game against Akhmat Grozny in Russia? And what unique tribute did Brazilians Cariri pay to their owner after gaining promotion to the Campeanato Cearense Série A last week? Tune in to The Sweeper to find out the answers – and join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a bonus segment as we answer some big questions from across Europe. Which is the only top-30 UEFA nation to have rejected VAR? What was the unlikely resting place for a shot in the third tier of French football? And did a former Port Vale player really get a pilot’s license just to mock his old club’s relegation? RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Ħamrun Spartans vs. Floriana live 10:05 - Promoted Melita's bus parade 11:34 - Valletta’s first-ever relegation 15:31 - Football on Gozo & Comino 20:11 - Title confusion in Egypt’s Youth League 29:27 - An alleged poisoning in Chechnya 34:22 - A funeral home tribute in Brazil

Part 1 is all about Africa, where a kit controversy has escalated into a geopolitical dispute between Algeria & Morocco ahead of the CAF Confederations Cup semi-final between USM Alger & RS Berkane. Elsewhere on the continent, Rising FC from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean have made the long voyage to mainland Mauritius to take part in the cup, winning their last-32 tie! It's back to Europe - or at least, UEFA - in Part 2 as Paul & Lee discuss the 'Isolation Derby' between SKA Khabarovsk & Yenisay Krasnoyarsk in the Russian second division and look at some of the lower-league clubs on track for cup success - including Transylvanian outfit Corvinul, who have made it to next month's final against Oțelul Galați with an all-Romanian squad. On the bonus segment, there's talk of Harry Redknapp & Romario returning from retirement, a look at some goal-laden games in the ninth tiers of Italian and English football & the story of a Polish goalkeeper presented with a Zimmer frame as a birthday present by his Portuguese club. To listen to that, simply join us over at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:59 - Algerian airport anger 09:12 - Russ Cook's Africa run 10:52 - From Rodrigues Island to Mauritius 18:32 - The 'Isolation Derby' in Russia 21:12 - The Niue Island listener 23:11 - Corvinul & other second-tier cup runs 30:10 - Champions League fallen giants

The latest Sweeper starts off in windy Wales with our visit to the game between Llantwit Major & Enfield Town in the Fenix Trophy and a wider look at the tournament regarded as the Champions League of non league. Then we're off to Scandinavia for some goalkeeper heroics, cupsets & geographical extremes, before finishing Part 1 in little Liechtenstein, where FC Vaduz will likely set a world record next month. With Bayer Leverkusen having claimed the first league title in their 120-year history, Part 2 is dedicated to seven other European clubs gunning for their first-ever title and the longest ongoing title-winning streaks across the continent now that Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga is over. Finally, we look at the Moldovan Clasico, where two twins recently scored for opposing teams, and read some listener e-mails. To win a unique Llantwit Major shirt and get access to the bonus segment of this podcast, where we chat about a Japanese side rising rapidly through the ranks, an unusual Portuguese on-pitch protest, an English team playing two games in two days and a truly bizarre Man of the Match award in the USA, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. We are entirely self-funded and your support makes a huge difference. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:11 - A Fenix Trophy game in windy Wales 10:38 - Nonsense in the Nordic nations 17:13 - Liechtenstein's ludicrously quirky cup 23:15 - Potential first-time champs across Europe 31:00 - The longest ongoing title-winning runs 37:48 - Listener e-mails

This episode of The Sweeper begins with a focus on South American domestic cup competitions. We hear about the Juan Fernández Islands – 670km off the coast of Chile – taking part in the Copa Chile as a special invitee and the unusual journey opponents Santiago Wanderers must take to reach them. Up next is Ecuador’s non-existent cup competition and the story of a team called Bonita Banana ('Beautiful Banana'), followed by some terrible pitches and hideously named players in Peru. With Sudan’s Al-Hilal set to join the Tanzanian Premier League to escape the conflict in their homeland, we look at teams playing in other country’s football leagues in Part 2, including the likes of Liechtenstein's FC Vaduz and their uniquely tough path to the Champions League. Finally, we have an update on The Sweeper’s competition in conjunction with Icarus, which will send one lucky fan to Bhutan to watch Thimphu City in action. To hear the bonus segment of this podcast, Sweeper Xtra, which is an extended Q&A session with Lee Wingate and Paul Watson touching on their best and worst football experiences, culinary treats, animal encounters and aspirations for the future, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:20 - The Juan Fernández Islands in the Copa Chile 09:00 - The non-existent Copa Ecuador 12:36 - Horrendous pitches & player names in Peru 20:04 - Al-Hilal of Sudan to play in Tanzania 23:43 - Clubs playing in leagues of other countries 33:19 - Update on the Bhutan competition by Icarus

First up on this episode of The Sweeper, we delve deeper into North Korea’s mysterious cancellation of their World Cup qualifier against Japan and look back at memorable moments in the hermit kingdom’s football history. Then we’re off to Georgia to hear about the nation’s maiden qualification for a major tournament, before we chat through Austria's Rangnick resurgence as they shape up to be EURO 2024 dark horses. After the break it’s time to show some love for groundhoppers and to hear some amazing stories from our patrons in pursuit of the joy of ticking off new stadiums. Then we announce an exciting new competition from Thimphu City and shirt manufacturer Icarus that will see someone win a trip of a lifetime to Bhutan, plus there's a San Marino shirt giveaway too! To hear the bonus segment of this podcast where we chat about Estonia’s U21 side playing a friendly against the wrong team, a Romanian player who was sacked for turning up to training drunk and then appointed sporting director, and a Bosnian giant in decline, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 Intro 01:15 North Korea's mysterious no-show 08:33 Georgia's EURO jubilation 11:57 Austria's Rangnick resurgence 16:22 Glorious groundhoppers 33:25 Thimphu City/Icarus competition 38:29 San Marino shirt giveaway Browse the Icarus website: icarusfc.com Read the Thimphu City-Icarus competition details: icarusfc.com/pages/thimphu-city-sweepstakes

Fresh from his trip to San Marino, Paul reflects on the attempt by FIFA’s lowest ranked country to break a 20-year winless streak against Saint Kitts & Nevis, before Lee rounds up the other international news - from the Basque Country's draw with Uruguay to the 'End of the Alphabet Derby - and Producer Tom chips in with a live report as Austria break an all-time record. After the break, we hop on over to the USA to hear about New York City vs. Toronto at Yankee Stadium - there are few fixtures that could have been more Sweeper than two clubs from different countries meeting in a league match at a baseball stadium - and dissect some of the madness of the US Open Cup, including burrito-based heroics and a rare case of lacrosse stopping play. To hear the bonus segment of this podcast with the ex-Shanghai Shenhua president banging in goals in the Chinese cup aged 58, arguably the most disastrous debut in football history and the Channel Island of Alderney trying to break their 104-year losing run, join us over at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - San Marino's double-header with St. Kitts 15:17 - International round-up 16:39 - The fastest-ever international goal 21:39 - New York City FC vs. Toronto FC 29:47 - US Open Cup madness 33:20 - Patreon episode teaser Ellis Platten's Away Days video in San Marino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56buY8H9Bd0&t=445s&ab_channel=AwayDays

This episode of The Sweeper begins by looking at the Virgin Derby between the British Virgin Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands in 2026 World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, a non-FIFA team, the Basque Country face Uruguay and may harbour UEFA aspirations. The Danish Superligaen strikes a huge blow to the European Super League, which might now be forced to rebrand, a Romanian coach returns to the same club for a 10th spell int the dugout and we play a Sweeper version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 01:15 - The Virgin Derby 10:36 - Basque Country v Uruguay 17:17 - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 28:30 - Danish Superliga strikes a blow 33:57 - Coach in Romania returns for 10th time 40:04 - Preview of upcoming Sweeper trips

The latest episode of The Sweeper kicks off with a tour of Oceania and the incredible story of two French journalists with an American (Samoan) Dream, before moving on to Pacific neighbours Micronesia & Nauru and their new coaches. David Johnson & Charlie Pomroy, who both partly credit the pod for their appointments, have sent us voice notes from their respective islands. Sticking with the island theme but moving back over to Europe, Part 2 starts in the Scilly Isles: the British archipelago is famed for having the smallest league in the world, but rarely is the title race as close as it is this season. In Sweden, meanwhile, a group of Ultras have managed to smuggle a kayak into a cup tie - but it's by no means the strangest item ever to end up in the stands at a football match… To hear the bonus segment of this podcast about Africa’s hottest derbies, chaos in Cambodian football and a player on the run from his club in the Dominican Republic, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. Sign up before Wednesday 20 March to enter our competition for the Pago Pago Youth shirt courtesy of Stingz ProWear! RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - The American (Samoan) Dream 10:12 - Pago Youth shirt giveaway 12:50 - Micronesia's new coach David Johnson 18:40 - Nauru's new boss Charlie Pomroy 25:25 - The Scilly Isles showdown 31:22 - Smuggled kayaks in Sweden 37:10 - Old Boys vs. Young Boys 38:52 - Bonus segment teaser Videos Swedish kayak video: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1b65lc2/daniel_kristoffersson_aik_supporters_somehow_got/ Italian moped video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Nu6HKVSmk&ab_channel=RuthlessReviews

On this episode of The Sweeper, we discuss our trip to Prague along with Patreon competition winner Joe McTaggart to watch the derby between Slavia and Sparta in the Czech Cup and enjoy a 24-hour whirlwind of Ultra-brewed beer, pyro and tifos. VAR controversies have rocked Croatia, where the head of referees Bruno Maric has resigned, derbies both real and mock have excited Argentina and there’s a strange case in Mongolia of a club who changed identity halfway through the season. To hear the bonus segment of this podcast about a derby in Lithuania dubbed ‘El Logistico’ and take a trip around the world to find clubs who have either been living up to or failing to live up to their names, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - The Prague Derby 17:25 - A word from our competition winner 21:35 - Match-worn Slavia shirt giveaway 23:04 - Argentina's mock derby in the park 29:08 - A VAR scandal in Croatia 33:52 - A mid-season takeover in Mongolia Apologies for the expletives in this episode: we chose to include them as they were actual restaurant and football club names! We have marked the episode as 'Explicit content' accordingly.

The Premier League and the rest of Europe’s top five divisions totally dominate the football headlines, but have you ever wondered what other interesting news and stories the rest of European football and world football have to offer? If so, The Sweeper is the football podcast for you! On this episode, Turkish footballer Emirhan Delibaş is sacked by his club Beşiktaş for his profile on the dating app Bumble and Irishman Dylan Connolly receives a Facebook invitation to play in the OFC Champions League preliminary round in Tonga, where he meets the Queen at church. Elsewhere, the draw for this summer’s CONIFA World Football Cup in Kurdistan – a tournament for unrecognised nations, states and peoples – has thrown up some interesting groups and the Seychelles have mysteriously been ruled out of AFCON 2025 ahead of the start of qualifying in March. To hear the bonus segment of this podcast all about our live experience at the 342nd Vienna Derby, the octogenarian Italian superfan who went viral and the Uzbek club that could soon be put out of business by former player Rivaldo, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:24 - Beşiktaş dismiss Emirhan Delibaş for Bumble profile 04:55 - Funny footballer sackings 08:15 - Dylan Connolly invited to play in OFC Champions League via Facebook 13:10 - Round-up of the preliminary round action in Tonga 16:35 - The draw for the CONIFA World Football Cup in Kurdistan 24:22 - Eritrea & Seychelles already out of AFCON 2025 27:28 - Paul accused of butchering the Icelandic language 28:50 - Football groundhop recommendations across Europe 32:24 - Bonus pod teaser

We kick off the podcast by announcing the news that we have moved to a shorter weekly format with a longer third segment available to patrons only. Then we’re straight to the familiar backdrop of San Marino and lowest ranked national football team in the world’s loss of two goalkeepers in two days. We then analyse San Marino’s chances of breaking their 20-year winless run in 2024 – as they have a double-header against St. Kitts and Nevis and Nations League clashes with Liechtenstein and Gibraltar on the horizon – before turning our attentions to the new FIFA Series tournaments that will pit teams from different confederations against each other in March, throwing up some unusual and mouth-watering clashes. In Part Two we hear about a Football Manager addict who has been put in charge of fourth-tier Icelandic club, KV. This leads onto a debate about whether a video game simulation can ever translate into a successful real-life coaching career, a chat about our own areas of expertise and a look at managers who didn’t have a playing background. We then examine another club in free-fall, Omija Ardija in Japan, and their potential solution to their situation: becoming part of the Red Bull stable. We finish off with a chat about the pros and cons of multi-club ownership and give the listeners a chance to win some excellent football books and magazines. RUNNING ORDER Part 1: Podcast format change, San Marino’s goalie crisis, the 2024/25 Nations League draw & the brand-new FIFA series (00:52) Part 2: The Football Manager nerd-turned-coach in Iceland, the 10,000-hour rule & Red Bull’s interest in Omija Ardija in Japan (16:34) ‘Wings of Change’ by Karan Tejwani: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Karan-Tejwani/dp/1785317296 ‘Copa Club’ by Nathan Joyes: https://www.thecopaclub.co.uk/ ‘Up Pohnpei’ by Paul Watson: https://www.amazon.com/Up-Pohnpei-Captain-Paul-Watson/dp/1846685028

Part 1 of this Sweeper podcast kicks off with an alternative look at the transfer window and Arturo Vidal’s dramatic helicopter & horseback unveiling at Colo Colo, before moving onto some of the best, worst & oddest transfer announcements in history. Continuing the transfer theme, we hear about a strange signing by Vilaverdense in Portugal's second tier and then go to Italy for the bizarre story of a young player who stole a team-mate’s car and got caught up in a high-speed police chase! We then finish off with some memorable soundbites and antics from players past & present – including, of course, Mario Balotelli. In Part 2, we're off to some British overseas territories. We first speak to Louis Jones of mystery football shirt company Surprise Shirts about his involvement with Anguillan outfit Uprising FC and hear about his recent trip to the Caribbean island, where he even made an appearance for the team. We then move on to Gibraltar and club team Hound Dogs’ unique status in UEFA's smallest member state, before taking a look at the English influences that have shaped the histories of clubs on the Rock. The final segment starts with an update on Mongolian footballer Ochiroo Batbold, who is cycling from his home in Ulaanbaatar to Old Trafford and has now reached Austria. We then talk about Schalke, a once great side in Germany now teetering dangerously on the brink of disaster in the second tier and get insight from German YouTuber Fiago on where things have gone wrong. There are details of a very special prize on offer to one lucky Sweeper patron, before we round off the episode with a typically eclectic selection of listener emails. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: Unique transfer announcements, celebrity signings and high-speed car chases (00:44) Part 2: An amazing Anguillan adventure and Gibraltar's last remaining amateur club (16:43) Part 3: Ochiroo's odyssey, a German giant in decline and a cool Czech competition (33:44) Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod.

This is the opening segment of our latest bonus podcast, which we make for our Patreon community in the weeks without regular episodes & are now giving you the chance to listen to for a limited time only. If you want to hear the rest of the episode, become a patron at patreon.com/sweeperpod. Enjoy the show! Episode description The latest Sweeper bonus podcast begins with AFCON and a look at Ivory Coast’s remarkable renaissance thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Senegal. Speaking of spot-kicks, we also round up Egypt’s exit at the hands of DR Congo on penalties and hear about the (failed) unusual ritual the Egyptian Football Association attempted in a bid to secure their progress. Then we’re onto the Asian Cup to talk about Tajikistan and their heroic Croatian coach Petar Šegrt, who is affectionately nicknamed ‘Einstein’. Next up we chat about one of the most controversial ties and the story of how Iraq’s tournament was derailed by a bizarre celebration in their defeat to Jordan. Finally in Part 1, there's a mention for Indonesia, who exited at the hands of Australia in their first-ever last 16 match in the Asian Cup. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - Ivory Coast's managerial vacancy, Egypt's exit, the Guinea 'derby', Tajikistan's qualification & Iraq's controversial goal celebration (01:07)

The opening segment of this Sweeper episode is all about our first trip of 2024 - to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where we took in the derby between local teams Marítimo and Nacional. We also delve a little bit deeper into the unique football culture on the island with the help of some supporters and try to answer the big question that has been on our minds since the end of last season in Portugal's Primeira Liga: why are there no island clubs in the top flight for the first time since 1984/85? Part 2 is all about the wonderful world of AFCON. First up, Cape Verde’s miraculous start to the tournament comes under the microscope and we speak to defender Roberto Lopes, who was recruited to play for the nation via LinkedIn. There are other unlikely recruits at AFCON for Tanzania, who have five non-league UK players whose stories we explore. We also chat about Tanzania’s mid-tournament coach sacking and the near-disaster that took place on the Gambia's flight to the host nation. Finally, in Part 3, the conversation turns to Ivan Perisic’s €1-a-month contract at his boyhood club Hajduk Split and other bizarre football contract clauses. We then look at the trials and tribulations of Charlie Pomroy, the British coach of Cambodian crisis club Angkor City FC who had a weekend to forget. The pod is then rounded off with a look at the world’s most southerly game of football between HMS Protector and research staff at Rothera in Antarctica. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The Funchal derby, the absence of island clubs from Portugal's top flight & Madeiran football culture (00:43) Part 2: Stories from AFCON: Cape Verde's LinkedIn recruit, Tanzanian turbulence & Gambia's near disaster (16:49) Part 3: Ivan Perisic's €1 wages, the Cambodian club in crisis and the world's southernmost football match (36:51)

The first Sweeper episode of 2024 kicks off with some Azerbaijan anecdotes in Part 1. We discuss Adrian Mutu’s harsh sacking and some tasty treats from Turan Tovuz. From Mutu we switch to another ex-Premier League player in Pascal Chimbonda and his antics in charge of ninth-tier English side Skelmersdale. Finally, we talk about the Vatican City where registration is open for the league season in the world’s smallest country - but not just anyone can take part. In Part 2 we go remote and delve into the story of Nauru’s newly launched Football Association trying to bring the beautiful game to one of the last countries on Earth without a football team. Relative neighbours, Federated States of Micronesia are trying to fund a match in 2024 by selling football shirts and we explain how you can get hold of one and how some lucky Sweeper patrons can win one. We then stay remote as we look at Anders Hofman, the star of Project Iceman who completed an Ironman-style triathlon in Antarctica, and his next crazy quest to try and play for Denmark at the 2026 World Cup. Part 3 is all about cup competitions. We investigate the new Livonian League - a pre-season winter tournament for teams from Latvia and Estonia. Then we look at how underdogs have fared in the Copa del Rey, Coupe de France and FA Cup, plus we hear the greatest herring-related football story of all time. You can download the Momento app for free on iOS or Android via the link below and follow us @SweeperPod: ⁠acmomento.onelink.me/ckkf/SweeperPod RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: Cakes and coach sackings in Azerbaijan, the English club both top and bottom & the Vatican's player requirements (00:43) Part 2: Football's final frontier in Nauru and Micronesia & the Iceman of Antarctica targeting World Cup 2026 (18:28) Part 3: The Livonian League, Arandina's shirt request, herring-based goal bonuses in France & our trip to Madeira (36:21)

The final Sweeper episode of 2023 starts off with a look at continental competitions across the world in Part 1. We talk about the CONCACAF Champions Cup with its incredible away trips and interesting array of clubs – from Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to Robinhood of Suriname, who have won a Caribbean double this year – and the AFC Champions League, where Ventforet Kofu of Japan have sensationally become the first second-division club to ever reach the knockout stages. Part 2 kicks off with a chat about Welsh club Pontypridd United’s unprecedented 141-point deduction and the heaviest punishments in football history, before taking a look at Ajax’s historic elimination from the KNVB Cup at the hands of fourth-tier amateurs Hercules. Finally, we finish off the segment by talking about the biggest cupsets we have seen personally – Bristol City for Paul & FC Vaduz for Lee – and our brilliant sponsor Momento. You can download the Momento app for free via the link below and follow us @SweeperPod. It’s all about winter weather in Part 3. The first item on the agenda is Greenland’s traditional New Year’s Eve football match, which is played in temperatures of -15 degrees, followed by the unique story of FC Santa Claus, the Christmas-themed club based in Lapland whose motto is ‘Don’t stop believing’. Finally, there’s yet another mention for Sicilians Trapani and a thank-you message from the team to all the lovely listeners and patrons who have joined the Sweeper party since we relaunched the podcast in early 2023. Download Momento for free on iOS and Android: ⁠acmomento.onelink.me/ckkf/SweeperPod RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The CONCACAF Champions Cup, Robinhood’s Caribbean double & Ventforet Kofu’s run to the knockouts (00:40) Part 2: Pontypridd United’s 141-point deduction, a Herculean effort against Ajax & our biggest cupsets (17:29) Part 3: Greenland’s New Year’s Eve football match, the Christmas-themed club in Lapland & some windy weather in Sicily (36:07)

Download Momento: acmomento.onelink.me/ckkf/SweeperPod Once we found out that the draw for the Belgian Cup quarter-finals was conducted using a former footballer and an arcade claw machine, there was nowhere else we were going to start this episode. But domestic cup competitions across Europe have produced plenty of other notable stories over the past fortnight too, including another Bundesliga scalp for third-tier Saarbrücken in the DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of fourth-division sides for Almería and Cadíz, and some unlikely Coupe de France victories for Caribbean clubs. And there’s also some love for our brand-new sponsor Momento to round off Part 1. Part 2 begins in Costa Rica, where the women’s team claimed an unlikely 19-0 victory over St. Kitts & Nevis to beat Haiti to qualification for the Gold Cup, before moving onto Monday night’s controversial incident in Türkiye, where a brutal assault on referee Halil Umut Meler by the Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca has led to all football in the country being suspended indefinitely. We then turn our attentions to Saudi Arabia, where an unfortunate defender gave away one of the weirdest penalties you will ever see when he tried to high-five his goalkeeper but ended up touching the ball instead. Finally, in Part 3, we discuss a team in Turkmenistan that won the league but probably shouldn’t have and a Brazilian club that probably should have won the championship but did not. That’s right: it’s the stories of Arkadag, the team newly founded by former dictator Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov that have won the title without dropping a point in their debut season, and Botafogo, who have completed one of the most spectacular bottle jobs in football history to throw away what would have been their first Serie A title since 1995. There’s also a mention for Pele, our Patreon and some of the stupidest Guinness world records in existence.   RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The Croky Cup arcade claw draw, Rod Stewart’s legendary Scottish Cup cameo and Caribbean success stories in the Coupe de France (00:48) Part 2: Goals galore for the Costa Rican women, a Turkish football meltdown in the Süper Lig and the weirdest penalty of all time in Saudi Arabia (17:18) Part 3: The brand-new club from a brand-new city, Turkmenistan’s bizarre world records and Botafogo’s spectacular bottle job (35:18) The Croky Cup arcade claw draw: www.youtube.com/live/KAbc8zn_BqI?si=gDtsalyNRrnpSkUR John Oliver on Turkmenistan: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9QYu8LtH2E&t=1088s

With overseas territories from all over the world taking part, the Coupe de France is one of the world’s most intriguing domestic football competitions. But who funds it? How do they decide who plays home and away? And could an overseas side play in a UEFA competition if they won the tournament. In Part 1, co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson answer all the key questions about the French Cup and reflect on their recent journey to the sleepy rural town of Saint-Mesmin to watch sixth-tier Saint-Méziéry play host to Tahitian cup winners AS Pirae in the seventh round of the tournament. Next up in Part 2: the world’s most isolated clubs! There’s a mention for Rapa Nui FC of Easter Island, who hosted the mighty Colo Colo in a 2009 Chilean Cup clash, Khabarovsk, who travel around 100,000km per season to fulfil their away fixtures in the Russian second tier, and Perth Glory, who cut an isolated figure in the Australian A-League. That’s followed by the remarkable story of Papua New Guinea’s exit from the Pacific Games and a look back at some other harsh tournament eliminations, including the coin toss at EURO 1968 and the madness of the 1994 Caribbean Cup, where goals briefly counted double! In the third and final segment, it’s time for a round-up of the remaining stories. Erling Haaland paid for 200 fans of his first club, Bryne, to travel to Kristiansand for a play-off match, only for the Start groundsman to fail to turn on the undersoil heating and the game to be cancelled. There’s cucumber throwing and so much more besides at the Mascot Olympics in Spain, which was won by Valencia’s representative Amunt the Bat. And finally, two Tiktokers have bought and relocated Latvian second-division club Leevon Saldus with the aim of getting them promoted to the Virslīga. We hope you enjoy the show! *Correction: AS Pirae qualified for the 2023/24 Coupe de France by winning the Coupe de Polynésie. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The magic & madness of the Coupe de France and our trip to watch Saint Méziéry vs. AS Pirae of Tahiti in the seventh round (00:47) Part 2: The world's most isolated clubs and Papua New Guinea's incredibly harsh elimination from the Pacific Games (22:27) Part 3: The undersoil heating fiasco in Norway, the Mascot Olympics in Spain & the Latvian club bought by Tiktokers (44:12)

The Nordic nations served up tension, drama and excitement in abundance at the weekend as several titles were decided by the narrowest of margins. The Swedish men’s and women’s titles came down to goal difference, as did a bonkers goal-laden battle for promotion in the Norwegian third tier. That got co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson racking their brains about the closest title races in history in Part 1, with England, Azerbaijan and Austria all getting a mention. As do Sexy Pants, who have unfortunately been relegated in Finland! There is a venture outside of Europe in Part 2 as Paul talks in-depth about the Te Runga Games, a quadrennial sports competition held in Kiribati – one of the most remote places in the world. There’s also a word for Afghanistan, whose new coach Ashley Westwood faces a full-scale rebellion before the World Cup qualifier against Qatar, and Eritrea, who have pulled out of the tournament entirely because the country’s authoritarian regime deems the players to be a flight risk. And finally there’s a listener email from Ian, who was treated like a royal on a football trip to Tajikistan. It is back to Europe in Part 3 as Lee pays a visit to Austrian club Blau-Weiss Linz, whose former player Raphael Dwamena sadly passed away after collapsing during a match in Albania on Saturday. That story is followed by the news of the penalty shootout that took place in North Ireland between Coleraine and Ballymena, and is the third-longest in football history. To finish off, we talk about our upcoming trip to Paris to watch Tahitian champions AS Pirae take on sixth-tier Saint Meziery in the Coupe de France at the weekend. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: Frantic finales in the Nordic nations, the closest title races of all time & a roundup of the remaining Scandinavian football headlines (00:44) Part 2: The Te Runga Games in Kiribati, Eritrea’s withdrawal from World Cup qualification and Ashley Westwood’s mutiny in Afghanistan (17:48) Part 3: Completing the Austrian Bundesliga’s 12 stadia, the third-longest penalty shootout ever & a preview of our Coupe de France trip (35:36)

KÍ Klaksvík have been the European football story of the season since they became the first club from the Faroe Islands to reach the group stages of a UEFA competition. But they didn’t stop there and have since followed up a draw at home to 2021 Ligue 1 winners Lille with a famous victory over Olimpija Ljubljana. Daniel Storey, the chief football writer at the i and a regular panelist on The Totally Football Show, was in the Faroes to witness the historic moment and joins us in Part 1 to tell us about his trip and reflect on the KÍ Klaksvík miracle. Part 2 kicks off with a chat about domestic cups across the continent: Balzers have an all-Vaduz cup run in Liechtenstein, Jeanfield Swifts record the biggest Scottish Cup win for a non-league team since 1896, Trencin are knocked out of the Slovak Cup by a fifth-division team and seventh-tier Deportivo Murcia are preparing for their Copa del Rey tie with La Liga side Alaves. The segment concludes with Lee telling Paul all about his trip to Czechia at the weekend to watch the team that recently lost 9-5 and re-living the awful birthday he spent at a concrete factory in Ostrava. The third and final segment of the podcast is dedicated to some stories beyond Europe’s borders: a Tongan team has completed a perfect season with two 62-year-olds in their ranks, a 27-year-old former bricklayer has led an Ecuadorian team from the third division to the top flight and two fans of Thai second-division side Suphanburi FC recently made the 850km journey to Krabi to watch their team play. Last but not least, we read out some e-mails from listeners who have tuned into the pod from multiple different countries around the world. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - The KÍ Klaksvík miracle & the rise of Faroese football with Daniel Storey (00:39) Part 2 - Quirks and cupsets, a trip to Czechia to see the team that lost 9-5 & a terrible birthday surprise (24:39) Part 3 - A perfect season in Tonga, two away fans in Thailand & a 27-year-old coach in Ecuador (42:04)

With another week packed full of international action in Europe, Asia and beyond, plus a selection of splendid club football stories and some superb listener emails, co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson once again had plenty of niche football talking points to dig their teeth into on the latest episode of the Sweeper Podcast. And that was before San Marino sent Football Twitter into meltdown by scoring their first competitive goal in more than two years against 18th-ranked Denmark, forcing the pod team to do an emergency 'The world's worst team just scored a goal!' segment to insert at the start of the show. The early Asian World Cup qualifying action is the starting point in Part 2. Paul tells us all about Guam, the first country to be eliminated from 2026 World Cup qualifying, Curtis Davies’ unlikely debut for Sierra Leone at the ripe old age of 38 and Otis Khan’s struggles to prove his Pakistani heritage to the powers-that-be. Lee then chips in with some headlines from the European continent, including the Polish squad getting stuck in the Faroe Islands, some bizarre records set by Georgia and Croatia, and Thailand’s improbable stop at McDonald's on their journey to Estonia. It's all about club football in Part 3 and there was only one place to start: Norway, where YMCA club and waffle impostors KFUM are on the cusp of an historic promotion to the Eliteserien, the country’s top flight. That’s followed by a chat about Deportivo Murcia, the first seventh-tier club to win a Copa del Rey tie in the competition’s 120-year history and also a contender for the unwanted prize of the worst badge in football. Plus, we read out some lovely listener emails sent from far-flung countries and territories across the globe, such as Hong Kong, Gibraltar and Myanmar. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - Emergency 'San Marino scored a goal' section (00:48) Part 2 - Full international round-up: First World Cup eliminations, Afghanistan's coaching chaos & Thailand's trip to McDonald's (10:14) Part 3 - Club stories & emails: The Norwegian YMCA fairytale, Deportivo Murcia's Copa del Rey magic & messages from far-flung lands (33:47)

The Sweeper crew have been going viral on social media recently. Paul Watson proposed a World Cup for the 32 worst-ranked countries in the world on Twitter – and it turns out a lot of people want to see it! Paul explains in Part 1 how it might work and who might win it, before the discussion turns to Pakistan and which countries might be the first to be eliminated from 2026 World Cup qualifying. In Part 2, fellow host Lee Wingate talks about his recent travels across Austria – first as the pitchside English-language stadium announcer mere metres away from Jürgen Klopp at the LASK-Liverpool Europa League match and then at the hotly anticipated cup clash between Red Bull Salzburg and Austria Salzburg, the team they bought in a controversial takeover 18 years ago. Finally, in Part 3, the team round up the remaining stories from across Europe. There’s an intriguing derby in Spanish North Africa as the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla go head-to-head, while a 45-year-old Slovakian keeper faces his son in the final match of his career. There’s also a word for second-tier Lithuanian cup winners Transinvest and a brilliant micro-nation-related email from a listener. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - The 'Worst World Cup', San Marino's chances, Zealand's simulations & a word on Pakistan (00:38) Part 2 - Travels in Austria: Life as a Europa League stadium announcer and the crunch cup tie in Salzburg (22:18) Part 3 - The enclave derby in Spanish North Africa & the Slovakian father and son in opposite goals (37:16)

Sweeper co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson have (quite literally) gone to the ends of the earth for this episode, Part 1 of which kicks off with a trip to Antarctica - where a Belgian-backed micronation has launched its own football team to mark its 15th anniversary - and continues with a look at the representative from St. Pierre & Miquelon that travelled 4,000km to the French mainland to play a cup tie. The unique away day theme continues in Part 2 as we look at quirky geographical features that some fans have to navigate to get to away games: there's an undersea roundabout in the Faroe Islands, a bridge that bypasses Bosnia on the Adriatic Coast and a Swiss stadium that requires two cable cars to reach. We then talk about the La Liga squad that missed their flight and read some more of your e-mails about former footballers who have gone into politics. It's all about stupid stories in Part 3. The annual Costa Rican mascot race ends in victory for Lula the cow - or is it Gary? - and a wealthy businessman pays £17,500 for his 22-year-old son to get 10 minutes of game time in the Czech third tier. Finally, Paul recaps a memorable bonus podcast and we look ahead to some exciting stories from Wales and the USA for next time. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - The Antarctic micronation with a football team & island time in the Coupe de France (00:50) Part 2 - Unusual European away days, missed flights in La Liga & former footballers who have gone into politics (17:03) Part 3 - The epic Costa Rican mascot race & the Czech father who paid big money for his son to play (31:52) The Costa Rican mascot race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-uUWC-_RVI

It's time for another episode of The Sweeper with co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson, who has penned the first chapter of his sequel to the hit book 'Up Pohnpei' - all about his adventures in Micronesian football. We talk all about it in Part 1 of this episode, before discussing the Indonesian team travelling in a tank and the Slovenian club president scoring goals in a desperate situation. Part 2 starts off with a couple of stories from Sweden: lower-league Torns IF have discovered a loophole in the offside rule, while AIK supporters are telling police where to hit them with batons. Ladders (but no snakes) are being thrown around in France, while an Austrian club president is making headlines for handing out cash to quench fans' thirst - at a game Lee attended live. Finally, in Part 3, we expand our focus to cover the whole continent: there's a preview of the European group stages and the biggest away days faced by the 96 teams in question, plus a look ahead to the international break and the chances Kazakhstan, Luxembourg and Moldova have of making it to EURO 2024. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The sequel to 'Up Pohnpei', the Indonesian team travelling in a tank & the Slovenian club president scoring goals (00:46) Part 2: Offside rule loopholes and baton-wielding police in Sweden, snakes and ladders in France & drinks for the fans in Austria (17:01) Part 3: The biggest away days in the European group phase & a look ahead to the international fixtures (32:18) VIDEO: The loophole to the offside rule discovered by Torns IF: https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2023/aug/30/swedish-third-tier-team-torns-if-find-offside-rule-loophole-video

Located at the intersection of Europe and North America, Greenland boasts the unique selling point of having the shortest season in world football - at one week long. The first part of the latest episode of 'The Sweeper' sees presenter Lee Wingate talk all about the 2023 Greenlandic Football Championship with co-host Paul Watson, who reflects on his own journey to Nuuk seven summers ago. Part 2 kicks off with a shout-out for KÍ Klaksvík & Zrinjski Mostar, the first-ever clubs from the Faroe Islands and Bosnia & Herzegovina to reach a European group phase. We talk about the KÍ player selling frozen pizzas, the prize money that comes with qualification and also speak about Raków's insane rise from the Polish third division to the brink of the Champions League in the space of a few years. Finally, in Part 3, it's time for some silly refereeing stories, starting in Latvia with the drunk refs whose dodgy decisions saw them breathalysed by police and finishing with the Fred Perry polo shirt-wearing fan who stepped in to run the line in Portsmouth's match against Cheltenham. There's also a look at the revolt against Samuel Eto'o in Cameroon & a plug for our brilliant bonus episodes. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1: The 2023 Greenlandic Football Championship & our own visit to watch the world's shortest football season (00:44) Part 2: A first for the Faroes and Bosnia & Herzegovina, plus the remarkable rise of Raków to the brink of Europe's top table (15:25) Part 3: Drunk Latvian refs, the stand-in linesman wearing gold boots & a revolt against Samuel Eto'o in Cameroon (30:42)

Who needs the European group stages? It's clearly all about the qualifying rounds - and with a major milestone for the Faroe Islands, notable results for Andorra and Malta, and a number of other captivating storylines across the continent, there's plenty for co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson to get stuck into on this episode of The Sweeper. In Part 1, Lee & Paul start off by talking (once again) about team of the moment KÍ Klaksvík and another headline from the Nordic nations: the Icelandic youngster whose hat-trick knocked his father out of the Champions League. Then there's a crazy game in Kosovo with 23 minutes of added time, a landmark for Santa Coloma of Andorra & a look at the eight countries that have never had a group-stage representative. Then, in Part 2, we turn our attentions to the state of limbo facing the Afghanistan women's team, the curious case of a raccoon that fell through a US press box ceiling, the Greenlandic team missing the Championship to go on a reindeer hunt and an Austrian derby that has been 18 years in the making as Austria Salzburg are drawn against Red Bull Salzburg - the club that bought them out back in 2005. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 - The European qualifying rounds: Faroese magic, father-son battles & stoppage time madness (00:44) Part 2 - The Afghan women's team, Greenlandic reindeer hunts, raccoons in the US press box and a spicy Salzburg derby (18:40)

Hello listeners, To give you a glimpse of what our bonus podcasts are like, we've posted the second segment of this week's episode on our main feed for a limited time only. We talk a little bit about the Fenix Trophy (a kind of Champions League for non-league clubs), some high-scoring pre-season friendlies and a challenge issued to San Marino by Durham AFC of all clubs. This bonus pod sample will be available to listen to for a 48-hour period only - until 8:00 CET on Sunday. To get more bonus content and support the pod, visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/sweeperpod. Thanks and have a lovely weekend, Lee & Paul

The Sweeper crew have been to Liechtenstein and San Marino in recent months – but the 26,000km round-trip to Micronesia was by far our biggest off-the-beaten-track football adventure. Having now overcome the jetlag, Paul has the full story on the Pacific nation’s first-ever futsal tournament and its newly assembled Football Association. Part 1 sees us reflect on Paul’s past in Micronesia as the world's youngest international football coach, the Twitter DM from Kenny that changed everything, the tournament format, the lost suitcase of futsal shoes, Kosrae’s controversial path to the final, Yap’s victory, the trophy flown in from Guam, an emergency wood carving and much more besides. Then, in Part 2, we talk about the establishment of an FA, the constitution that Paul wrote on the plane, the importance of futsal to Micronesia’s football strategy and whether the AFC or the OFC offers the likeliest route to membership in a FIFA Confederation. Lastly, we chat about the upcoming sequel to Paul’s popular book “Up Pohnpei” and where you can read it. Finally, in Part 3, it’s time for our usual European football round-up. Faroese side KÍ Klaksvík pull off a huge shock in the Champions League qualifiers, Glentoran and Gżira United play out the highest-scoring penalty shootout in UEFA history, there’s a night to remember for Andorra and two Crimean clubs are incorporated into the Russian football pyramid. RUNNING ORDER: Part 1 – The first-ever Micronesian futsal tournament: the Twitter DM that changed everything, Kosrae’s controversial path to the final & Yap’s victory (00:45) Part 2 – The first-ever Micronesian futsal tournament: the establishment of an FA, routes to membership in a FIFA Confederation & the sequel to “Up Pohnpei” (20:23) Part 3 – The European football round-up: KÍ Klaksvík’s UCL upset, the highest-scoring shootout in UEFA history & the contested fate of two Crimean clubs (33:48)

You might think there's not much going on in the football world at the height of summer - but there are in fact plenty of talking points to be explored by Sweeper co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson, who is recording the pod ahead of his mammoth 60-hour, 13,229km journey from London to Micronesia to watch the nation's first-ever futsal tournament. Part 1 is dedicated to our very favourite part of the European football calendar: the qualifying rounds for the UEFA club competitions. We discuss the biggest away days, the first-time participants, the clubs from outside the top flight involved and a chance encounter with the Borac Banja Luka director at a Balkan wedding. The next segment looks ahead to the latest edition of the biennial Island Games, which will see islands ranging from Greenland (the largest in the world) to St. Helena (one of the most remote on the planet & the place Napoleon was exiled to) compete in a football tournament held on the Channel Island of Guernsey this July. Last up, we show some love for the summer leagues: the only two top-flight clubs in Europe based in the Arctic Circle are dominating Norway's Eliteserien, KÍ Klaksvík are chasing the almost-impossible feat of a perfect season and there's an update on the punishments handed out to the Belarusian trio that were involved in match-fixing. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - The European club competition qualifying rounds: debutants, lower-league clubs, banned teams, away days & a Balkan wedding (00:44) PART 2 - The Island Games in Guernsey: the history, the participants, the frontrunners, the sponsor and the future of the tournament (16:19) PART 3 - Summer leagues: Arctic Circle superiority in Norway, a potential perfect season in the Faroes & the aftermath of the Belarusian betting scandal (28:53)

The club season might be over in 42 UEFA countries, but co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson have plenty of stand-out international headlines to work their way through on the latest episode of The Sweeper, which was edited by Tom Middler. The first segment of the pod is dedicated to Lee's trip to see San Marino, who extended their unwanted world-record winless run to 130 games against Kazakhstan in Parma - despite giving a pretty impressive account of themselves in the first half. The next segment covers the other major talking points from the international period, including Moldova's stunning comeback win against Poland, Luxembourg's first back-to-back EURO qualifying victories since 1995 & a series of stunning records set by Andorran legend Ildefons Lima. Next up is our main story for this episode, the treble achieved by OPBG in the Vatican, before we turn our attentions to the man on Interpol's wanted list who submitted takeover bids in Belgium and St. Kitts & Nevis' qualification for the Gold Cup. There's also an honourable mention for Father Ted, Craig Bellamy and the Eurovision Song Contest. RUNNING ORDER PART 1 - Lee's visit to Parma to see San Marino & the Kazakh fan that travelled 5,000km only to be denied entry (00:44) PART 2 - The big headlines from the international period: Moldova's success, Luxembourg's upturn & Ildefons Lima's records (17:46) PART 3 - A Vatican treble for the Children's Hospice, a suspicious takeover attempt or four in Belgium & St. Kitts & Nevis at the Gold Cup (32:37)

Lee Wingate and Paul Watson return with some more tales of football off the beaten track, including some live experiences on opposite sides of the globe, a quirky football geography segment and some of their favourite other stories from across the European continent. Lee kicks off the first segment with the remarkable story of Austrian club GAK, whose meteoric rise from the eighth to the first tier in the space of a decade was ruined in the last second by Mario Balotelli's haircut twin, before Paul previews his trip to Micronesia to watch the nation's first futsal tournament and discusses his feelings about spending 60 hours on a plane. Next up is the geography section: the extraordinary tale of a Mongolian footballer & Man Utd fan who is cycling from his yurt in Ulaanbaatar to Old Trafford, the new contenders for the biggest away days in top-flight European football and the closest stadiums to an international land border across the continent's top 20 leagues. The two co-hosts then take on another challenge from Surprise Shirts to see if they can identify a mystery football jersey. In the final section, Paul & Lee discuss an Ajaccio player’s embarrassing end to an away trip to Lens, Polish side Ruch Chorzow’s unique rollercoaster ride since 2017 and an exciting new (and young) addition to the 15-team league in San Marino. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - Lee's visit to Dornbirn for the promotion party that went wrong & Paul's preview of Micronesia's first-ever futsal tournament (00:40) PART 2 - Football geography: intercontinental bike rides, the biggest top-flight away days next season & border football stadiums (15:36); the Surprise Shirts mystery jersey guessing game (29:37) PART 3 - The best of the rest: Ajaccio in France, Ruch Chorzów in Poland & San Marino Academy in...San Marino (34:16)

Pod duo Lee Wingate and Paul Watson are back with another carefully curated batch of weird and wonderful stories from across the football world, with Tom Middler returning to the virtual studio to produce the episode. Lee reflects on his trip to Liechtenstein’s Cup Final - where FC Vaduz unsurprisingly win a world-record 49th domestic cup - and his subsequent 50km hike through the hills to see all seven football stadiums in the micro-state in the space of 24 hours. Promotions and relegations are on the agenda next: there is a premature pitch invasion or two in Germany, a mistimed open-top bus parade in Luxembourg, a calamitous stadium inauguration in Romania and a European berth for Arsenal – the one in Montenegro, of course! That is followed by a look at Europe’s biggest top-flight away day in Kazakhstan, a disastrous own goal in Lithuania and an amusing misspelling in the British Virgin Islands. The team then conclude by revealing more details about their upcoming Patreon launch. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 – Lee’s lookback at the Liechtenstein Cup Final & his misjudged micro-state stadium hike (00:47) PART 2 – Bizarre tales of promotions & relegations: Germany, Luxembourg, Romania & Montenegro (14:28) PART 3 – Away days, own goals & misspellings: Kazakhstan, Lithuania & the British Virgin Islands (36:33)

Co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson return to the virtual studio on their opposite sides of the Channel for another audio journey around the world of football in the space of 45 minutes, with extended Sweeper family member Tom Middler returning as producer. The football season may be winding down but that means it’s cup final time across the continent. Lee is preparing to travel to see the showpiece event in Liechtenstein between Balzers & Vaduz and hike to every stadium in the country the following day. The domestic cup round-up does not stop there, as the team talk about the second-tier outfit in the Luxembourg cup final, the first seventh-tier side to qualify for the Copa del Rey in 120 years & the pitch-invading toddler in Finland – the land of epic club names. Paul tells the story of North Macedonia’s record champions resorting to Crowdfunder, in a segment that also covers the three Belarusian sides involved in a match-fixing scandal and the club in San Marino holding try-outs for players. And finally, there are some feel-good stories: a 49-year-old goalkeeping coach keeps a clean sheet in the Faroes, Kecskemét are Europe’s best promoted club, an Italian coach calls his mum in a pitchside interview and Belenenses equal a world promotion record. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 – Lee’s trip to Liechtenstein to attend the cup final (00:43); lower-league cup stories in Luxembourg, Spain and Finland (10:07) PART 2 – Clubs in a spot of bother: North Macedonia, Belarus and San Marino (17:44) PART 3 – Feel-good stories: the Faroe Islands, Hungary, Italy and Portugal (32:46)

With the majority of the European seasons nearing a conclusion and the 12 summer leagues now up and running, there is plenty for hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson to sink their teeth into on the latest edition of The Sweeper. Having revealed his tentative plans to become a sporting director at a sixth-division Italian club, Paul is reminded of his claim that he could beat Man Utd defender Axel Tuanzebe's Guinness World Record for clearing a Hungry Hippos board in 17.36 seconds & is challenged by Lee to a quiz about unlikely world records held by football players. The remainder of the opening segment is dedicated to the Iberian peninsula, with a chat about the former pub team that won Gibraltar's Rock Cup followed by a look at the Spanish side that have lost every game for 11 years and conceded over 4,000 goals in the process. Part two delves deeper into off-the-pitch matters such as Viktor Orbán's financial backing for football clubs outside of Hungary, Fortuna Düsseldorf's free ticket pilot project and the Brazilian club that have named themselves after now-disbanded Ukrainian outfit Mariupol. Last but not least, the team metaphorically sprint around the continent rounding up all the premature title-winners, champions-elect, unlikely promotion contenders and surprise relegations, before revealing their plans for the show over the summer. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - Paul's plans to become an Italian club's sporting director & the Guinness World Record quiz (00:42); stories from the Iberian peninsula (06:39); Surprise Shirts read-out (13:30) PART 2 - Off the pitch stories: soft power in Hungary, free tickets in Germany, an away crowd of one in South Korea & a renamed club in Brazil (15:58) PART 3 - A round-up of all the champions, promotion battles and relegation dogfights across Europe (30:48)

Hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson return to the virtual studio for another episode of The Sweeper - the show that goes further and wider than any other football podcast out there. Beer is the recurring theme in the opening segment, where Paul tells the story of the Polish referees that allegedly got drunk on a flight to Greece & Lee laughs at the Croatian coach who made his players train at 1 in the morning after getting home from an away game. We then have a brief chat with Louis Jones from our sponsor Surprise Shirts, before embarking upon a whistlestop tour of the globe that sees us cover headlines from Bhutan, Pakistan, Tunisia, Australia and China. In the final segment, we talk about some of the very best and worst-performing teams in the entire world this season - from the Outer Hebridean side with a wonky pitch that won 16-1 at the weekend to the Greek team that kept having their points deductions overturned. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - Lee's upcoming trip to San Marino (00:52); European round-up: Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Croatia & Wales (04:10) PART 2 - A chat with Louis Jones from Surprise Shirts (15:36); global football round-up: Bhutan, Pakistan, Tunisia, Australia, China (19:43) PART 3 - A look at the very best & worst teams in the world this season (29:55)

The Sweeper crew return to review and reflect upon the standout stories from across the 55 UEFA countries & beyond in late March and early April. Paul looks back on his memorable trips to Alderney and San Marino, who are on some of the longest winless streaks in world football, while Lee waxes lyrical about Kazakhstan and shares two notable stories from Gibraltar. There's an excellent April Fool's Day joke by the Norwegian FA, a look at the wacky world of Welsh football, some contenders for the worst club of the season in Italy and St. Kitts & Nevis, and a duo of Dutch pitch invaders. Last but not least, we introduce our new sponsor Surprise Shirts and review some of the stand-out promotion contenders across Europe - including Russian exclave club Baltika Kaliningrad, recently turned pros Queen's Park of Scotland and Northern Irish village team Loughgall. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - International round-up: Alderney, San Marino, Sint Maarten, Kazakhstan & Gibraltar (00:53) PART 2 - April Fool's jokes, savage scorelines & Dutch pitch invaders (18:54) PART 3 - An introduction to Surprise Shirts (30:35); standout promotion contenders across Europe (33:53)

In the latest instalment of The Sweeper, studio sidekicks Lee Wingate and Paul Watson cast the net far and wide to round up all the niche global football action in the first half of March. Paul reflects on his time as the world's youngest international manager (sort of) and the dormant plans to bring his remote adventure to the big screen, while Lee tries to get to grips with Europe's most bizarre league format in Moldova. There's a comical touchline moment in Serie B, a historical hiding in Holland, an amazing accomplishment for Violette of Haiti and some superb sh*thousery in the fourth round of the Norwegian cup. With two leagues already concluded, there's also some chat about the champions in Gibraltar and Malta, plus a review of all the clubs across Europe on course to claim their first-ever top-flight title. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - The world's youngest international manager & the Micro Cup (01:14) PART 2 - Weird, wacky & wonderful across the world (14:56) PART 3 - Premature champions & tantalising title races (34:24)

Hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson round up all the quirky, random and bizarre news and stories from across the 55 UEFA countries and beyond in the second half of February. Unperturbed by the foiled coup in their country, Sheriff Tiraspol become the first Moldovan club to reach the last 16 of a European competition, while Lech Poznań end a 32-year wait for Poland, Belgian clubs enjoy some penalty shootout success and there is a truly horrendous own goal in Denmark. Sion are in the spotlight after their 56th manager of the century is placed on gardening leave, Zdeněk Zeman returns to the coaching fold at Pescara and Luxembourg's league leaders are locked in a fierce dispute with the FA & UEFA over a potential BeNeLux league. Then there's a scandal in Somalia, an amazing achievement for Haiti's women, all the latest from the domestic cups in Sweden & Argentina, and a round-up of the Oceania Champions League preliminaries. RUNNING ORDER:  PART 1 - Europa League & Europa Conference League chat (01:14) PART 2 - Coaching chaos across the continent (10:56) PART 3 - Global round-up: Africa, Central & South America in focus (26:19)

More of the European football stories you won't hear elsewhere from the first half of February - but this time there's a twist: The Sweeper goes global for the first time. Hosts Lee and Paul Watson discuss their most memorable football experiences in Enfield and Győr respectively, before switching the focus to the tragic earthquake in Türkiye and its impact on the Süper Lig. Japan legend Kazu Miura rocks up at second-tier Oliveirense in Portugal aged 55 - but is he the oldest professional player currently active in Europe? Meanwhile, prisoners are allowed out to catch a Romanian top-flight match and a sponsor steps in in Belgium to prevent a controversial coaching appointment. Domestic cups are reaching crunch time across Europe - and there are updates from Northern Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands and England, including another story involving fish football mascots! Last but not least, there is a first-ever venture to other continents with the net cast as far as Argentina in the south-west to Hong Kong in the north-east, with stops off in Liberia and the British Virgin Islands on the way. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - Memorable live football experiences (01:35); the impact of the earthquake in Türkiye on the Süper Lig (08:52) PART 2 - Weird and wacky stories from across Europe (15:09) PART 3 - Cup chaos across the continent (24:04) PART 4 - The Sweeper goes global (35:09)

After 18 months in the podcast wilderness, The Sweeper is back - with the new-look team of Lee Wingate and Paul Watson getting their teeth stuck straight into the quirkiest stories European football has to offer. The first Solomon Islander to ever sign a professional contract in Europe pens a deal in Bosnia, while a club president in Malta contemplates resignation in order to register himself as a player. Cosmos go from bottom last season to top of the pile this term in San Marino - but what's been their secret? Meanwhile, Swift Hesperange of Luxembourg are Europe's only unbeaten side, and there is news from the lower reaches of the French and Italian top flights too. Across the domestic cups, Israel's Maccabi Netanya remarkably win a trophy without scoring a goal, second-tier Pas de la Casa make waves in the Andorran Cup and Barcelona's Copa del Rey opponents Ceuta get a new mascot: 'Caballati' the mackerel. RUNNING ORDER: PART 1 - Introduction to the new hosts and our first stories (00:50) PART 2 - The leagues making headlines across UEFA (14:38) PART 3 - Cup runs, triumphs & geopolitics (29:30)

Lee talks to Matt Walker about five more of the countries on his spectacular continental football journey. This time Lithuania, Latvia, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan are up for discussion; including stories of a taxi ride with a former international, some Kim Jong-Un masks on show in Ireland, and a serious chat about whether the Baltic leagues might fold.

The Sweeper is back after a short EURO break!  Lee & Tom talk about the tournament just gone, before pushing the boundaries of UEFA's leagues with a virtual visit to Greenland where we spoke to FA boss Finn Meinel, as well as prominent coach Tekle Ghebrelul.  We then called in Richard D Pike (@RichDPike89) to discuss the brand new UEFA Europa Conference League, how it all works, and how it could affect European football going forward.

The next monthly dose of our series with Matt Walker, who talks to Lee Wingate about his mission to watch a football match in all 55 UEFA countries within one season. On the agenda this time are countries 6-10: Finland, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Russia & Belarus. For more on Matt’s travels, check out his book “EUROPE UNITED”, which is OUT NOW!

The Sweeper podcast returns with another monthly dose of drama from Europe's 55 most lovable leagues! This month we have an abundance of late season stories with heroes and villains, surprise squad inclusions, and of course our main features; the astounding EURO triumphs of Denmark & Greece, and the Bulgarian champions who just keep on winning! Hosted by Lee Wingate & Tom Middler, featuring interviews with George Tsitsonis, Sebastian Stanbury and Metodi Shumanov.

Tales from Georgia, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden and Iceland... Matt Walker, the man who saw a game in every one of Europe's 55 top leagues in one single season, speaks to The Sweeper with some extraordinary stories from 5 of those 55 nations. For more, read his book "EUROPE UNITED" which is OUT NOW!