It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast

Ghanaian's Football Golden Age: Part Two

Rob Draper and Jonathan Wilson examine Kwame Nkrumah’s state-backed club Real Republicans and why it became widely unpopular despite winning trophies, after being created

Ghanaian's Football Golden Age: Part One

Rob Draper and Jonathan Wilson discuss how Kwame Nkrumah used football to build Ghana’s national identity and promote Pan-African unity after independence (1957) and beco

Remembering Kevin Keegan: Part Three

Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper conclude their three-part series on Kevin Keegan by tracing his managerial career and the idealism behind his “why not?” philosophy. They c

Remembering Kevin Keegan: Part Two

Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper continue their Kevin Keegan series, following his 1977 move from Liverpool to Hamburg for a far higher salary and the difficult start marke

Remembering Kevin Keegan: Part One

*The full three-part series is available on Patreon now* Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper pay tribute to Kevin Keegan, who died in July aged 75, reflecting on his rare cha

Total Football: Glory, Fracture and the 1974 World Cup | Part Four

The fourth and final episode in Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper's Total Football series explores Ajax’s remarkable success under Stefan Kovacs and the Netherlands’ unforge

Total Football: Cruyff, Ajax and the Golden Years | Part Three

In part three of our Total Football series, Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper arrive at Ajax’s golden age. They explore Johan Cruyff’s development: the precocious teenager

Franco Baresi Tribute: Jamie Carragher on Milan's Maestro

*You can listen to the full episode on our Patreon* Rob Draper hosts a bonus edition of It Was What It Was with Jamie Carragher stepping in to pay tribute to the late gr

Total Football: Ideas, Architecture and the Feyenoord Breakthrough | Part Two

In part two of our Total Football series, Jonathan and Rob explore the ideas behind football’s great tactical revolution. From the structuralist architecture and social

Total Football: Where Did The Revolution Really Begin? | Part One

In the first episode of a new four-part series, Jonathan and Rob examine the origins of Total Football - and why it is far more than simply slick passing or players swapp

Jordi Cruyff on Father Johan, Total Football and his Lasting Legacy

Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by special guest Jordi Cruyff for the first episode in a new series on Total Football: its origins, its legacy, and one of its k

1930 - 2022: The Best Ever World Cup Finals

In World Cup final week, we just had to ask Jonathan and Rob to decide on the best World Cup finals of all time - and they certainly delivered. From Uruguay in 1930 to Q

Eusébio, Messi and the Best Ever World Cup Quarter-Finals

Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper pick their favourite World Cup quarterfinals while previewing the upcoming last-eight: Portugal’s 5–3 comeback against North Korea at Goodi

World Cup Mailbag | Patreon Sneak Peek

Throughout the World Cup Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper are recording weekly live Q&As, exclusively for our Patreon subscribers.   This week, all eyes were on England's

Football's Coming Home: How England Won The 1966 World Cup | Part Four

To listen to the full four-part series instantly, subscribe to our Patreon where listeners can enjoy ad-free listening, our World Cup Wednesdays, bonus editions and live

Football's Coming Home: How England Won The 1966 World Cup | Part Three

To listen to the full four-part series instantly, subscribe to our Patreon where listeners can enjoy ad-free listening, our World Cup Wednesdays, bonus editions and live

Football's Coming Home: How England Won The 1966 World Cup | Part Two

To listen to the full four-part series instantly, subscribe to our Patreon where listeners can enjoy ad-free listening, our World Cup Wednesdays, bonus editions and live

Football's Coming Home: How England Won The 1966 World Cup | Part One

To listen to the full four-part series instantly, subscribe to our Patreon where listeners can enjoy ad-free listening, our World Cup Wednesdays, bonus editions and live

Brazil at the World Cup with Tim Vickery: Pelé, Maracanazo and Ancelotti's New Era

Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week's episode, co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by Tim Vickery to discuss the

The Greatest Champions League Finals of All Time

Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week's episode, co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper pick their six greatest European Cup and