Why We Love This Club

Wrexham AFC, Welsh football, supporter ownership, Hollywood investment, and one of the most remarkable revival stories in modern soccer are at the center of the Season 1 finale of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Wrexham’s story from its 1864 founding at the Turf and its deep roots in the town through famous European nights, the 1992 FA Cup upset of Arsenal and decades of financial instability that eventually threatened both the club and the Racecourse Ground.

The heart of the episode comes in 2011, when supporters helped raise the money Wrexham needed simply to begin the season. The Supporters’ Trust later took control, stabilized the club and preserved it long enough for Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds to arrive in 2021.

The episode then follows the arrivals of Paul Mullin, Ben Tozer, Ollie Palmer, Elliot Lee and James McClean, three consecutive promotions, the women’s team’s historic rise and new protections securing football at the Racecourse for generations.

Hollywood helped Wrexham reach the world. But it was the town that was responsible for making sure there was still a club to find.

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Centro Storico Lebowski, supporter ownership, Italian lower-league football and one of Europe’s most unusual fan-built clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the story of a group of teenagers in Florence who went looking for the worst team in the city, arrived late, watched it lose 3–0 and started singing anyway. What began as an almost absurd act of support eventually became something much bigger: when the original A.C. Lebowski disappeared, the supporters founded Centro Storico Lebowski themselves in 2010.

The episode follows the club’s climb through Italy’s amateur pyramid, its transition into a cooperative where members have an equal vote, and the growth of youth, girls’ and women’s football programs built around accessibility and community.

There’s also the wonderfully unlikely arrival of former Fiorentina and Inter midfielder Borja Valero, a 2,500-person regional cup final and the long search for a home of their own in Florence.

Centro Storico Lebowski’s story proves that calling something “our club” can mean more than simply supporting it. Sometimes it means actually building it.

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Al-Wehdat SC, Jordanian football, Palestinian identity and one of the Middle East’s most powerful community clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Al-Wehdat’s story back to 1956, when a football club grew from a youth center inside New Amman Camp, a refugee settlement built for Palestinians displaced from their homes. The club’s name comes from the housing “units” that gave the camp its identity, turning something designed as temporary relief into one of Jordan’s most permanent institutions.

The episode explores Al-Wehdat’s rise into a 17-time Jordanian league champion, its complicated relationship with Palestinian identity in Jordan and the fierce Derby of Jordan against Al-Faisaly. That rivalry carries sporting, social and historical meaning far beyond the table.

There’s also Al-Wehdat’s continental journey, from three AFC Cup semifinal appearances to becoming the first Jordanian club to play—and win a match—in the AFC Champions League in 2021.

Al-Wehdat’s story is ultimately about permanence: a community built from temporary housing creating a club strong enough to outlast the structures around it.

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Young Africans SC, Tanzanian football, the Kariakoo Derby and one of East Africa’s most important sporting institutions are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Yanga’s story back to 1935, when African residents in colonial Dar es Salaam formed a team before Tanzania itself existed. The club’s identity developed alongside the country’s independence movement, eventually becoming one of Tanzania’s biggest cultural institutions and earning the nickname Wananchi — “the citizens.”

The episode explores Yanga’s historic rivalry with Simba SC, a club that actually emerged from a split within Young Africans in 1936. Their Kariakoo Derby grew into one of African football’s great rivalries, dividing supporters across Tanzania while helping define the country’s football culture.

Yanga’s extraordinary domestic record includes generations of league dominance, regional success and two separate runs of five consecutive national championships. But the club’s greatest unfinished ambition remains continental glory. In 2023, Young Africans reached their first senior African final, defeating USM Alger in the second leg but losing the CAF Confederation Cup on away goals.

Young Africans matter because their story began before modern Tanzania did. The country changed around them, but the meaning of the name remained the same: Young Africans. Wananchi. The citizens.

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Sabah FK, Azerbaijani football, the UEFA Champions League and one of Europe’s fastest-rising young clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Sabah’s remarkable rise from its founding in 2017 to becoming a league champion, domestic cup winner and the youngest club ever to reach the Champions League league or group stage. Just nine years after being created, Sabah supporters were watching their team face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The episode explores the club’s rapid development through private investment, academy building and a growing football identity in Masazır. Sabah’s youth system quickly produced national champions, while the first team broke through domestically and began making noise in Europe.

There are dramatic European nights too, including a wild penalty-shootout victory over Maccabi Haifa, a first major trophy against Qarabağ and the extraordinary Champions League qualifying run that ended with a 94th-minute rescue and extra-time victory over Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Sabah’s story asks a fascinating question: how does a club build tradition when the history is still being written?

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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FC St. Pauli, German football, supporter ownership and one of the sport’s most distinctive political and cultural identities are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces St. Pauli’s transformation from a struggling Hamburg football club into an internationally recognized symbol of supporter culture, anti-fascism and community control. The story includes the rise of punk and activist support around the Millerntor, the adoption of the famous skull-and-crossbones flag and the successful 1989 campaign that stopped plans to replace the stadium with a massive commercial Sports Dome.

The episode explores the club’s stance against racism, fascism, sexism and homophobia, while also examining how supporters have repeatedly challenged St. Pauli itself to live up to those principles. The Millerntor-Stadion became the physical center of that identity, filled with political banners, music, murals and one of German football’s most recognizable atmospheres.

There’s football too: the Hamburg derby with HSV, the famous 2002 victory over Bayern Munich, financial crises, unlikely cup runs and repeated fights for survival. More recently, St. Pauli supporters helped create a cooperative that raised millions while preserving democratic influence over the club and stadium.

St. Pauli’s story is ultimately about who gets to decide what a football club becomes—and what happens when supporters refuse to surrender that responsibility.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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SV Robinhood, Surinamese football, Caribbean competition and one of CONCACAF’s most persistent clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Robinhood from its 1945 founding by rail-yard workers in Paramaribo to becoming Suriname’s record league champion and a club uniquely positioned between football worlds: South American by geography, Caribbean by competition and deeply connected to the Netherlands through language, migration and history.

The episode explores Robinhood’s golden era under Ronald Kolf, its fierce rivalry with SV Transvaal and an extraordinary continental record that included five CONCACAF Champions Cup final defeats between 1972 and 1983.

After relegation in 2014, Robinhood rebuilt. The revival culminated in the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup title, finally delivering a major regional crown 51 years after the club’s first continental final. Robinhood then returned to the Champions Cup and helped usher Surinamese football into a new professional era.

Robinhood’s motto says it best: No Struggle, No Crown.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Pohang Steelers, South Korean football, K League history and one of Asia’s great club traditions are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Pohang’s story from its 1973 creation by steel giant POSCO to becoming one of the defining institutions of Korean football. Built alongside the rise of the industrial city itself, the club evolved from a company team into a true civic symbol, with red-and-black stripes, the famous Steel Yard and generations of supporters making Pohang their own.

The episode explores Pohang’s remarkable record of player development, from Choi Soon-ho and Hong Myung-bo to Lee Dong-gook and Hwang Hee-chan, plus the academy structure that made producing talent part of the club’s identity.

It also covers Pohang’s three Asian championships, including the dramatic 2009 AFC Champions League run, and the unforgettable 2013 domestic double completed with Kim Won-il’s 95th-minute title-winning goal against Ulsan. That moment became one of the defining chapters in the fierce East Coast Derby.

Pohang Steelers are a story of corporate origins becoming community identity: the company built the team, but the city gave it a life.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Al-Hilal SC, Sudanese football, the Omdurman derby and one of African football’s most extraordinary stories of survival are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Al-Hilal from its 1930 founding under colonial rule to becoming Sudan’s most successful league club, with 31 national championships, a famous blue-and-white identity and generations of supporters centered around the Blue Jewel in Omdurman.

The episode explores legendary figures like Ali Gagarin and Haitham Mustafa, the fierce rivalry with Al-Merrikh, and Al-Hilal’s repeated pursuit of the African Champions League after reaching the continental final twice.

But the heart of the story begins after war erupted in Sudan in 2023. Forced from Omdurman, Al-Hilal became a club in exile—training, living and competing across Africa while players dealt with displacement, separation and loss. They later entered the Mauritanian league, reached the Champions League quarterfinals and then won the 2026 Rwandan championship, despite remaining officially affiliated with Sudan.

Al-Hilal’s story is about more than trophies. It is about an institution carrying Omdurman with it, even when home is temporarily out of reach.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Tibet’s men’s and women’s national football teams, the Tibetan diaspora and football beyond FIFA are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel explores how Tibetan football has become a way for a dispersed community to preserve identity, create gathering places and represent itself on an international stage. Based largely in Dharamshala, India, Tibet’s teams are not FIFA members and instead compete through independent tournaments and organizations such as CONIFA.

The story traces the men’s representative team from the Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup to the landmark 2001 match against Greenland in Copenhagen, where Lobsang Norbu scored Tibet’s first widely documented international goal. It also follows later appearances at the FIFI Wild Cup and CONIFA World Football Cup.

The episode then turns to the growth of Tibetan women’s football, from early girls’ programs and Tibet Women’s Soccer to the 2022 CONIFA Women’s World Football Cup in India. Captain Jamyang Chotso’s remarkable journey and Ngawang Oetso’s historic goal highlight a program built despite limited resources, travel restrictions and few regular fixtures.

More than results, Tibet’s teams are about belonging. School grounds, settlement pitches and borrowed stadiums become temporary homes where players and supporters can gather around a shared identity.

Football cannot resolve exile or politics—but it can give scattered people a team to recognize and a place to say their name out loud.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Raja Club Athletic, Casablanca football, African club history and one of the world’s most passionate supporter cultures are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the story of Raja Casablanca, founded in 1949 in the working-class district of Derb Sultan during Morocco’s struggle against colonial rule. The club’s name means hope, and Raja grew into the “People’s Club,” known for green and white, expressive attacking football and the tradition supporters call L’école Raja.

The episode traces Raja’s rise into an African powerhouse, including three continental championships, legendary players such as Abdelmajid Dolmy and the unforgettable 2013 FIFA Club World Cup run. Raja defeated Auckland City, Monterrey and Ronaldinho’s Atlético Mineiro before reaching the final against Bayern Munich.

Chris also explores the extraordinary Casablanca Derby against Wydad, the Curva Sud Magana, Raja’s politically and socially expressive supporter culture and the club’s modern struggle to balance investment, stability and its identity as a mass public institution.

From Derb Sultan to a world final, Raja turned hope into history—and made sure the world could hear it.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Colo-Colo Femenino, Chilean women’s football and the Copa Libertadores Femenina are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the story of the women’s side of Colo-Colo, from its launch in 2007 to becoming the dominant force in Chile. Las Albas won ten consecutive domestic championships beginning in 2010, establishing a standard few clubs in South America could match.

The centerpiece is the 2012 Copa Libertadores Femenina, when 21-year-old goalkeeper Christiane Endler helped Colo-Colo defeat Brazil’s Foz Cataratas on penalties and become the first club from outside Brazil to win the competition. That victory also made Colo-Colo one of the rare South American institutions to win the continent’s biggest club competition in both men’s and women’s football.

The episode also explores Colo-Colo’s continued domestic success, the rise of rivals such as Universidad de Chile and Santiago Morning, the professionalization of women’s football in Chile and the campaign to ensure the women’s 2012 Libertadores is remembered alongside the men’s famous 1991 triumph.

Chile has two Libertadores. Colo-Colo’s women won one of them.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Tromsø IL, Norwegian football, the Arctic Circle and one of Europe’s most extraordinary football environments are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the story of Tromsø IL, the northern Norwegian club that turned geography, brutal weather and decades of exclusion into a defining identity. From being shut out of Norway’s national competitions to finally reaching the top division, Tromsø built itself into one of the country’s most distinctive football institutions.

The episode revisits Tromsø’s stunning 1986 Norwegian Cup triumph, the dramatic 1996 final against fierce northern rivals Bodø/Glimt, and famous European nights including the snow-covered 3-2 victory over Chelsea in 1997 and the UEFA Cup upset of Galatasaray.

Chris also explores life at Romssa Arena, the Battle of Northern Norway rivalry and the club’s decision to incorporate Northern Sámi language and culture into its stadium identity.

At nearly 70 degrees north, Tromsø IL did not simply overcome its location. It made the Arctic part of what the club means.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Antigua Barracuda FC, Caribbean football, USL Pro, and Antigua and Barbuda’s remarkable World Cup qualifying run are at the heart of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the extraordinary story of a professional club founded in 2010 to strengthen the Antigua and Barbuda national team by giving the country’s best players regular professional competition together. Barracuda entered USL Pro in 2011, played at Antigua’s converted Sticky Wicket cricket ground and helped provide the foundation for the Benna Boys’ historic run into the semifinal round of 2014 World Cup qualifying.

But the project quickly became unsustainable. Declining crowds, expensive travel and the collapse of the league’s Caribbean footprint eventually forced Barracuda to relocate to the United States for the entire 2013 season.

What followed became one of football’s strangest campaigns: 26 matches, 26 defeats and zero home games. Players lived in hotels, trained wherever space was available, endured unpaid wages and traveled enormous distances just to complete the schedule.

This is the story behind the infamous zero-point season—and why Antigua Barracuda FC deserves to be remembered for far more than the league table.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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Al Ahly SC, Egyptian football, the Cairo Derby, and Africa’s most successful club are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel explores how Al Ahly grew from a meeting place for young Egyptians in 1907 into a sporting institution with 45 Egyptian league titles and a record 12 CAF Champions League trophies. The episode traces the club’s nationalist roots, its rivalry with Zamalek, the importance of Cairo International Stadium and the meaning behind Al Ahly’s identity as the “Club of the Nation.”

The story also follows legendary figures including Mahmoud El Khatib, Mohamed Aboutrika, Manuel José and Pitso Mosimane, along with unforgettable continental triumphs in 1982, 2006 and the historic 2020 Champions League final against Zamalek.

Chris also examines the rise of Ultras Ahlawy, their role in Egypt’s 2011 uprising and the devastating Port Said disaster, where 74 people were killed.

From political symbolism and supporter culture to continental dominance and Al Ahly’s expanding global profile, this is the story of a club whose meaning reaches far beyond the trophies.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

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B-67 Nuuk, Greenlandic football, Arctic travel and one of the world’s most unusual national championships are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel explores the story of Greenland’s record men’s champion, a club based in Nuuk where football operates under conditions unlike almost anywhere else in the world. With no roads connecting Greenland’s towns, domestic competition requires flights, boats and a national championship tournament compressed into roughly one week.

The episode traces B-67’s rise from its 1967 founding to 16 national titles, including a record run of five consecutive championships, while exploring its rivalry with N-48 of Ilulissat, the dramatic 2022 final featured in No Place for Football and the challenges facing amateur players balancing football with everyday life.

Chris also looks at Nuuk Stadium, youth development, B-67’s partnership with FC Copenhagen, Greenland’s national football structure and the country’s unsuccessful efforts to join UEFA and CONCACAF.

It is a story about geography, community and a football culture that continues to thrive despite extraordinary logistical and international barriers.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Corinthian-Casuals FC, São Paulo, Corinthians Paulista, and the origins of modern football culture are at the heart of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel explores the remarkable story of an English amateur club whose influence stretches far beyond its current ninth-tier home in Tolworth. The episode traces the history of Corinthian Football Club and Casuals FC, their 1939 merger, their commitment to amateurism and the ideals of sportsmanship that helped define “Corinthian spirit.”

The story also reaches across the Atlantic to Brazil, where Corinthian’s 1910 tour inspired the creation of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, now one of the biggest clubs in South America. That relationship later produced unforgettable reunions involving legends including Sócrates and Rivelino.

Along the way, the episode covers Corinthian’s role in early England teams, historic victories over Manchester United and other giants, the impact of two World Wars, the club’s long search for a permanent home and the volunteer-built ground at King George’s Field.

It is a story about influence without wealth, tradition without professional status, and how a tiny English club helped leave a permanent mark on world football.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Qarabağ FK, Ağdam, Azerbaijan, and one of football’s most extraordinary stories of exile and survival are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Founded in Ağdam in 1951, Qarabağ were forced from their home during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and played their final match at the old İmarət Stadium in 1993. Chris Horwedel traces how a club that lost its ground and its city continued playing, eventually becoming the dominant force in Azerbaijani football and a regular presence in European competition.

The episode explores Qarabağ’s identity as the “refugee club,” the rise of longtime manager Gurban Gurbanov, domestic dominance, and landmark European nights against clubs including Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Braga and Copenhagen.

It also examines the more complicated history surrounding the club’s connection to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including displacement on both sides and the responsibilities that come with turning football into a symbol of national memory.

With plans underway for a rebuilt stadium in Ağdam, Qarabağ’s story remains unfinished: a club that carried the idea of home for more than three decades while waiting for the possibility of returning to it.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Chivas, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, Liga MX, and the club’s famous Mexican-only player policy are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, exploring how one of Mexico’s biggest football institutions turned a self-imposed restriction into the foundation of its identity.

Founded in Guadalajara in 1906, Chivas grew from an internationally assembled team into a club that eventually committed itself to using only Mexican players. Chris Horwedel traces how that decision shaped everything from recruitment and academy development to transfer prices, supporter expectations and the club’s national significance.

The episode follows the rise of the legendary Campeonísimo teams, the rivalries with Atlas and Club América, major continental runs against clubs including Boca Juniors, and generations of stars such as Salvador Reyes, Omar Bravo, Oswaldo Sánchez and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.

It also explores Estadio Akron, Chivas Femenil, the influence of the Vergara family, and the continuing debate over dual nationals and what it means to qualify for the shirt.

At its core, Chivas is a story about football and identity: a club that voluntarily narrowed its options and made that limitation part of what millions of supporters believe makes it special.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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Clapton Community FC, the Old Spotted Dog and supporter-owned football in East London are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, telling the story of fans who decided that preserving a football identity meant building a new club themselves.

Formed in 2018 by supporters connected to historic Clapton FC, Clapton Community was created around open membership, democratic control, published finances and equal voting rights. Chris Horwedel traces the boycott that preceded the club’s formation, the dispute over the future of the Old Spotted Dog Ground, and the supporters’ eventual purchase and restoration of London’s oldest senior football venue.

The episode also explores CCFC’s distinctive culture, from its internationally famous Spanish Civil War-inspired away shirt to its cooperative structure, community programs and commitment to keeping football affordable and accessible.

Along the way, the story touches on Walter Tull, East London football history, the Charity Commission investigation into the previous ground structure and the club’s rise through the non-league pyramid.

At its core, Clapton Community FC is a story about what happens when supporters stop asking who owns their club and decide to become the answer themselves.

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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

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