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 - Intro01:10 - Gibraltar's walking football triumph06:20 - The return of the Corsica Cup15:03 - San Marino vs. Slovakia & quirky football grounds21:54 - Attack Energy Herat's perfect Afghan season24:56 - A 22nd consecutive Bosnian title for SFK 200026:54 - The longest penalty shootout ever in Israel29:06 - Ascent Soccer U21s' remarkable feat in Malawi32:36 - 47 straight wins for Arkadag in TurkmenistanVIDEO: The annual All-Priests Over 75s Five-a-Side Football Challenge Match from Father Ted: https://bit.ly/FatherTedVideoVIDEO: The longest penalty shootout in football history in Israel: https://bit.ly/IsraelPenaltyShootoutVideo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - Intro00:58 - The Dutch referee who celebrated10:00 - The two Belgian clubs on the brink15:08 - Surprises and campsites in Luxembourg20:40 - Party time for Sturm Graz in Austria33:11 - Egnatia's Albanian double bid & a proposal38:02 - Free sausages at SJK Seinäjoki in Finland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - Intro01:05 - Como's meteoric rise07:15 - Central Coast Mariners' Asian odyssey13:40 - Petrocub's first-ever title20:06 - Romania's twin identity saga23:45 - A social media slip-up in Singapore26:57 - Sweden's controversial 'toilet goal'30:24 - Brazil's club doctor turned head coach32:43 - The Thimphu City competition draw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 villageof 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 - Intro01:03 - Subiza's rise to Spanish fourth tier03:51 - Smallest football towns in Europe06:17 - The island derby in East Frisia09:59 - The island derby in West Frisia14:00 - The sorry plight of Vitesse Arnhem17:57 - The Roda JC stadium announcer20:45 - Second-tier Wisła Kraków's cup win24:57 - A 100km hike to meet scoring keeper26:49 - The goal-kick that took out a seagull28:08 - Cringe rap & Zebra crossings in Oslo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring key events in Maltese football including title-deciding matches. Controversies in different continents like alleged poisoning in Russia and unique tributes in Brazil. Bonus segment on European football questions like VAR rejection and quirky player antics.

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 - Intro00:59 - Algerian airport anger09:12 - Russ Cook's Africa run10:52 - From Rodrigues Island to Mauritius18:32 - The 'Isolation Derby' in Russia21:12 - The Niue Island listener23:11 - Corvinul & other second-tier cup runs 30:10 - Champions League fallen giants Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - Intro01:11 - A Fenix Trophy game in windy Wales10:38 - Nonsense in the Nordic nations17:13 - Liechtenstein's ludicrously quirky cup23:15 - Potential first-time champs across Europe31:00 - The longest ongoing title-winning runs37:48 - Listener e-mails Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - Intro01:20 - The Juan Fernández Islands in the Copa Chile09:00 - The non-existent Copa Ecuador12:36 - Horrendous pitches & player names in Peru20:04 - Al-Hilal of Sudan to play in Tanzania23:43 - Clubs playing in leagues of other countries33:19 - Update on the Bhutan competition by Icarus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Intro01:15 North Korea's mysterious no-show08:33 Georgia's EURO jubilation11:57 Austria's Rangnick resurgence16:22 Glorious groundhoppers33:25 Thimphu City/Icarus competition38:29 San Marino shirt giveawayBrowse the Icarus website: icarusfc.comRead the Thimphu City-Icarus competition details: icarusfc.com/pages/thimphu-city-sweepstakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 ORDER00:00 - Intro01:05 - San Marino's double-header with St. Kitts15:17 - International round-up16:39 - The fastest-ever international goal21:39 - New York City FC vs. Toronto FC29:47 - US Open Cup madness33:20 - Patreon episode teaserEllis Platten's Away Days video in San Marino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56buY8H9Bd0&t=445s&ab_channel=AwayDays Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.