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Robby Smukler is the creator of Icarus F.C., one of the most creative football kit manufactures in existence. Along with designing and producing uniforms for clubs, Icarus F.C. started a line of historical shirts envisioning what classic civilizations of the past would’ve worn, had the beautiful game been a reality for them. A few examples include the Kingdom of Kush, the Ottoman Empire and more. With these historical designs in mind, we got together to discuss their creation.You may find these shirts on their website: Icarusfc.comTwitter: @icarusfcphlInstagram: icarusfootball Show Notes: Robby’s design processSources of inspirationFavorite kits of all timeRobby’s least favorite kitsUnderrated kitsTop Modern kitsOpinion on MLS kitsOn designing kits for teams like Brazil and FranceOttoman Empire kitRepublic of Vermont kitLa Serenissima kitMachu Picchu kitA.S. Vesaevus kitKingdom of Kush kitFuture kit releasesJordan WiebeShootout questions with Robby:Top 3 players everWho would Robby have a drink with in the history of the game?Top 3 matches he would attend in the history of the gameOne change he would make to any match in historyBook recommendation: Up Pohnpei: Leading the ultimate underdogs to gloryPodcast recommendation: The Ringer The post RH Call Up #7 with Robby Smukler of Icarus F.C. appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Pete Watson is an academic in Spanish and Latin American Studies, who did his PhD at the University of Sheffield on the use of football for nation building in Colombia during the presidency of Juan Manuel Santos. Apart from specializing in the history of Latin American sport and politics, he also lectures on Spanish and Latin American film, Latin American history and Latin American literature and culture. He has written academic articles for the Bulletin of Latin American Research, the Journal of War and Culture Studies and has a chapter in a forthcoming book called Fútbol y sociedad en América Latina, edited by Thomas Fischer, to be published by Iberoamericana Vervuert. He has also written football-based articles in English and Spanish for Football Paradise and Razón Pública and is the resident ‘expert’ for the These Football Times video podcast series ‘The South American Files’. Show Notes: How Pete developed his interest in Colombia and its footballLife in ColombiaEarly days of Colombian FootballUsage of sport as a political toolEl Dorado, its teams like Millionarios and the stars it attracted such as Alfredo Di Stefano.Colombia, their 1962 World Cup result vs the USSR and what it meantThe rise of world class Colombian football starsThe influence of Pablo Escobar and drug cartels in Colombian footballColombia’s 5×0 victory against Argentina in Buenos AiresPele’s assessment of Colombia prior to the 1994 World Cup wasn’t wrongUsing football to bridge the gap between villagers, guerrillas and policeCurrent crop of players and how Colombia is steadily revealing new talentShootout questions with Pete:Top 3 players ever.Who would Pete have a drink with in the history of the game?Top 3 matches he would attend in the history of the game.One change he would make to any match in history.What club would Pete support if not Southampton F.C.?Top 3 football books:Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos¡Golazo!: A History of Latin American Football by Andreas CampomarPointless by Jeff ConnorPodcast recommendations:These Football Times PodcastThe Bugle Podcast The post RH Call Up #5 with Pete Watson appeared first on Round History Podcast.

From winning the Golden Double to the brutality in the infamous Lubyanka prison and the GULAG. Football will reveal itself much more important to their lives than the Starostins had ever imagined. Nikolai sees hope for early freedom and makes a deal with the devil. What we cover in this episode: Imprisonment in LubyankaNKVD process and methods of interrogationTrial and sentenceLife in the GULAG campsNikolai makes a deal with the devil Books/Sources: Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State by Robert Edelman Stalin and his Hangmen by Donald Rayfield The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn In The First Circle by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn The Starostin Brothers by Boris Dukhon and George Morozov Soviet Sport and Transnational Mass Culture in the 1930’s by Barbara Keys A Tale of Football by Andrey Starostin Spring of the Patriarch by Nikolai Starostin The post Ep. 7: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 6 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Stuart Horsfield is a writer and member of the Senior Leadership Team for These Football Times, where he also hosts These Football Times podcast. For his day job he lectures in sports and on a Football Coaching degree program. He just wrote his first book, it’s about the greatest team never to win a World Cup and some would argue they were better than most teams who’ve actually won it! That magical 1982 Brazilian side. The book is titled: 1982 Brazil, The Glorious Failure. Follow Stuart Horsfield on Twitter: @loxleymisty44 Order 1982 Brazil: The Glorious Failure Check out These Football Times Show Notes: How that 1982 Brazil side influenced Stuart.The beauty of their game and which other sides compare stylistically.On the atmosphere leading up to the 1982 World Cup as an England fan.On being a football supporter vs a club supporter.On bringing the memories of a 10 year to the book as an adult.Mystique in old football playing styles vs modern football’s homogeneity.How he set out to write the book.How the book is structured.Interviewing Abraham Klein and Alexandre Chivadze.Shout to Steven Scragg(@Scraggy_74): A Tournament Frozen in Time and Where the Cool Kids Hung Out.Surprises that arose from the book research.His views on 1982 Brazil side before and after the book.“The day football died” narrative explained.Conversation with Patrick Barclay(@paddybarclay)Conversation with Juca Kfouri(@BlogdoJuca)Following the bizarre group format in the 1982 World Cup.Thoughts as the tournament progressed and the Italian team.Abraham Klein’s accounts.Views on traditional World Cup winners vs challengersWhat about the big clubs, big money and Financial Fair Play?Technological changes in the game.Shootout questions with Stuart:Top 3 players ever.Who would Stuart have a drink with in the history of the game?Top 3 matches he would attend in the history of the game.One change he would make to any match in history.What club would Stuart support if not Hull City?Top 3 football books: Goalkeepers are different by Brian GlanvilleDr. Sócrates by Andrew Downie(@adowniebrazil)Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson(@jonawils)Podcast recommendations: These Football Times PodcastThat Peter Crouch Podcast The post RH Call Up #4 with Stuart Horsfield appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Jim McGough founded Ajax USA, a prominent unofficial supporters club of AFC Ajax Amsterdam which he operated from 1996 to 2007. Over the past two decades, he has conducted extensive research on the life of Eddy Hamel, the first American, and first Jewish player of AFC Ajax Amsterdam, for a book in progress. He was interviewed in 2019 by Sports Illustrated for an article about Hamel: Remember the Ringleader. He lives in California. Show Notes: Remember the Ringleader by Sports Illustrated.Video of Eddy Hamel playing for AFC Ajax. Eddy as Coach of De Kennemers This is the only known picture of Eddy’s wife, Johanna. She is wearing a beret and glasses. The home where Eddy Hamel was born in the upper east side of New York City. Photos courtesy of Jim McGough. The post RH Call Up #3 with Jim McGough appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Jordan Florit is a freelance writer currently writing ‘Red Wine and Arepas: How Football is Becoming Venezuela’s Religion.’ The book uses football as the lens through which areas of Venezuela’s culture, society, and politics are explored. Jordan’s work has been featured on These Football Times, Pundit Feed, The Terrace, and more. Show Notes: What inspired Jordan to write this Rivaldo article? What it was like growing up as a Southampton FC fan, favorite Saints jersey, favorite player.Foobtall: Entertainment vs Sport.Supporting local and foreign football clubs.How did Jordan become a writer?Jordan’s preference for non-fiction and his dislike of fiction explained. What inspired him to write “Red Wine & Arepas: How Football is Becoming Venezuela’s Religion”? Deciding what goes into the book and his writing process. Dealing with constant changes in Venezuela while writing the book.Interviewing a football agent and meeting shady characters with dodgy backstories.Stumbling upon fascinating but unrelated material through research and procrastination.Jonathan Wilson(T:@jonawils) and James Montague(T:@JamesPiotr) as inspirations.Finding a fixer and getting help from @oncefutve‘s Kevin.Adventures getting around in Venezuela like hitching rides with professional footballers and sketchy times up in the Andes.What Jordan would like for people to get from reading the book.What to do when there’s no live football?How he was surprised to learn what Venezuelans think of the country’s politics. Favorite chapter so far? Daniuska Rodriguez(IG:@daniuska0507), Deyna Castellanos(IG:@deynacastellanos T:@deynac18)Book recommendations: Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You: The Biography by Jonathan WilsonWhen Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution in the Middle East by James MontagueRed or Dead: A Novel by David PeacePodcast recommendations: Under the Skin by Russell Brand and The Jordan B Peterson Podcast. The post RH Call Up #2 with Jordan Florit appeared first on Round History Podcast.

From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. The Starostin brothers and Spartak Moscow achieve unprecedented success on the pitch. They earn recognition from the public as well as the State for their accomplishments, receiving the highest honors in front of Joseph Stalin himself. As one Lavrentyi Beria ascends to the top of the NKVD and rivals Dynamo, off the pitch they will face their darkest days yet when the iron fist of the Secret Police comes swinging at full force against them. What we cover in this episode: Spartak vs Basque SelectPhysical Culture day paradeFace to face with StalinFamily and friends disappearingLavrentyi Beria gets involvedNo more help from Alexander KosarevWorld War II startsSpartak and the Golden DoubleThe end of the line? Books/Sources: Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State by Robert Edelman The Starostin Brothers by Boris Dukhon and George Morozov Soviet Sport and Transnational Mass Culture in the 1930’s by Barbara Keys A Tale of Football by Andrey Starostin Spring of the Patriarch by Nikolai Starostin The post Ep. 6: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 5 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

In this episode, we talk to the guys at Saltair FC, Andy and Josh about the history of this very “real” and legendary club from Salt Lake City, Utah. I know it sounds weird, but it was a great time and hopefully fun for you listening as well. Make sure to check them out on Twitter and Instagram, their handle is @Saltairfc, they just released a dope jersey that only the cool kids will have. You can get yours and find out more on saltairfc.com. The post RH Call Up #1 with Saltair F.C. appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Part 4 begins in 1934. The Soviet Union opens its borders for diplomatic reasons which in turn exposes their football to the outside world. The Starostins will encounter new ideas, opponents and different styles of play, helping them push the evolution of the Soviet game.Nikolai will lead the creation of a new club, Spartak Moscow, and will challenge Dynamo Moscow’s growing supremacy on and off the the pitch. As great as their achievements are, it will begin to bother some folks, enemies will rise and with that, an ever present danger surfacing in the background. What we cover in this episode: The USSR opens its bordersThe Moscow Select team travels to CzechoslovakiaSpartak Moscow is bornSpartak-Dynamo combine travels to FranceSoviet football is exposed to different ideasProfessionalism in a Communist StateFootball on the Red SquareSpartak crowned ChampionsFirst Moscow Show Trial Books/Sources Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State by Robert Edelman Soviet Sport and Transnational Mass Culture in the 1930’s by Barbara Keys A Tale of Football by Andrey Starostin Spring of the Patriarch by Nikolai Starostin Fanat1k.ru The post Ep. 5: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 4 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

In part 3 of the series, we pick things up in 1926. We see Krasnaya Presnia achieve a new levels of success and popularity. The Party’s constant changes in its fight against Capitalism will steadily create more problems, but thanks to the work of Nikolai Starostin and company, the club and players will keep uncovering new ways to grow, ultimately finding themselves on the verge of something big. What we cover in this episode: USSR’s environment/living conditions in late 20’s early 30’sStarostin’s connectionsKrasnaya Presnia’s PopularityChanges in the gameA new rival emergesBattle of TaksimA bold idea Books/Sources Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State by Robert Edelman Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s by Sheila Fitzpatrick Fanat1k.ru The post Ep. 4: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 3 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

Part 2 of the series spans from 1918 to 1925 and in that time frame, we see the Starostins deal with life in the post revolutionary landscape of the Soviet Union. Consequently, they will go from tragedy to the promise of a bright future ahead and along the way, there will be lessons to be learned, examples to be followed and cautionary tales. What we cover in this episode: A recycling of Moscow’s football Lenin The Red Terror Famine of 1921 Tragedy hits the family Mentor Ivan Artemyev shows Nikolai the ropes Krasnaya Presnya is born Moscow Championship Soviet Championship NEP Nikolai gets married Dynamo: The new kid on the block Questions around professionalism Books Revolutionizing Mind and Soul? Soviet Youth and Cultural Campaigns during the New Economic Policy (1921-8) by Matthias Neumann Conspirator: Lenin in Exile by Helen Rappaport Spartak Moscow: A History of the People’s Team in the Workers’ State by Robert Edelman A Short History of the Russian Revolution by Joel Carmichael Lenin: A Revolutionary Life by Christopher Read The post Ep. 3: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 2 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

There’s no other story in world football like that of the Starostin brothers’. Born in a family of hunters from a peasant background in the Russian Empire, they fell in love with the beautiful game, grew up in the revolutionary Presnya district in the middle of the Bolshevik Revolution. Led by their eldest brother, Nikolai, they created Russia’s most popular football club, Spartak Moscow, and became champions. Then suddenly, from night to day, they would go from sporting heroes to enemies of the state and thrown to the wolves in the Gulag. After 10 long and horrible years of suffering, they come back to cement their position as some of the most important figures in all of Russian football history.To better understand how everything happened, we take a look at all the moving pieces and watch them fall into place to get a complete picture of this beautiful story of determination, success, glory, injustice, tragedy and survival. It’s nothing short of incredible. What we cover in this episode: Introduction to the StarostinsRussia’s environment in the early 1900’sKrasnaya PresnyaStarostin’s childhood and family lifeEducation and its influence on Nikolai’s frame of mindStenka na StenkuFirst football experiencesRussian RevolutionChanges to their way of life Books Spartak Moscow: A history of the people’s team in the worker’s state by Robert Edelman Russia in flames by Laura Englestein Muzhik and muscovite: Urbanization in late imperial Russia by Joseph Bradley The post Ep. 2: Starostin’s Spartak Brotherhood Part 1 appeared first on Round History Podcast.

This decorated WWI veteran turned French international footballer is the subject of our first episode. We dive into this forgotten man’s journey through the early days of French football, his rise to fame and how it all came to an end in tragic fashion. The post Ep. 1: Pierre Mony: Seeing Red appeared first on Round History Podcast.