Montenegro’s mass collapse, Sweden’s perfect runners-up & Auckland’s A-League debut

<em>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</em></p> <em> </em></p> <em>Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine</em></p> <em> </em></p> In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Sweeper calls home: Europe. Why did the entire Njegoš team simultaneously collapse in the Montenegrin third division? And was there any truth to the plutonium poisoning allegations? How did Ängelholms in the fourth tier of Swedish women’s football miss out on the title despite not conceding a goal? And what bizarre record did their goalkeeper end the season with? And why did Breiðablik fans stage a break-in ahead of their final-day title-decider with Víkingur Reykjavík in Iceland?</p>  </p> Part 2 contains a selection of stories from Africa, Asia, Central America and Oceania. Why has a second club from New Zealand, Auckland FC, joined Australia’s A-League? And why will their upcoming match against Wellington Phoenix be unique in world football? What has led TP Mazembe in DR Congo to play Nigerian goalkeeper Suleman Shaibu in attack? How did Wolues of the British Virgin Islands come to have a misspelling in their name? And how are the two clubs from war-torn Sudan playing 5,000km away in Mauritania getting on?</p>  </p> If you don’t want to wait until 13 November for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus episodes in the in-between weeks. Simply sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod and join us for a special pod on 6 November. We will be joined by some special guests to talk about their recent groundhops in Slovenia and Croatia, before rounding up some other stories from Russia, Uzbekistan and Eritrea. Patrons also get access to our Discord chat community, bonus blogs, weekly newsletters and entry into our shirt giveaways too.</p>  </p> RUNNING ORDER:</p> 00:00 – Intro</p> 00:43 – Montenegro’s mass collapse</p> 07:24 – Sweden’s perfect runners-up</p> 11:54 – Iceland’s final-day title decider</p> 16:12 – Other summer league tales</p> 21:03 – Kiwi club’s debut in the A-League</p> 29:28 – An attacking keeper in DR Congo</p> 34:14 – The Sweeper Super Sunday on FIFA+</p> 41:15 – First Vienna game with a patron </p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:44:03

Bhutanese monk ultras, a golden era for micro-states & the Southgate of the Solomons

<em>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</em></p> <strong>  </strong></p> 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?</p>  </p> 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?</p>  </p> 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.</p> <strong> </strong></p> Follow Matthew Eide’s Faraway Football account:</p> Twitter: x.com/FarAwayFootball</p> Instagram: Instagram.com/farawayfootball</p> </p> RUNNING ORDER:</p> 00:00 – Intro</p> 00:31 – Lee & Paul’s travel disasters</p> 02:57 – A groundhop to beautiful Bhutan</p> 18:24 – FIFA+: South America & Oceania</p> 26:58 – A golden era for Europe's micro-states</p> 34:57 – Country vs. club in Turkmenistan</p> 38:36 – Poolside viewing in the Caribbean </p> </p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:44:52

Switalian adventures, Welsh routes into Europe & the Vatican on tour

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.</p>  </p> 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.</p>  </p> 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.</p> </p> RUNNING ORDER</p> 00:00 – Intro</p> 00:51 - The rise of Swiss side Lugano</p> 10:34 - Mascots & miniature models</p> 13:15 - Campione d'Italia with TheTimTraveller</p> 17:25 - A stop-off at FC Südtirol</p> 18:52 - Behind the scenes at TNS</p> 25:00 - Alternative Welsh routes in Europe</p> 29:21 - Tractor tickets in Norway with Ellis Platten</p> 33:53 - The quirkiest VIP offerings in football</p> 38:27 - Peru's Vatican-themed football club</p> 42:12 - The Vatican's upcoming tour to Berlin</p>  </p> Video: Away Days at Bryne: Out on Saturday 5 October</p>  </p> Video: TheTimTraveller on Campione d’Italia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fqinoNiZE</p>  </p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:47:00

Turks & Caicos' 14-year-old goalie, Bolivia's altitude advantage & Argentina's gun-wielding chairman

<em>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</em></p> <strong> </strong></p> 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.</p>  </p> 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.</p>  </p> 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.</p>  </p> RUNNING ORDER:</p> 00:00 – Intro</p> 00:31 – San Marino: Local disbelief</p> 05:00 – Anguilla: First victory in 14 years</p> 06:42 – Turks & Caicos: 14-year-old goalie</p> 10:21 – Bolivia: Altitude & away wins</p> 14:18 – International window: The best ever?</p> 16:08 – Guyana: The presidential helicopter</p> 18:55 – FIFA+: Introducing our new partner</p> 22:43 – Chile: Huachipato’s two games in a day</p> 26:50 – Chile: Barnechea’s 45-point deduction</p> 29:27 – Argentina: Talleres’ feisty chairman</p> 32:20 – Argentina: Banfield’s half-time sacking</p> <br /></p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:36:22

BONUS POD: SAN MARINO WIN A FOOTBALL MATCH!!!

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.</p> 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! </p>

00:17:16

Europe for Larne & TNS, Papua NG's returning islanders & Comoros’ wizard-loving boss

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.</p> 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.</p> 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.</p> RUNNING ORDER:</p> 00:00 – Intro</p> 03:04 – UEFA qualifiers: Upsets & underdogs</p> 09:00 – UEFA qualifiers: Media & memes</p> 14:13 – UEFA qualifiers: Unfamiliar formats</p> 18:56 – UEFA qualifiers: Groundhopping guidance</p> 24:29 – Collapsing goals in Iceland & Romania</p> 30:56 – Papua New Guinea’s relocating islanders</p> 36:56 – San Marino & the international break</p> 44:12 – Patreon perks & B67 shirt giveaway</p> <br /></p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:46:12

Noah’s unique European run, Djibouti’s power plant club & St. Kitts' three-legged final

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.</p><br /></p>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.</p><br /></p>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.</p><br /></p>RUNNING ORDER:</p>00:00 – Intro</p>00:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Penalty pandemonium</p>07:32 – UEFA qualifiers: History-making hopefuls</p>11:11 – UEFA qualifiers: Epic away days</p>15:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Supportive statesmen</p>21:02 – San Marino & Nauru competition winners</p>22:38 – Africa: The space and weapons derbies</p>30:34 – Asia: Coaching vacancy in the Maldives</p>36:48 – Caribbean: America des Cayes' no-show</p>39:35 – St. Kitts & Nevis and Chagos Islands giveaways</p><br /></p>Join Sangalo's mailing list at the bottom of the homepage to enter the Village Superstars shirt competition: www.sangalo.com.</p>Get yourself a Surprise Shirts mystery box at www.surpriseshirts.co.uk.</p>

00:46:02

A Tongan World Cup dream, Greenland’s Disko Island & Olympic sprinter-footballers

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.</p> </p> 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.</p> </p> 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.</p> </p> RUNNING ORDER</p> 00:00 - Intro</p> 00:32 - The Football Cliches Quiz</p> 02:01 - Tongan World Cup dreams</p> 07:18 - The FA Cup preliminary rounds</p> 13:25 - Disko Island in Greenland</p> 18:53 - San Marino & Nauru competitions</p> 24:24 - Olympics: Opening game outrage</p> 28:45 - Olympics: Drone debacles</p> 32:06 - Olympics: Goals galore</p> 36:28 - Olympics: Sprinting strikers</p> 38:51 - Listener emails</p> </p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:44:37

A message to The Sweeper listeners

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.</p> </p> 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.</p>

00:04:23

A victorious Faroese village, 27th time lucky for La Fiorita & North Korea’s ‘Pariah Derby’

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.</p> </p> 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.</p> </p> 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.</p> </p> RUNNING ORDER:</p> 00:00 - Intro</p> 00:38 - Victorious villages</p> 04:52 - 27th time lucky for La Fiorita</p> 11:38 - The NK Bravo keeper on the run </p> 13:41 - Icelandic accumulator threats</p> 15:19 - Pub team with a view of Africa</p> 21:31 - Podcast frequency announcement</p> 23:52 - North Korea's 'Pariah Derby'</p> 29:22 - Rapid vs. Milan & pre-season friendlies</p> </p> Video of the NK Bravo goalkeeper on a run: x.com/FootballBurp/status/1814063958224978365</p> </p> Editor: Ralph Foster</p>

00:38:49