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PODCAST

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast

An in-depth, nostalgic celebration of football in the eighties and nineties, where the wider world of sport and popular culture are occasionally welcome visitors. nessundorma.substack.com

sports soccer

All Episodes

122:54

Mexico '86 - Part Twelve: The Quarters

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/04/10

Martyn, Mike and Rob settle down to revisit one of the great weekends in World Cup history. France and Brazil produce a classic and a goal that would be lionised if the result had been different, the hosts suffer a fate that many will over the years: defeat to West Germany on penalties, the surprise package carry on and England v Argentina provides enough for an entire series.France v Brazil - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ6pRNMS4KE Mexico v West Germany

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77:46

Mexico '86 - Part Eleven: 17th and 18th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/04/03

World Cup author Dominic Hougham joins Martyn to see France break a bit of a hoodoo, West Germany bore their way past Morocco, Bobby's boys march on despite another shaky start and Denmark absolutely losing their collective mind. Italy v France - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV1Ocz4GyzY Morocco v West Germany - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNA2e_cdt4I England v Paraguay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J672j5Ko_xg Denmark v Spain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9FHL5bFXYo If you

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77:32

Mexico '86 - Part Ten: 15th and 16th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/03/27

It's knockout time! Michael Hamlen from the brilliant 80s&90sFootball is here to look at the first two rounds of Last 16 matches including the first classic of the competition between the USSR and Belgium, Brazil coming to life against Poland, the hosts progressing and Diego warming up for immortality.Mexico v Bulgaria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9JPDvqeMso&t=2s USSR v Belgium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K9R8BLHOXs Brazil v Poland

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87:22

Mexico '86 - Part Nine: 12th and 13th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/03/20

Gary and John return to wrap up the group stages of the 1986 World Cup. Ian St John has a meltdown watching Scotland somehow managing to miss out against the "scum of world football". West Germany are the latest to be put to the sword by Denmark but end up on the better side of the draw as a result and there is quite the debut for a young Brazilian right back by the name of Josimar.Brazil v Northern Ireland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY7bZlV0-s4 Algeria v Spain -

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75:05

Mexico '86 - Part Eight: 10th and 11th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/03/13

Mac Millings makes his tournament debut as England's hopes hang by a thread. Bobby Robson is forced into some changes and, although familiar issues are still apparent early on against Poland, goals change games. And careers.There is also Morocco discovering what can be done when you cross the halfway line, progress for the hosts, Paraguay and Belgium fight to avoid the USSR, Italy remain unconvincing and some love for Jorge Valdano. South Korea v Italy

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95:11

Mexico '86 - Part Seven: 8th and 9th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/03/06

Mike takes to the lectern as he guides us through the crushing beauty of Denmark's destruction of Uruguay. There's also Gordon Strachan's struggles with advertising boards, iconic branding of World Cups, Belgium get back on track while France and the USSR warm down into the knockouts.Iraq v Belgium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOXMZwJkF8 West Germany v Scotland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr3WW3pjpXs Denmark v Uruguay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdI0DbGGbJw&t=4s Hungary v

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77:23

Mexico '86 - Part Six: 6th and 7th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/02/27

Aidan Williams returns as England's tournament goes from bad to worse in Monterrey, lightning doesn't strike twice for Northern Ireland, the World Cup's poster boy has a major misstep, the greatest clearance of all time and much more.Hungary v Canda - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohDvj08eybk Brazil v Algeria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3qnpl9AB3c England v Morocco - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBFyPcB3sT4 Mexico v Paraguay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9XcaTTa1Ho Spain v

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48:07

Nessun Dorma Special - Euro '96: The Full Story

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/02/23

On the 30th anniversary of Euro '96, the author Richard Chamberlain provides us with a telling reminder that there was more to this tournament that a homecoming from the sporting wilderness and an internal feel-good summer. The inside story on all the participants can be found in his new book which is out later this year. He talks to us about the project as a whole, the resonance in a post-Southgate era and how you can get

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72:38

Mexico '86 - Part Five: 4th and 5th June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/02/20

Martyn is joined by Gary and debutant John Mackay get stuck into a bumper couple of days. Scotland make an unfortunate start against the Danes after Uruguay set out their stall against a West German side in a state of disarray. There are a couple of heavyweight clashes with some pulled punches and much more. Paraguay v Iraq - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8GCTxga8jw Uruguay v West Germany - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDOY6IR8u5Y Scotland v Denmark

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76:46

Mexico '86 - Part Four: 2nd and 3rd June

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/02/13

Mike and Martyn get set to devour a feast of World Cup action over these two days. We have Maradona and Passarella clashing over drugs and affairs before South Korea took turns in having a kick without any serious sanction, Hungary being smashed by the USSR, an early victory for the hosts amidst political turbulence and an arachnid taking over the Azteca, Northern Ireland and Algeria failing to live up to their previous exploits and missing the opportunity to get that much needed win and Bobby

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46:06

Mexico '86 - Part 3: 31st May and 1st June 1986

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/02/06

It is time to start your Mexican waves!Jonathan O'Brien is here to discuss the opening game, how the World Champions were placed, who the European Champions had turned to up front, a handball goal that was actually chalked off and Spain and Brazil remind us why we should be careful what we wish for when trying to the rid the game of technology. Italy v Bulgaria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0eTCWLGTfo Canada v France - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIUVkVickbQ Spain v Brazil

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65:15

Mexico '86 - Episode 2: The Preview

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/01/30

We are nearly there! Martyn is joined again by the author Aidan Williams to round up the rest of the qualifiers - from Argentina to Iraq - and to take a look at the contemporaneous previews on the eve of the tournament. There were big concerns about the impact of the midday sun on the quality of football, most agreed that there was no outstanding favourite and Diego Maradona had far from convinced everyone that he was about to take the world by storm.If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows,

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83:41

Mexico '86 - Episode 1: The European Qualifiers

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/01/23

Martyn, Rob and Aidan Williams get our biggest deep-dive yet underway with a look at the European contingent and how they navigated their way to Mexico. We have that drama in Cardiff, the late arrival of Lineker, Northern Ireland doing it the hard way, one major sliding doors moment and so much more. If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to ⁠⁠patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast⁠⁠ where

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90:06

Nessun Dorma Archive - 17 August 1996

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/01/16

The last of the archive re-runs is a good old deep dive into the opening fixtures of the 1996-97 season first released in September 2018. Lee, Mike and Gary consider Beckham's introduction to the wider world, Richie Humphreys' thunderbolt and decline, Super Kevin Campbell and the general pizzazz and razzamattaz that was the Premier League in the post Euro 96 miasma of self assurance. Nessun Dorma returns next week as we commence the road to Mexico '86! If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows,

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83:58

Nessun Dorma Archive - 17 November 1993

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/01/09

We go back into the archives for a few weeks before our big Mexico '86 series begins on 21 January. In this excellent show from November 2018, Lee, Rob and Mike chat all about November 17 1993, the last great night of international tournament qualification; an evening that ended careers, made reputations, left a legacy a certain Welsh fullback could do without and caused David Ginola to have his parentage questioned.The exclusive Patreon show This Week will return on Monday 12 Jan. If you want

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60:26

A Festive Q&A

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2026/01/01

Martyn and Gary are mostly full of glad tidings as they try and tackle the brilliant Patreon questions. Winter signings, best festive fixtures, the mythology of the Christmas Day truce are mixed with the greatest games of all time, biggest missed opportunities, Scottish football's best time and, a little less jolly, what players we hate.Have an excellent 2026 everyone! If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support

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46:27

Season 1985/86 Episode Nine - Stein, Scottish...

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2025/12/19

The 10 September 1985 was a night where tension never dropped within Ninian Park, Cardiff. On the pitch was a controversial World Cup qualifier between Scotland and Wales. Off it, a heart attack that ended the life of one of Britain's greatest managers. The legendary broadcaster Archie Macpherson wraps up our season by recounting his experience of that night, the impact of Scottish managers on British football and what made them disproportionately successful and some reflection on his own career and

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55:35

Season 1985/86 Episode 8 - Blackout

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2025/12/12

One theme that has been consistent throughout this season was the television blackout that dominated the first half of it. Martyn sits down with the author and academic Roger Domeneghetti to get into the detail of why it happened, how it ended and football's fascinating relationship with the medium before and after.Roger's excellent work Everybody Wants To Rule The World: Britain, Sport and the 1980s can be found here and is heartily recommended. https://amzn.eu/d/bJkufCR If you want weekly

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64:32

Season 1985/86 Episode 7 - European Roundup

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2025/12/05

Michael Hamlen from the brilliant 80s&90s Football account returns to look at the rise of Eastern Europe in intercontinental competition. Steaua Bucharest's win in the European Cup and Dynamo Kiev's success over Atletico Madrid in the Cup Winners' Cup are the highlights and some love for Lobanovskyi and his place in the pantheon of the great managers in history. There is also some Italian chicanery and Real Madrid's love of a comeback in retaining the UEFA Cup. Are this Real side one that we

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99:24

Season 1985/86 Episode 6 - Two Tribes

Nessun Dorma Retro Football Podcast ·

2025/11/28

For all the surprises in English football in the mid-eighties, the real power still remained on Merseyside. 1985/86 saw both Liverpool and Everton locked in a battle for an historic Double right up until the final games of the season. With Everton the newly crowned champions and now with the best English striker of his generation and Liverpool still reeling from Heysel and the introduction of a club legend into an old-fashioned role, it was a season of momentum swings and sporting drama. In the

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