With the Spanish World Cup on the horizon and the Argentinian flag being raised in Port Stanley, fears were high that England may not even get to go. Trouble off the field - both historical and hypothetical - would shape the English game in the 1980s. In his brilliant new book 'Go To War: Football On The Brink In The '80s', Jon Spurling brings out …

After the Christmas freeze of 1981, Liverpool sat 12th in the First Division table with John Toshack's Swansea City leading the way. How they reeled in the field to ultimately grab the title, the psychological impact of a feared chaser, Luton and Watford's rise out of the Second Division, QPR's plastic pitch and much more are on the agenda for a ro…

After every football season deep dive we will take a short break into the wider world of sport and in 1981 there really was only one story for us to pick up. That summer's Ashes series has forever been synonymous with one man: Ian Terence Botham. His heroics with bat and ball transformed the prospect of another miserable summer into a famous win. H…

With a schedule so in keeping with recent events, this week's episode is about the sacking of a Manchester United manager in 1981 but with so much relevance to the current day. The author Wayne Barton joins Martyn and Rob to talk about the weight of the job in difficult times, the tension between the technocrat and the force of personality and how …

In order to add more colour and cultural relevance to our trip through footballing history, the Draft has been applied to popular culture. Lawrence Donegan, David Edgar and Jonny McFarlane battle it out to try and pick the strongest card from 1980 containing a film drama, film comedy, band, album, tv show and news story. Three strong cards to choos…

1980/81 was a very poor domestic season for Liverpool by their own high standards but, even though they were a side in transition, they were still able to regain their European crown. Author and former football editor of the Times, Tony Evans, is on great form as he talks Martyn through a campaign with bags of goals, semi-final tension and characte…

The Crystal Palace side that was promoted to the First Division in 1979 under Terry Venables had so much youthful promise that some considered the coming decade to be theirs to grab. They could be, it was reported, the team of the 1980s. What went wrong is the subject of this week's episode as Martyn sits down the with American author Stephen Brand…

The Draft is back on Nessun Dorma and this time with a sporting twist. Gary, Mac and Mike join Martyn to try and convince him and then you the listener, that they have the strongest draft card that best captures the world of sport in 1980. But, there can be no crossover in the six categories whatsoever. Male, Female, Team, Single Achievement, Surpr…

It is April 1981 and Ipswich Town look set for a historic treble. With a talented English manager blending the best of British with Dutch flair, it all looked on. Wobbles, comebacks, replays and momentum shifts are everywhere in the conclusion to this fantastic season as three clubs grab their own share of the glory. If you want shows early and ad-…

At the start of April 1981, it looked likely that Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town were going to win an incredible treble of the league, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. How those dreams were dashed and how others benefitted is the subject of this two-part series. In this first episode, Martyn is joined by Richard Moss of 'The Suffolk Crunch', the author Co…

The West Germans called the European Championship of 1980 'a hideous disfigurement of football'. And they won the bloody thing! Martyn is joined by Jonathan O'Brien, author of the brilliant 'Euro Summits', to discuss the championship that nearly ended the whole enterprise. Poor football and even poorer crowds, it was a footballing summer that was a…

Following last weekend’s sad news of the passing of Sven-Göran Eriksson at the age of 76, Martyn is joined by Rob and Mike to discuss a career that is somewhat overshadowed by England and what came after but really needs to be remembered better. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonu…

The Premier League season of 1994/95 had so much going on that there could be multiple volumes covering it. Rob Fletcher has distilled it all into one brilliant new book that has so much detail that it almost falls off of the page. He sits down with Martyn to discuss the sleaze and scandal off the pitch, an incredible title race own it and the sign…

And so, we reach the end. A stellar cast gathers around the microphones as Rob Smyth returns to join Gary, Mike, Jonathan and Martyn to debate whether the 1994 Final is harshly treated, where this tournament sits in the World Cup pantheon, how Finals affect our judgement of that and some overall thoughts and highlights. We hope you’ve enjoyed this …

As we approach the penultimate hurdle it is time to take a wider view of the two main protagonists at this World Cup. Dominic Hougham, author of ‘50 Great World Cup Matches…and why you should watch them’, joins Martyn to discuss Italy’s semi final with Bulgaria but also the tensions between free spirits and control-freak coaches and the national te…

There is another bumper episode for you all this week as we reach the quarter finals. Gary and Mike are back to discuss four excellent football matches but before they do, coach and retro football analyst Alistair Bain takes us through the tactical approach of the last eight sides left in the competition. This is a public episode. If you would like…

Pundits and commentators were forced to admit that the Group Stages of USA ‘94 had delivered. But would that attacking and entertaining football continue now the real business was upon us? Yes. Yes it would. Mike, Jonathan and Gary join Martyn to feast themselves on an array of enjoyable games including one of the greatest of all time. This is a pu…

The Group stages come to a close this week with the punishing Orlando heat, Houghton’s volley, Sacchi’s gamble, the transitional Dutch and a wonder goal from the Middle East. Jonathan O’Brien and Michael Hamlen from 80s&90sFootball are on hand to take Martyn through it all. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subs…

No World Cup has seen as many goals on average in the last 30 years and much of that was down to the some of the fun and games in Groups C and D. Mike Gibbons joins Martyn to take stock of where the German national side was in 1994, the vitriol towards Klinsmann, the sheer entertainment provided by Nigeria, Bulgaria and Argentina and Pete Watson re…

Right, it’s time to get stuck into the football as Groups A and B come under the microscope. Mac Millings is back to happily reminisce about the USA’s surprising performance as hosts, give the Swiss some praise and wax lyrical about Gheorghe Hagi. Pete Watson, lecturer in Latin American Studies, takes us through the dark story of Colombian football…

We’re back! After a six month absence to deal with newborn babies and fight with schedules, Nessun Dorma returns to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1994 World Cup with an eight-part deep dive. Martyn is back on hosting duties as he speaks to Rob Fletcher about where the world of football was in the summer of ‘94, Mac Millings on how the US wo…

Our last draft of the year goes back to 1984-85, the season when the greatest team in Everton’s history romped to glory. Martyn, Gary and Mac Millings select their XIs from Division One that season. As you can imagine, Gary is like a pig in Chardonnary throughout. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or…

Martyn and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher (aka 90s Football Writer) to pick their England XIs from a storied decade. As well as reaching the semi-finals of Italia 90 and Euro 96, England were involved in a true World Cup classic at France 98 and reached Euro 92 when it was still an eight-team tournament. Let’s not dwell on what happened when they g…

With the 2023 World Cup entering its final week, Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Jonathan Hungin and Andrew Miller for another cricket draft - this time the fondly remembered 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand. It was the first World Cup with coloured clothing, white balls and Powerplays at the start of the innings. After a wretched start…

Nessun Dorma ventures into new territory this week, with Martyn and Rob joined by two special guests for our first ever cricket episode. Jonathan Hungin and Andrew Miller, who worked with Rob at Wisden.com at the turn of the century, join us to draft their XIs from the memorable 1999 World Cup. The list of players includes all-time greats hitting t…

Martyn and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher, author of 1992: The Birth of Modern Football, and Ally Bain of Retro Football Analysis to pick their teams from a classic European season. Marquee picks include Raul, Oliver Kahn, Gaizka Mendieta, Fernando Redondo, Patrick Kluivert, Mario Jardel, Roy Keane, Luis Figo, Rivaldo and Jaap Stam. A reminder of t…

Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Rob Fletcher, author of the superb 1992: The Birth of Modern Football, to draft their teams from the inaugural Premier League season. Marquee picks include Eric Cantona, Alan Shearer, Paul Ince, Paul McGrath, Les Ferdinand, Steve Staunton, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs. A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft…

It’s a big one this week: France 98, a tournament full of great games and all-time-great players. Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by the Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg - who worked with Glenn Hoddle on his autobiography, Playmaker - to draft their XIs from the balmy, barmy summer of 1998. A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft: * Each player…

This week’s draft is a challenge: picking an XI from England internationals of the 1980s. Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by… nobody, and that’s probably a good thing because it's hard enough finding 33 players, never mind 44. A reminder of the rules of the Nessun Dorma draft: 1. Each player can only be picked by one person. When Bryan Robson and G…

We’re going draft daft over the next few weeks, with a mini-series devoted to arguing over the best XIs from various tournaments, seasons and eras. We start with English football’s summer of love, also known as Euro 96. Martyn and Rob are joined by Mike Gibbons, whose When Football Came Home is the best book around on that tournament, and Jonathan …

Gary and Rob talk to Martyn about his book Revolution: Rangers 1986-92, and how Graeme Souness changed Scottish football when he became player-manager at Ibrox. It was a perfect storm, and for a short time Rangers had a pulling power that not even England’s biggest clubs could match. Souness was prepared to rip up traditions - and pick fights with …

Welcome to the Nessun Dorma Book Club, a kind of sporting Late Review but without Tony Parsons. The premise this week is simple: Mike, Gary and Martyn bring a football book that made an impact on their lives and explain why. From the definitive and myth-shattering history of West German football and the instant window into the past provided by Pani…

Welcome to the inaugural Nessun Dorma Draft, in which we each pick an XI from a particular tournament, season or era. Given the name of our podcast, we had to start with a trip back to Italia 90. Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Mac Millings to pick their XIs from a tournament full of superstars. These are the rules: 1. Each player can only be pi…

In the last episode of our Euro 88 special, Martyn, Gary and Rob are joined by Jonathan O’Brien to discuss the final in Munich and the tournament as a whole. They look at whether the suspended Oleg Kuznetsov would have changed the game, why we remember the Netherlands so fondly and whether a goal as extraordinary as Marco van Basten’s can create th…

Both Euro 88 semi-finals were intriguing culture clashes. The first match, in Hamburg, was loaded with historical significance. West Germany v Netherlands evoked the 1974 World Cup final and even the second world war. A good (if slightly overrated) match had a savage late twist that went straight into European Championship folklore. USSR v Italy di…

By the final round of group games, Euro 88 was effectively a six-team tournament. Denmark and England were already eliminated and barely had any pride left to play for. Group A was concluded with simultaneous games on Friday night, just a week – and a lifetime – after the tournament had begun. The hosts West Germany played Spain in Munich, with the…

Euro 88 was only four days old when the second of group games began, but our old friend jeopardy was already running amok. After a nervous start, the hosts West Germany took on an ailing Denmark in Gelsenkirchen. A few hours later, also in Group A, Italy met Spain in what was felt like a de facto quarter-final. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, we rush…

Our look back at Euro 88 continues with the first round of group games. On Friday 10 June 1988, the tournament kicked off with a tense match between West Germany, the hosts and favourites, and a vibrant young Italian side. The other Group A game took place the following afternoon, a thrilling if slightly shambolic contest between Denmark and Spain.…

A new series of Nessun Dorma starts with the first part of our deep dive into Euro 88, the last major tournament in Europe before the big bang of Italia 90. Martyn Ramsay, Gary Naylor and Rob Smyth set the scene for a much anticipated tournament. “Whatever happens,” wrote David Lacey in his preview for the Guardian, “the 1988 European Championship …

Nessun Dorma returns from hibernation for a one-off special ahead of the World Cup, and a deep dive into one of the greatest matches in its storied history: the Espana 82 semi-final between West Germany and Germany. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.…

Lee, Mike and Gary pick a couple of goals each from the legendary BBC VHS This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesAv Nessun Dorma

Gary Naylor chats to Tom Whitworth about his book, When the Seagulls Follow the Trawler: Football in the 90s. They get into the thrills and spills of a tumultuous decade that included the founding of the Premier League, the transformation of stadiums and Gareth Southgate disappointing us in a penalty shoot-out. Tom spoke to plenty of those who were…

We're back for another Extra Time and with the rescheduled Euro 2020 on the way, Mike has a chat with the author of the definitive history of the tournament. Jonathan O'Brien is an editor and writer for the Business Post in Ireland, and has written the recently published Euro Summits: The Story of the UEFA European Championship 1960 to 2016. Mike a…

Our Gary talks to the much loved Pat Nevin about his new memoir, The Accidental Footballer, already a bestseller. En route, we hear about Tommy Tuchel and the alchemy of football management, why it really was better growing up on cinder pitches in the 70s and what it was like on the other side of the whitewash when Everton played Liverpool in the 1…

It’s a shift in focus in this episode as Nessun Dorma takes a look at the bottom half of the Premier League table, and the extraordinary denouement of the 1993-94 season.Gary, Mike and special guest Scott Murray pick over the bones of a dramatic final day scrap, with five teams fighting to avoid the two remaining passes through the trap door and in…

We’re back with another Extra Time, our little offshoot that takes a broader look around the world of football culture. This week our guest is David Hartrick – publisher, podcaster and author of a fantastic new book, Silver Linings: Bobby Robson’s England.Mike sits down with David for an extended chat about the writing of the book, and an overview …

25 years after that night at Anfield; Lee, Mike and special guest Scott Murray consider Keegan, Evans, Collymore closing in and all the other kamikaze football that formed perhaps the greatest match of our lifetimes. We reflect on the match's impact on the title race as well as our personal remembrances alongside an almost minute by minute admirati…

Having looked at the Villa players individually, Lee, Gary and Mike return to discuss what they achieved collectively. The hors d’oeuvre is Villa’s first league title in 71 years, achieved after a Homeric tussle through the 1980-81 season with Bobby Robson’s Ipswich and using just 14(!) players.Follow that, as they say, and oh boy, did they. Villa …

Once upon a time in the Midlands, there was a moneyball miracle. Come and join Lee, Gary and Mike as they travel all the way back to 1980, one of the outer markers of the Nessun Dorma time period, to look at Aston Villa’s epic achievements at the start of that decade.In part one we take a look at how that team was assembled by manager Ron Saunders,…

In 1983, Ajax decided not to renew the contract of Johan Cruyff, reasoning he was past it at the age of 36. So Cruyff, in the highest possible dudgeon, signed for their bitter rivals Feyenoord – and then won the Double with them, despite an 8-2 defeat at Ajax along the way. Rob talks to Andy Bollen, author of Fierce Genius, about that extraordinary…