It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast

Welcome to The Overlap's football history podcast, It Was What It Was.

Each week Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper will be talking about the key episodes in football history that have shaped the footballing world.

The show will be discussing the best stories from football's past, giving insights to the personalities involved. the tales from behind the scenes and the impact they left.

Join us at Football University!

If you enjoy the podcast please hit subscribe to never miss an episode.

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The Horse That Changed Manchester United - Part One with David Walsh
Apr 15, 2025 – 57:12
Brendon Batson: Football Pioneer and Big Ron Betrayal - Part Two
Apr 11, 2025 – 46:55
Brendon Batson: Arsenal's Trailblazer and the Three Degrees Legacy - Part One
Apr 8, 2025 – 37:52
Cameroon at Italia ‘90: England Showdown and Legacy - Part Two
Apr 4, 2025 – 51:26
Cameroon at Italia ‘90: Roger Milla and the Legend of the Indomitable Lions - Part One
Apr 1, 2025 – 47:42
Did Saudi Arabia Buy Sport? Soft Power, Newcastle and Jimmy Hill!
Mar 28, 2025 – 58:02
Soccer: An American History - Part Three: Boom to Bust
Mar 26, 2025 – 48:43
Soccer: An American History - Part Two: Struggles, Expansion and International Influence
Mar 21, 2025 – 52:15
Soccer: An American History - Part One: Origins and Challenges
Mar 18, 2025 – 52:54
The 1985 League Cup Final: The Match that Changed My Life
Mar 14, 2025 – 49:22
League Cup Classics: Liverpool, Newcastle and the Greatest Finals
Mar 11, 2025 – 45:36
From Arteta to Alonso: The Rise of Basque Coaches
Mar 7, 2025 – 54:04
Guardiola: Dominance, Decline and a Post-Pep World?
Mar 4, 2025 – 52:04
The Making of a Football Superpower - Part Three: A New Dawn
Feb 28, 2025 – 47:49
The Making of a Football Superpower - Part Two: The Arrival
Feb 25, 2025 – 51:18
The Making of a Football Superpower - Part One: The Birth of U.S. Women's Soccer
Feb 21, 2025 – 57:24
The Making of a Football Superpower with Carli Lloyd - An Introduction
Feb 18, 2025 – 44:43
Busby’s Man United: From Munich Tragedy to European Glory
Feb 14, 2025 – 48:18
Manchester United's Darkest Day
Feb 11, 2025 – 37:19
Who Were The Busby Babes?
Feb 7, 2025 – 52:16
Gary Neville: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Busby Babes
Feb 4, 2025 – 43:18
The Mystery of Matthias Sindelar, Part Two
Jan 31, 2025 – 54:23
The Mystery of Matthias Sindelar, Part One
Jan 28, 2025 – 50:05
The Brilliance of Bill Nicholson - Part Four
Jan 24, 2025 – 45:45
The Brilliance of Bill Nicholson - Part Three
Jan 21, 2025 – 48:13
The Brilliance of Bill Nicholson - Part Two With Steve Perryman
Jan 17, 2025 – 39:24
The Brilliance of Bill Nicholson - Part One With Steve Perryman
Jan 14, 2025 – 32:35
History's Biggest FA Cup Third Round Shocks - Part Two
Jan 10, 2025 – 43:17
History's Biggest FA Cup Third Round Shocks - Part One
Jan 7, 2025 – 47:41
Lines, Screens and Outrage! The Story, the Impact and the Cost of VAR
Jan 3, 2025 – 54:55
Sir Alex And His Worst Ever New Year's Day - with QPR's Andy Sinton
Dec 31, 2024 – 51:12
The True Story of the Christmas Truce 1914
Dec 23, 2024 – 1:08:01
Pickles Finds The World Cup: The Story Of Football's Most Famous Dog!
Dec 17, 2024 – 43:10
Wolves: Champions Of The World!
Dec 10, 2024 – 54:35
When the Super Eagles Stunned the World - Nigeria 1996
Dec 3, 2024 – 57:13
Ruben Amorim: Have Man United Found Their Special One?
Nov 26, 2024 – 56:15
Rafa Benitez: My Coaching Secrets - Part Two
Nov 21, 2024 – 57:01
Rafa Benitez: My Coaching Secrets - Part One
Nov 19, 2024 – 1:08:27
Thomas Tuchel: The Origin Story of England's New Manager
Nov 12, 2024 – 55:23
The Money Behind Modern Football With Miguel Delaney
Nov 5, 2024 – 59:11
Emergency Pod: Amorim Arrives! Man United And The Busby-Ferguson Curse
Nov 1, 2024 – 57:06
The Trilogy of Violence: Celtic v Racing 1967 - Part Two
Oct 31, 2024 – 49:06
The Trilogy of Violence: Celtic v Racing 1967 - Part One
Oct 29, 2024 – 47:21
El Clasico: Civil War, Conspiracies And Scandal With Sid Lowe
Oct 22, 2024 – 1:04:34
Sacchi's Football Revolution: Part Four - World Cup Heartache and Legacy
Oct 17, 2024 – 48:23
Sacchi's Football Revolution: Part Three - Creating Milan's Immortals
Oct 15, 2024 – 51:30
Sacchi's Football Revolution: Part Two - Small Beginnings and Big Breaks
Oct 10, 2024 – 51:12
Sacchi's Football Revolution: Part One - The Making Of A Genius
Oct 8, 2024 – 49:43
Carragher on Sacchi: The Genius Who Revolutionised Football
Oct 1, 2024 – 56:37
Manchester City Guilty! The 1904/05 Scandal
Sep 24, 2024 – 55:47

Recent Reviews

mwallenhorst

Excellent Show

Great show! Love hearing all the stories and how they work to tell them.
DCI Banks

Wonderful Show

I’ve listened to several episodes now. Just finished the Bill Nicholson 2 part episodes. So well done. Can’t overstate how much I enjoyed learning about him and hearing antidotes from Spurs record appearance holder, Steve Perrymen. Thank you
Joseph of the K

Its football and its history.........

It’s football and history, what could be better to listen to whilst working away.
SepticException

Excellent and Essential

I could very happily listen to Wilson talk about football history all day. His mind is a wunderkammer of facts and dates, his ability to investigate influences, draw connections and make postulations is second to none. Coupled with Draper’s journalism this pod is wonderful in its contextualisation of the subject. The episode in Puskas and Ange, with migration and the migrant experience of football in Australia was superlative.
Samewells

Intoxicating show

What a great pod. And a subject that’s long overdue. Wilson and Draper are a perfect pair and tell the stories in such a captivating way. Keep these coming guys. Bravo!
Arthur1676

Football Heritage

Great show. Wilson is the greatest football historian of our time.
smburrows

Steve Coppell?

A very enjoyable first episode. I was in the away end for the 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford where the banner was unveiled and I remember the deafening sound of “Fergie out.” We (Palace) were good that day, but we had lost 9-0 to Liverpool just a couple of months before. And I was at the two finals when we almost won the Cup. Would Steve Coppell have been a candidate for the Utd job had he been sacked and we won the cup (say by beating Oldham?) Funny that the recent 4-0 is probably the end for Ten Hag. Still, I would trade in the 5-0 and the 4-0 for Hughes not equalizing …