The Blizzard

On Greatest Games this week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Cecilia Lagos to remember the 1962 World Cup group stage tie between hosts, Chile, and two-time World champions, Italy – the ‘Battle of Santiago’. David Coleman’s introduction to the BBC’s broadcast of this game is the stuff of legends – “The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football in the history of the game…” it began.  Ceci, Jonathan and Marcus remember the remarkable events which unfolded just months after an earthquake devastated the host nation and were stirred by the comments of two European journalists. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others. 

Laurence McKenna is our guest on Greatest Games this week to rewind back just five years to Liverpool’s last-gasp Europa League quarter-final win against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield. Laurence, Jonathan and Marcus remember the landmark moments of Jurgen Klopp’s early days on Merseyside, recall the stars of the side that Jurgen inherited from his predecessor Brendan Rodgers and ask what is it that makes European nights on the Kop so special? About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. La

This week on Greatest Games, Paul Myers joins Jonathan and Marcus to discuss the 2012 Cup of Nations final and one of the most emotional stories in football history. Extraordinarily reaching the final meant that Zambia would compete to win their first-ever Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon – the city where 30 passengers and crew, including the Zambia national team and support staff, lost their lives in a tragic plane crash on the way to a World Cup qualifier in Dakar. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the coun

On this edition of Greatest Games, Gary Al-Smith is on the pod to remember a dramatic Afcon semi-final which took place six years ago on Friday alongside Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller.  Tournament hosts, Equatorial Guinea, meet a Ghana side managed by Avram Grant and looking in great stead to win the Cup of Nations. The hosts’ fans weren’t short of optimism and unduly encouraged to be so confident that 2015 was their year, leading to an outpouring of emotion when their hopes of glory diminished in Malabo. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly host

This week on Greatest Games, Richard Jolly joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss one of the Premier League’s most extraordinary results ever – Manchester City’s 6-1 win away at Old Trafford in 2011. 'A statement' undermines quite what happened on this day. The trio looks back on how the Manchester clubs reached this point, the starring members of Roberto Mancini’s 2011-12 Premier League-winning side and much more.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Richard Jolly

On this episode of Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Uli Hesse as they remember the 1985-86 Bundesliga relegation/promotion playoff which could’ve seen Borussia Dortmund drop out of the top-flight. Uli, Jonathan and Marcus discuss the troubles facing of German football in the 80s, the remarkable desperate situation Borussia Dortmund found themselves in and the chaotic scenes which helped ensure their survival. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan. Uli H

In this week’s Greatest Games, Saša Ibrulj takes Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller back to Florence in 1990 for Yugoslavia and Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final.   With social instability in the backdrop of this fixture for both nations, the potential ramifications of this fixture could have extended far beyond football. Reigning champions, Argentina, hoped to reach another semi-final whilst Yugoslavia’s talented side looked to establish themselves as genuine tournament contenders for the new decade.    About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regular

In this week’s Greatest Games, Paul Hayward joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for a tactical review of one of the World Cup’s most famous matches – the 1970 Group C encounter between Brazil and England.   For holders England, the 1970 summer kicked off with controversy after the skipper, Bobby Moore was arrested in Colombia before the World Cup had even begun for allegedly stealing a bracelet from a Bogata jewellers. The preparation was far from ideal, but the meeting with Brazil set the tournament alight – the two tournament favourites toe-to-toe under the blazing Mexican sun. The match that unveiled proved to be a tactical turning point in international football history. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names He

Maher Mezahi joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller for this week’s episode of Greatest Games to look back on the chaotic World Cup qualifying play-off between north African rivals Algeria and Egypt in 2009.   The match was the third of the year between the two sides played on neutral grounds in Omdurman, Sudan. The rivalry between the two nations resurfaced at the previous meeting in Cairo, just four days prior, as fans clashed before and after the match. The tension was paramount in Sudan as the stakes were high with qualification for the 2010 World Cup, the first hosted in Africa, on the line in this one-off clash.   About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller i

Melissa Reddy is on this week’s Greatest Games, joining Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss a seven-goal thriller between Liverpool and Manchester City in January 2018.   Oozing invincibility, Manchester City were flying at the top of the Premier League having won 20 of 22 fixtures so far. But they were yet to visit Anfield, where Jurgen Klopp was looking for an invigorating response after the record sale of Philippe Coutinho. Both sides flew out of the traps and produced one of the most thrilling Premier League encounters in recent memory. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Q

This week, Harry Pearson joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the third fixture of the 1998 World Cup – Italy 2 Chile 2.   Having reached the final four years ago, Cesare Maldini’s Who’s Who of Italian football in the 90s were hoping to get off to a flyer against Chile. However, with one of the tournament’s most exciting strike partnerships headlining Chile’s starting XI, this World Cup 98 fixture wasn’t to go as entirely expected. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/  

Sid Lowe joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss a game, a team and a Spanish principality close to his heart – this week’s Greatest Game is the Asturian derby of January 1997 – Sporting Gijón 0 Real Oviedo 0.    Managed by Juanma Lillo, now assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Real Oviedo headed to the Molinón followed by thousands of away supporters – some of whom were sporting a workman’s helmet to avoid head injuries from the expectant missiles fired from distance by rival fans. In this episode, hear how Sid developed his infatuation for Spanish and Asturian football and what it was like for a group of English lads to follow Real Oviedo in the mid-nineties.   We've been recording episodes of Greatest Games remotely – firstly to ensure social distancing measures are being adhered to – but also to allow us to invite guests from around the world, like Sid, to appear.    We apologise for any audio lapses which occur within this episode, in particular the opening 18 minutes

Jeff Brown is this week’s guest on Greatest Games as he joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to look back on Sunderland’s unexpected 4-1 win against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light. Heading into the 1999-00 campaign, Gianluca Vialli’s Chelsea were looking to mount a genuine title challenge – asserted after an opening day 4-0 win against the Black Cats at Stamford Bridge. But any serious challenge to the league leaders was undone by Sunderland on the return fixture as Peter Reid’s men put four past The Blues in the first 38 minutes. Subscribe to our quarterly magazine: https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/  Twitter: http://twitter.com/blzzrd  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blzzrd  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblizzard__/

This week on Greatest Games Priya Ramesh joins Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller to discuss the 1994-95 Champions League final at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna. The youthful Ajax side which Louis van Gaal had assembled were heading into the final in unassailable form, having lost just one game in all competitions all season. In their way of winning a first European title since 1973, and asserting themselves as one of the greatest teams in European club football history, were the reigning champions, AC Milan. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts

On Greatest Games this week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Alex Holiga to discuss the final game of Euro 2008 qualifying in Group E between England and Croatia. A late winner for Israel against Guus Hiddink’s Russia just four days beforehand meant the task required to achieve qualification for the 2008 European Championships was simple for England. Or so they rather obnoxiously thought. As the rain poured on Wembley, the well-equipped Steve McClaren failed to prepare England for the draw they needed. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly ho

In this week’s Greatest Games Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Mark Langdon as they look back to the 2004 Champions League quarter-final between Deportivo and AC Milan A 4-1 loss at the San Siro, a Milan fortress at the time, gave Deportivo an almost hopeless task at the Riazor in the second-leg – overcoming a three-goal deficit against the current champions and tournament favourites. A game to keep half an eye on very quickly became something extraordinary as Javier Irureta’s team flew out the blocks and got at Milan’s famous backline early doors.  About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.    Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Question

This week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Nihal Arthanayake to discuss Spurs’ dramatic 2019 Champions League semi-final second-leg in Amsterdam against Ajax. There was disappointment at the recently opened new home of Tottenham Hotspur in the first-leg and after de Ligt and Ziyech increased Ajax’s aggregate lead to three, a depleted Spurs looked vastly on the verge of crashing out of the Champions League whilst Ajax fans bellowed Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds at half-time. But Lucas Moura and a load of cojones ensured an emotional second-half and a remarkable comeback. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as A

This week, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Carl Worswick to discuss the 1994 World Cup qualifier which saw Argentina host Colombia in Buenos Aires.  Heading into the match, qualification for the 94 World Cup was not yet confirmed for either side, however Colombia's successful campaign so far meant they were only required to avoid defeat. But they were facing an Argentina side which had recently won a second of consecutive Copa América titles and hadn’t recorded a loss on home soil in six years. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s a contributor to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts o

In episode two of Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Daniel Edwards to discuss the 1967 Intercontinental Cup play-off between Copa Libertadores and European Cup winners, Racing Club and Celtic.  After a pair of acrimonious games in Glasgow and Buenos Aires, the tie would have to be decided on neutral ground at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. Billy McNeill captained the European champions, with Jock Stein on the sidelines, into a game has since been dubbed “The Battle of Montevideo”. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s a contributor to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also

In this first episode of the new season of Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Oluwashina Okeleji to discuss Nigeria’s victory over Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.  Ivory Coast’s squad full of players plying their trade across Europe were widely fancied to win their first Afcon title since 1992. In contrast, Nigeria were wallowing under Stephen Keshi after a poor group stage, which convinced Nigerian FA executives to book flights back home from South Africa days before their quarter-final against the tournament favourites. About the panel: Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s a contributor to a number of publications including The Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored  Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.  Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as