The Sweeper is a football podcast unlike any other. Once a week, journalists Lee Wingate and Paul Watson bring you unique and quirky football headlines and stories from across Europe and the wider world that you won’t hear elsewhere. Whether it’s San Marino’s 20-year winless run, Greenland’s week-long season or the two-team league in the Scilly Isles, The Sweeper does not focus on Europe’s top five leagues - but instead casts its net across FIFA’s 211 members and beyond. Join us for a whistle-stop tour of the football world every Wednesday. Episodes are released at midnight CET.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sweeperpod
North Korean no-show, Georgian jubilation & glorious groundhopping
First up on this episode of The Sweeper, we delve deeper into North Korea’s mysterious cancellation of their World Cup qualifier against Japan and look back at memorable moments in the hermit kingdom’s football history. Then we’re off to Georgia to hear about the nation’s maiden qualification for a major tournament, before we chat through Austria's Rangnick resurgence as they shape up to be EURO 2024 dark horses.
After the break it’s time to show some love for groundhoppers and to hear some amazing stories from our patrons in pursuit of the joy of ticking off new stadiums. Then we announce an exciting new competition from Thimphu City and shirt manufacturer Icarus that will see someone win a trip of a lifetime to Bhutan, plus there's a San Marino shirt giveaway too!
To hear the bonus segment of this podcast where we chat about Estonia’s U21 side playing a friendly against the wrong team, a Romanian player who was sacked for turning up to training drunk and then appointed sporting director, and a Bosnian giant in decline, join us at patreon.com/sweeperpod.
RUNNING ORDER:
00:00 Intro
01:15 North Korea's mysterious no-show
08:33 Georgia's EURO jubilation
11:57 Austria's Rangnick resurgence
16:22 Glorious groundhoppers
33:25 Thimphu City/Icarus competition
38:29 San Marino shirt giveaway
Browse the Icarus website: icarusfc.com
Read the Thimphu City-Icarus competition details: icarusfc.com/pages/thimphu-city-sweepstakes