The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life
A podcast hosted by Chris and Nathan that explores historical events through the prism of Sport.
Episodes
38 episodes
Was Italia 90 really the moment 'football changed forever'?
The 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy has long been heralded as something of a 'Year Zero' moment for football. The tournament itself set to the strains of 'Nessun Dorma' in the BBC's coverage, Gazza's tears, the emergence of 'Toto' Schillac...
'Back Home' - Mexico 70, Heath, Ramsey, Wilson & the final puncturing of the myth of 'English exceptionalism'
The summer of 1966. England had made good on the promise that Alf Ramsey made upon his appointment as the national team manager and become World Champions. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones led a 'British Invasion' that topped the ...
Austria in the 1930s; From Wunderteam to Anschluss
In 1932, the Austrian football team had the world at their feet. A glorious victory in the Central European International Cup had seen them conquer the best teams that mainland Europe had to offer. With many South American heavyweights refusing...
USA 94 – Inspiring or Insubstantial?
In 1994, America stood triumphant as the world’s sole superpower. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union had collapsed, and 9/11 was still seven years away. Fukuyama declared the end of history, and scriptwriters began crafting a speech t...
Special - pt. 2 of 2 - 'When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going'? - An exploration into Mental Health through the prism of Sport
In the second part of our two-parter released to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundation, we take a deeper dive ...
SPECIAL pt. 1 of 2 - 'When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going'? - An exploration into Mental Health through the prism of Sport
In the first of a two-part special released to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundatio...
'Crossing The Great Divide’ – Maurice Johnston’s 1989 transfer saga and how it was influenced by and impacted upon Sectarianism in Scottish society
Nowadays, barely a day passes by during a transfer window without hyperbolic transfer speculation amongst both the traditional Tabloid media and 'fan media' outlets. However, in the summer of 1989, a transfer saga ensued that was genuinel...
'Look Down Under'
In the opening chapter of 'Down Under', the account of his epic journey across Australia, Bill Bryson once wrote that Europeans and Americans pay "shamefully scant attention" to their Antipodean cousins. It is hard to argue with his conclusion....
'Knives Out' - Clough, Truss and poor leadership decisions
In our last episode of 'The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life', 'Clough, Revie and The Perfect Debate', we explored how the infamous televised clash between arch rivals Brian Clough and Don Revie at the end of Clough's tumultuous 44 day rei...
Clough, Revie and The Perfect Debate
On September 12th 1974, Brian Clough walked into the Yorkshire Television news studio less than 24 hours after being sacked as manager of Leeds United. What followed was 30 minutes of TV gold, as the ever forthright Clough went toe-to-toe in di...
'The Kayfabe President'
There is little doubt that Donald Trump is a completely different President to anyone who has held that office before him. As mendacious as he is, Trump possesses a talent at hogging the limelight and an unparalleled skill for crafting his own ...
'It’s Not the Critic Who Counts...'
Sir Martyn Oliver, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, says he wants Inspections to be “done with” schools rather than “done to” them. This suggests that the latest manifestation of Ofsted has learnt lessons, and is keen on ensuring that...
Christmas Special #2 of 2 - 'Festive Football - Upstanding Tradition or Outdated Practice?'
In the second of our festive double-header, Chris and Nathan investigate the history, traditions and future of Festive Football. The inspiration for this episode came during a WhatsApp conversation between the two hosts in which Ch...
Christmas Special #1 of 2 - The Christmas Truce
What is the most famous football match of all time? Geoff Hurst's hat-trick in 1966? Pele's demolition of Italy in 1970? Huddersfield Town's 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest to secure their first league title back in 1924? All worthy contende...
SPECIAL pt. 2 of 2 - 'Born and bred' - Athletic Bilbao - The club where summer never ends
In football, much is often made of the Lisbon Lions – a Celtic side that conquered Europe in 1967, with a team in which the majority of the starting eleven were born within a mere 12 miles of their Parkhead ground (the exception being Bobby Len...
SPECIAL pt. 1 of 2 - 'Born and bred' - The Benefits and Dangers of Regional Recruitment
In 1968, Yorkshire County Cricket Club were untouchable. No other team in the country could compete with their ethos, their production line of England greats, or their roll of honour. Seven league titles in the previous decade had confirmed the...
'The Man Who Sold The World' - Maurice Lindsay and his vision for Rugby League
In the latest episode of 'The Way We See Sport', we return once again to the sport of Rugby League, focusing on the transformative role played by Maurice Lindsay, a divisive, yet visionary figure whose influence developed during the Thatcherite...
'O Sir, you are old'
In the wake of the release of 'Original Sin', a book by Jake Tapper and AlexThompson detailing the deterioration of President Biden between 2020 and 2024,Nathan and Chris explore the one opponent no sportsperson can defeat - age.
’East Meets West’ – The ‘Bruderduel’ between East and West Germany at WM 74
During the 1974 World Cup, the tournament featured a clash between the hosts (West Germany) and their Communist neighbours (East Germany) during the Group Phase. 'The Bruderduel' between the two Germanys was heralded as "The most politica...
Egalite – Tennis and the Battle for Equal Rights for Women
From Martina Navratilova to Serena Williams, few sports have provided as manyiconic female icons as tennis. Yet, this does not mean that the sport has beenimmune from criticism over the manner in which it treats its female stars. The fa...
A derby from a different era – Everton vs Liverpool 1991 and the changing face of English Football
When Merseyside's footballing titans (Everton and Liverpool) were drawn together in the 5th Round of the FA Cup in 1991, the stage was set for the latest instalment of a gripping rivalry, one that had dominated English Football for much of the ...
Medvedeva, Greatness, and the Glory of Defeat
In February 2018, double World Champion, Evgenia Medvedeva, skated onto the ice to pursue the one medal that had up to that point eluded her: Olympic Gold. What followed was a routine so mesmeric, so creative, and so moving that it astounded ev...
SPECIAL - pt 2 of 2 - 'Boxing - Sport of Kings?'
In this week’s episode of ‘The Way We See Sport, The Way See Life’ we continue our deep dive into the sport of boxing assessing whether its historical standing as ‘Sport of Kings’ rings true in modern society.In the first part of our two...
SPECIAL - pt 1 of 2 - 'Boxing - Sport of Kings?'
Following the end of our second series, we have developed another long-form special over two parts. This time, assessing the sport of boxing and whether it is truly a ‘Sport of Kings’ or merely a brutal blood sport that has provided the p...
Bruno vs Lewis - 'Battle of Britain' or 'Battle for British Acceptance'?
In October 1993, Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis made history when they met in Cardiff with the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title on the line. The contest was the first time that two British born heavyweights had contested a world...
