Best Lee Wingate And Paul Watson Podcasts (2025)

1
Holy water in Benin, Greece’s season ticket dog & Ecuador’s indigenous trailblazers 52:49

11d ago52:49

52:49

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Europe and Africa are the focal points in a fan culture-themed Part 1. How did an American tourist on a hop-on, hop-off boat cruise in London get …

1
Footballs in international waters, an Alpine groundhop adventure & Uzbek World Cup dreams 52:25

25d ago52:25

52:25

In Paul’s absence, Producer Tom joins Lee to talk about their five-a-side football match on the German-Swiss border and their Alpine groundhopping challenge to watch live games in three countries in the space of seven hours – using only public transport! Join Lee and Tom to find out how they almost lost a football in international waters, why they …

1
The trillion-dollar Saudi team, Bosnia’s Serbian champions & Bulgaria's memorable minute's silence 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, the award-winning football journalist and author James Montague joins us in the studio to tell us about Neom Sports Club, the trillion-…

1
Japan’s ultimate bench-warmer, Andorra’s YouTube resurrection & Iceland’s volcano-hit team 48:05

2M ago48:05

48:05

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football from around the world, including the San Marino league and cup: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you…

1
Romania's reality TV race, Australia's motorway trophy & the Marshall Islands' vanishing kit 49:31

2M ago49:31

49:31

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new football team to support. Some brillian…

1
Ferencváros' ultras in disguise, HamKam 2’s AI coach & Burkina Faso’s bus-funded leaders 43:12

3M ago43:12

43:12

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 is all about the final round of Europa League and Champions League action. How have Brest made the play-offs with an inexperienced coach and a shoestring budget? What d…

1
Ascension Island’s tortoise troubles, Omonia’s fan-paid groceries & Lazio’s live-in falconer 53:04

3M ago53:04

53:04

There’s an island theme in Part 1. Starting with the return of football to Ascension Island, an isolated outpost in the Atlantic Ocean. It will be the second-most remote place to host football in the world – but what is the first?! Next up is Malta, where the only team in the pyramid from the neighbouring island of Gozo has made a 100% start to the…

1
Balzers’ Internet fame, the world’s newest league & The Strongest’s Chocolate Party 50:15

4M ago50:15

50:15

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper⁠ The Sweeper is back for the first episode of 2025 to round up all the world football headlines from over the Christmas and New Year period. Starting in Europe, where Balzers …

1
Víkingur’s 13-month season, Vitória’s crazy Kazakh away day & a Career We Go quiz 50:06

4M ago50:06

50:06

Part 1 is all about the drama of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland and Ireland have their first-ever representatives in a European knockout stage, Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes set a new continental away day record, Omonia’s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" coach is sacked & the reserves of English giants Chelsea ru…

1
Georgia’s bodyguard cup winners, Danish snowball fights & a smuggled skull in Paraguay 46:47

5M ago46:47

46:47

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Gift a Patreon subscription for Christmas: www.patreon.com/SweeperPod/gift Part 1 is all about the biggest domestic cup shocks and upsets across the globe, starting with Spaeri…

1
A SAN MARINO PROMOTION, Hispaniola at the Gold Cup & Coupe de France controversy 47:53

5M ago47:53

47:53

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper There was only ever going to be one starting point for our international coverage in Part 1: San Marino’s historic promotion to UEFA Nations League C! But how do we think they …

1
Balkan groundhopping, River Plate’s potent paint & Como’s war on Monza 45:42

6M ago45:42

45:42

In Part 1 of this bonus Patreon episode, which we have released in the absence of a fresh podcast on this occasion, the Sweeper team are joined by Tom Middler and Simon Clark – Lee's co-hosts on his other podcast, 'The Other Bundesliga' – to talk about their groundhopping trip to Slovenia & Croatia. Which UEFA Conference League match did they watch…

1
Montenegro’s mass collapse, Sweden’s perfect runners-up & Auckland’s A-League debut 44:03

6M ago44:03

44:03

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Swe…

1
Bhutanese monk ultras, a golden era for micro-states & the Southgate of the Solomons 42:50

6M ago42:50

42:50

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to…

1
Switalian adventures, Welsh routes into Europe & the Vatican on tour 46:52

7M ago46:52

46:52

In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speak…

1
Turks & Caicos' 14-year-old goalie, Bolivia's altitude advantage & Argentina's gun-wielding chairman 36:22

7M ago36:22

36:22

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa…

1
BONUS POD: SAN MARINO WIN A FOOTBALL MATCH!!! 17:16

8M ago17:16

17:16

Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Along with other content cre…

1
Europe for Larne & TNS, Papua NG's breakaway league & Comoros’ wizard-loving boss 46:12

8M ago46:12

46:12

Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus th…

1
Noah’s unique European run, Djibouti’s power plant club & St. Kitts' three-legged final 46:02

8M ago46:02

46:02

Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shor…

1
A Tongan World Cup dream, Greenland’s Disko Island & Olympic sprinter-footballers 44:37

9M ago44:37

44:37

In Part 1, we bring you all the top stories from around the football world: Maikeli Lomu, an American with Tongan heritage, has sold his pottery studio in Utah and relocated to his ancestral homeland in pursuit of a World Cup dream. The 2024 edition of the Greenlandic Football Championship – the shortest season in world football at one week – is ta…

1
A victorious Faroese village, 27th time lucky for La Fiorita & North Korea’s ‘Pariah Derby’ 38:49

9M ago38:49

38:49

In Part 1, we round up all the latest highlights from the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We talk about two villages of under 1,000 people in the Faroes & San Marino that claimed big European wins, the Slovenian keeper that went on a René Higuita-style dribble against Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and FC Copenhagen’s upcoming trip to face …

1
Pub team's European win, a mystery island coaching job & a Sweeper-sponsored team 36:58

9M ago36:58

36:58

Part 1 is dedicated to the best part of the European football calendar: the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We chat about the Gibraltarian pub team that claimed a win in the Conference League, the victorious Polish and Romanian teams in the Europa League and the part-timers from the Faroe Islands excelling in the Champions League. In Part …

1
Rooftop viewings in Vanuatu, Zivzivadze’s house-turned-hotel & an Eritrean on the move 33:28

10M ago33:28

33:28

Part 1 is dedicated to the overachieving underdogs at the continental competitions taking place this summer: Canada at the Copa América, Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup and Georgia at the EUROs. Meanwhile, in Part 2, there is a rare move to a European club for an Eritrean player and an ex-Gibraltar international is jailed for drug dealing. Join us f…

1
The UEFA qualifier quiz, the Marshall Islands’ debut & a delayed Cold War friendly 34:04

10M ago34:04

34:04

With the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds getting under way this week, it’s time for a full Sweeper preview of the action in Part 1 – in the form of a trivia quiz, of course! Join us and play along in our three rounds – Multiple Choice, Odd One Out & The Right Order – as we look ahead to the Champions, Europa & Conference League qualifiers: …

1
OFC Nations Cup chaos, Saint Helena rescue missions & Malaga’s 5am airport welcome 38:27

10M ago38:27

38:27

Part 1 kicks off with some stories from around the footballworld. Why were the Solomon Islands locked out of their dressing room at the OFC Nations Cup? How come New Caledonia dramatically pulled out of the tournament? What are the most remote football tournaments in the world in terms of the distance to the closest inhabited land? And which footba…

1
Kilts and concerts at EURO 2024, a university upset in Japan & an Icelandic village dream 37:55

10M ago37:55

37:55

The European Championships are in full swing not only on the pitch but off it too. In Part 1, we pick out three themes from the opening stages of the tournament in Germany that have made us laugh: food wars, culture craziness & online polls/searches. Tune in to find out which country at EURO 2024 has the best national dish, who is empirically speak…

1
The EURO 2024 coffee dealer, San Marino’s water slide away day & North Korea’s secret score 43:00

11M ago43:00

43:00

EURO 2024 is just around the corner and we have put the tournament under the spotlight in typically Sweeper style in Part 1. How did Austria’s Maximilian Entrup go from a third-tier amateur/PE teacher to a place at EURO 2024 in the space of a year? Does Georgia’s Budu Zivzivadze harbour any regrets about choosing football over chess? Who is the onl…

1
Quirky football stadia, the Corsica Cup & the Turkmen team that always wins 37:33

11M ago37:33

37:33

Part 1 contains an international round-up of European minnows inside and outside of UEFA. In which version of football has Gibraltar become a European champion? Why has Corsica recently hosted their counterparts from Sardinia, Sicily & St. Martin? Will we watch San Marino vs. Slovakia from the top of a water slide? And which football stadium stradd…

1
Campsites in Luxembourg, proposals in Albania & free sausages in Finland 44:48

11M ago44:48

44:48

Part 1 brings you a full round-up of all the news from the Benelux countries. What controversial actions recently earned a Dutch referee a lifelong ban from football? Why are two storied Belgian clubs facing an existential threat? And what strange series of events could lead to European football being played on a Luxembourgish campsite this summer?…

1
An expedition in Kyrgyzstan, Romania’s twin identity saga & Sweden’s toilet goal 35:08

12M ago35:08

35:08

Part 1 of the latest Sweeper sees Lee & Paul profile three clubs from around the football world: Italians Como, Australia’s Central Coast Mariners & Petrocub of Moldova. Join us to find out where Italy’s richest club might be playing their Serie A home games next term, why the Central Coast Mariners have flown 100,000km in economy class this season…

1
Spain’s tiniest football town, North Sea pizza planes & a Dutch double invasion 31:37

12M ago31:37

31:37

Is this the best-ever Sweeper line-up? In Part 1, Lee & Paul discuss stories from the lower tiers in Spain, Germany & the Netherlands. How has a team from a Spanish villageof 100 people gained promotion? What are the smallest European settlements with a football team? Why did a German footballer hire a plane for a derby on a neighbouring island? An…

1
The Valletta funeral parade, Al Ahly’s unique feat & dark arts in Chechnya 37:34

12M ago37:34

37:34

Having just visited Malta and witnessed an historic weekend of football, Lee tells Paul all about the key events in Europe’s only island micro-state in Part 1. Who came out on top in the title-decider between Ħamrun Spartans & Floriana? Why do Valletta hold a funeral parade through the streets when they win the league? How has the island reacted to…

1
Algerian airport anger, a 560km voyage to Mauritius & a Transylvanian cup run 35:01

1y ago35:01

35:01

Part 1 is all about Africa, where a kit controversy has escalated into a geopolitical dispute between Algeria & Morocco ahead of the CAF Confederations Cup semi-final between USM Alger & RS Berkane. Elsewhere on the continent, Rising FC from Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean have made the long voyage to mainland Mauritius to take part in the cup…

1
The fabulous Fenix Trophy, Nordic nonsense & Liechtenstein’s quirky cup 40:49

1y ago40:49

40:49

The latest Sweeper starts off in windy Wales with our visit to the game between Llantwit Major & Enfield Town in the Fenix Trophy and a wider look at the tournament regarded as the Champions League of non league. Then we're off to Scandinavia for some goalkeeper heroics, cupsets & geographical extremes, before finishing Part 1 in little Liechtenste…

1
Copa Chile charm, Peruvian player names & a transfer to Tanzania 35:51

1y ago35:51

35:51

This episode of The Sweeper begins with a focus on South American domestic cup competitions. We hear about the Juan Fernández Islands – 670km off the coast of Chile – taking part in the Copa Chile as a special invitee and the unusual journey opponents Santiago Wanderers must take to reach them. Up next is Ecuador’s non-existent cup competition and …

1
North Korean no-show, Georgian jubilation & glorious groundhopping 40:17

1y ago40:17

40:17

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…

1
San Marino’s 20 years of hurt, Austria’s six-second goal & Burrito Brava joy 34:44

1y ago34:44

34:44

Fresh from his trip to San Marino, Paul reflects on the attempt by FIFA’s lowest ranked country to break a 20-year winless streak against Saint Kitts & Nevis, before Lee rounds up the other international news - from the Basque Country's draw with Uruguay to the 'End of the Alphabet Derby - and Producer Tom chips in with a live report as Austria bre…

1
The 'Virgin Derby', Basque aspirations & a record return in Romania 43:22

1y ago43:22

43:22

This episode of The Sweeper begins by looking at the Virgin Derby between the British Virgin Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands in 2026 World Cup qualification. Meanwhile, a non-FIFA team, the Basque Country face Uruguay and may harbour UEFA aspirations. The Danish Superligaen strikes a huge blow to the European Super League, which might now be forced…

1
The American (Samoan) Dream, a Scilly showdown & Swedish kayak smugglers 41:17

1y ago41:17

41:17

The latest episode of The Sweeper kicks off with a tour of Oceania and the incredible story of two French journalists with an American (Samoan) Dream, before moving on to Pacific neighbours Micronesia & Nauru and their new coaches. David Johnson & Charlie Pomroy, who both partly credit the pod for their appointments, have sent us voice notes from t…

1
Tifos & ultras in Prague, Croatian VAR controversy & Argentina's park derby 41:09

1y ago41:09

41:09

On this episode of The Sweeper, we discuss our trip to Prague along with Patreon competition winner Joe McTaggart to watch the derby between Slavia and Sparta in the Czech Cup and enjoy a 24-hour whirlwind of Ultra-brewed beer, pyro and tifos. VAR controversies have rocked Croatia, where the head of referees Bruno Maric has resigned, derbies both r…

1
Dating app dismissals, CONIFA anthem anxiety & a Sunday service with the Queen 33:34

1y ago33:34

33:34

The Premier League and the rest of Europe’s top five divisions totally dominate the football headlines, but have you ever wondered what other interesting news and stories the rest of European football and world football have to offer? If so, The Sweeper is the football podcast for you! On this episode, Turkish footballer Emirhan Delibaş is sacked b…

1
San Marino setbacks, the new FIFA Series & a Football Manager nerd in Iceland 30:36

1y ago30:36

30:36

We kick off the podcast by announcing the news that we have moved to a shorter weekly format with a longer third segment available to patrons only. Then we’re straight to the familiar backdrop of San Marino and lowest ranked national football team in the world’s loss of two goalkeepers in two days. We then analyse San Marino’s chances of breaking t…

1
High-speed car chases, Anguillan adventures & a German giant in decline 52:26

1y ago52:26

52:26

Part 1 of this Sweeper podcast kicks off with an alternative look at the transfer window and Arturo Vidal’s dramatic helicopter & horseback unveiling at Colo Colo, before moving onto some of the best, worst & oddest transfer announcements in history. Continuing the transfer theme, we hear about a strange signing by Vilaverdense in Portugal's second…

1
Derby day in Madeira, AFCON’s unlikely heroes and a crisis in Cambodia 48:44

1+ y ago48:44

48:44

The opening segment of this Sweeper episode is all about our first trip of 2024 - to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where we took in the derby between local teams Marítimo and Nacional. We also delve a little bit deeper into the unique football culture on the island with the help of some supporters and try to answer the big question that has bee…

1
Azeri cakes & coaches, football’s final frontier in the Pacific & the Livonian League 51:06

1+ y ago51:06

51:06

The first Sweeper episode of 2024 kicks off with some Azerbaijan anecdotes in Part 1. We discuss Adrian Mutu’s harsh sacking and some tasty treats from Turan Tovuz. From Mutu we switch to another ex-Premier League player in Pascal Chimbonda and his antics in charge of ninth-tier English side Skelmersdale. Finally, we talk about the Vatican City whe…

1
Robinhood’s Caribbean double, Pontypridd’s 141-point deduction & a Herculean effort against Ajax 52:54

1+ y ago52:54

52:54

The final Sweeper episode of 2023 starts off with a look at continental competitions across the world in Part 1. We talk about the CONCACAF Champions Cup with its incredible away trips and interesting array of clubs – from Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to Robinhood of Suriname, who have won a Caribbean double this year – and the AFC Champions League, …

1
The Belgian Cup arcade claw draw, Turkmenistan’s debutant champions & the Botafogo bottle job in Brazil 51:24

1+ y ago51:24

51:24

Download Momento: acmomento.onelink.me/ckkf/SweeperPod Once we found out that the draw for the Belgian Cup quarter-finals was conducted using a former footballer and an arcade claw machine, there was nowhere else we were going to start this episode. But domestic cup competitions across Europe have produced plenty of other notable stories over the p…

1
The magic of the Coupe de France, Colo Colo’s trip to Easter Island & Spain's Mascot Olympics 53:13

1+ y ago53:13

53:13

With overseas territories from all over the world taking part, the Coupe de France is one of the world’s most intriguing domestic football competitions. But who funds it? How do they decide who plays home and away? And could an overseas side play in a UEFA competition if they won the tournament. In Part 1, co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson answe…

1
Frantic season finales in Scandinavia, the Te Runga Games in Kiribati & the sad story of Raphael Dwamena 51:10

1+ y ago51:10

51:10

The Nordic nations served up tension, drama and excitement in abundance at the weekend as several titles were decided by the narrowest of margins. The Swedish men’s and women’s titles came down to goal difference, as did a bonkers goal-laden battle for promotion in the Norwegian third tier. That got co-hosts Lee Wingate and Paul Watson racking thei…

1
The KÍ Klaksvík miracle with Daniel Storey, our visit to the Czech team that lost 9-5 & a perfect season in Tonga 52:51

1+ y ago52:51

52:51

KÍ Klaksvík have been the European football story of the season since they became the first club from the Faroe Islands to reach the group stages of a UEFA competition. But they didn’t stop there and have since followed up a draw at home to 2021 Ligue 1 winners Lille with a famous victory over Olimpija Ljubljana. Daniel Storey, the chief football w…

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Lee Wingate And Paul Watson Podcasts

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