Why We Love This Club

Wrexham AFC, Welsh football, supporter ownership, Hollywood investment, and one of the most remarkable revival stories in modern soccer are at the center of the Season 1 finale of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Wrexham’s story from its 1864 founding at the Turf and its deep roots in the town through famous European nights, the 1992 FA Cup upset of Arsenal and decades of financial instability that eventually threatened both the club and the Racecourse Ground.

The heart of the episode comes in 2011, when supporters helped raise the money Wrexham needed simply to begin the season. The Supporters’ Trust later took control, stabilized the club and preserved it long enough for Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds to arrive in 2021.

The episode then follows the arrivals of Paul Mullin, Ben Tozer, Ollie Palmer, Elliot Lee and James McClean, three consecutive promotions, the women’s team’s historic rise and new protections securing football at the Racecourse for generations.

Hollywood helped Wrexham reach the world. But it was the town that was responsible for making sure there was still a club to find.
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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered
The Underdog Football Show

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Centro Storico Lebowski, supporter ownership, Italian lower-league football and one of Europe’s most unusual fan-built clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel tells the story of a group of teenagers in Florence who went looking for the worst team in the city, arrived late, watched it lose 3–0 and started singing anyway. What began as an almost absurd act of support eventually became something much bigger: when the original A.C. Lebowski disappeared, the supporters founded Centro Storico Lebowski themselves in 2010.

The episode follows the club’s climb through Italy’s amateur pyramid, its transition into a cooperative where members have an equal vote, and the growth of youth, girls’ and women’s football programs built around accessibility and community.

There’s also the wonderfully unlikely arrival of former Fiorentina and Inter midfielder Borja Valero, a 2,500-person regional cup final and the long search for a home of their own in Florence.

Centro Storico Lebowski’s story proves that calling something “our club” can mean more than simply supporting it. Sometimes it means actually building it.
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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered
The Underdog Football Show

Thanks for listening!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Al-Wehdat SC, Jordanian football, Palestinian identity and one of the Middle East’s most powerful community clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Al-Wehdat’s story back to 1956, when a football club grew from a youth center inside New Amman Camp, a refugee settlement built for Palestinians displaced from their homes. The club’s name comes from the housing “units” that gave the camp its identity, turning something designed as temporary relief into one of Jordan’s most permanent institutions.

The episode explores Al-Wehdat’s rise into a 17-time Jordanian league champion, its complicated relationship with Palestinian identity in Jordan and the fierce Derby of Jordan against Al-Faisaly. That rivalry carries sporting, social and historical meaning far beyond the table.

There’s also Al-Wehdat’s continental journey, from three AFC Cup semifinal appearances to becoming the first Jordanian club to play—and win a match—in the AFC Champions League in 2021.

Al-Wehdat’s story is ultimately about permanence: a community built from temporary housing creating a club strong enough to outlast the structures around it.
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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered
The Underdog Football Show

Thanks for listening!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young Africans SC, Tanzanian football, the Kariakoo Derby and one of East Africa’s most important sporting institutions are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Yanga’s story back to 1935, when African residents in colonial Dar es Salaam formed a team before Tanzania itself existed. The club’s identity developed alongside the country’s independence movement, eventually becoming one of Tanzania’s biggest cultural institutions and earning the nickname Wananchi — “the citizens.”

The episode explores Yanga’s historic rivalry with Simba SC, a club that actually emerged from a split within Young Africans in 1936. Their Kariakoo Derby grew into one of African football’s great rivalries, dividing supporters across Tanzania while helping define the country’s football culture.

Yanga’s extraordinary domestic record includes generations of league dominance, regional success and two separate runs of five consecutive national championships. But the club’s greatest unfinished ambition remains continental glory. In 2023, Young Africans reached their first senior African final, defeating USM Alger in the second leg but losing the CAF Confederation Cup on away goals.

Young Africans matter because their story began before modern Tanzania did. The country changed around them, but the meaning of the name remained the same: Young Africans. Wananchi. The citizens.
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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered
The Underdog Football Show

Thanks for listening!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sabah FK, Azerbaijani football, the UEFA Champions League and one of Europe’s fastest-rising young clubs are at the center of this episode of Why We Love This Club.

Chris Horwedel traces Sabah’s remarkable rise from its founding in 2017 to becoming a league champion, domestic cup winner and the youngest club ever to reach the Champions League league or group stage. Just nine years after being created, Sabah supporters were watching their team face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The episode explores the club’s rapid development through private investment, academy building and a growing football identity in Masazır. Sabah’s youth system quickly produced national champions, while the first team broke through domestically and began making noise in Europe.

There are dramatic European nights too, including a wild penalty-shootout victory over Maccabi Haifa, a first major trophy against Qarabağ and the extraordinary Champions League qualifying run that ended with a 94th-minute rescue and extra-time victory over Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

Sabah’s story asks a fascinating question: how does a club build tradition when the history is still being written?
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Check out the show's website for an interactive map with all current teams, and suggest a club.

If you enjoyed this show, you may like these other soccer podcasts by Chris.

The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered
The Underdog Football Show

Thanks for listening!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.