Why We Love This Club

Chivas, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, Liga MX, and the club’s famous Mexican-only player policy are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, exploring how one of Mexico’s biggest football institutions turned a self-imposed restriction into the foundation of its identity.

Founded in Guadalajara in 1906, Chivas grew from an internationally assembled team into a club that eventually committed itself to using only Mexican players. Chris Horwedel traces how that decision shaped everything from recruitment and academy development to transfer prices, supporter expectations and the club’s national significance.

The episode follows the rise of the legendary Campeonísimo teams, the rivalries with Atlas and Club América, major continental runs against clubs including Boca Juniors, and generations of stars such as Salvador Reyes, Omar Bravo, Oswaldo Sánchez and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández.

It also explores Estadio Akron, Chivas Femenil, the influence of the Vergara family, and the continuing debate over dual nationals and what it means to qualify for the shirt.

At its core, Chivas is a story about football and identity: a club that voluntarily narrowed its options and made that limitation part of what millions of supporters believe makes it special.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clapton Community FC, the Old Spotted Dog and supporter-owned football in East London are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, telling the story of fans who decided that preserving a football identity meant building a new club themselves.

Formed in 2018 by supporters connected to historic Clapton FC, Clapton Community was created around open membership, democratic control, published finances and equal voting rights. Chris Horwedel traces the boycott that preceded the club’s formation, the dispute over the future of the Old Spotted Dog Ground, and the supporters’ eventual purchase and restoration of London’s oldest senior football venue.

The episode also explores CCFC’s distinctive culture, from its internationally famous Spanish Civil War-inspired away shirt to its cooperative structure, community programs and commitment to keeping football affordable and accessible.

Along the way, the story touches on Walter Tull, East London football history, the Charity Commission investigation into the previous ground structure and the club’s rise through the non-league pyramid.

At its core, Clapton Community FC is a story about what happens when supporters stop asking who owns their club and decide to become the answer themselves.
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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.

Derry City FC, the League of Ireland, the Troubles and the Brandywell are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, telling the extraordinary story of a Northern Irish club that crossed a national border simply to keep playing football.

Founded in 1928, Derry City became Irish League champions and European competitors before political violence and security restrictions during the Troubles made playing at the Brandywell increasingly difficult. In 1972, after other clubs rejected Derry’s return to its own stadium, the club withdrew from senior football entirely.

Chris traces the 13-year wilderness that followed, Derry’s remarkable admission into the League of Ireland in 1985, and the rapid rise that produced the historic 1988–89 domestic treble under Jim McLaughlin.

The episode also explores the Northwest Derby with Finn Harps, European nights against IFK Göteborg, Gretna and Paris Saint-Germain, financial collapse and rebirth in 2009, and the lasting importance of figures including John Hume, Liam Coyle, Stephen Kenny, Ryan McBride and Mark Farren.

At its heart, Derry City’s story is about home: a club that survived by crossing a border without ever abandoning the city or stadium that defined it.
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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.

The Strongest, Bolivian football, La Paz, and the 1969 Viloco air disaster are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, exploring how one of Bolivia’s oldest institutions repeatedly turned survival into identity.

Founded in 1908, Club The Strongest became a defining force in La Paz football, winning early championships, helping establish the Estadio Hernando Siles and later becoming a major presence in the Copa Libertadores. Chris traces the club’s connection to the Chaco War, its rivalry with Bolívar in the Clásico Paceño, and generations of important figures including Rafael Mendoza Castellón, Pablo Escobar, and Alejandro Chumacero.

At the heart of the episode is the September 1969 plane crash near Viloco, which killed 17 players along with the club’s coach, staff and delegate. Chris follows the extraordinary rebuilding effort that came afterward, including support from rival clubs and Boca Juniors, the creation of the “Strongest Símbolo” team, and a rapid return to championship football.

It’s a story about altitude, rivalry, memory, and a club whose name became less a boast than a responsibility: strength meant continuing after the worst day imaginable.
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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.

Enyimba FC, Nigerian football, the CAF Champions League and the rise of the People’s Elephant in Aba are the focus of this episode of Why We Love This Club, tracing how a once-relegated state-owned club became the first Nigerian team to conquer Africa.

Founded in Aba, Abia State, Enyimba spent years outside Nigeria’s traditional elite before chairman Felix Anyansi-Agwu helped transform the club around the turn of the century. Chris follows Enyimba’s domestic breakthrough and the teams led by Kadiri Ikhana and Okey Emordi that changed Nigerian football history.

The episode revisits Enyimba’s landmark 2003 CAF Champions League victory over Ismaily, followed by the dramatic 2004 final against Étoile du Sahel, when goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba replaced Nigerian star Vincent Enyeama for the decisive penalty shootout.

Chris also explores Enyimba International Stadium, the Abia derby with Abia Warriors, the Oriental Derby against Rangers International, and the challenges that come with government ownership.

With nine Nigerian league championships and consecutive African titles, Enyimba proved that Nigeria’s long wait for continental supremacy could end—and then showed it was no accident.
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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.