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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.