The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered

On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel is joined by Bernard Vere of Clapton Community FC to tell the remarkable story of one of English football’s most distinctive supporter-owned clubs.

Clapton Community FC was founded in 2018 after supporters of Clapton FC became increasingly frustrated with how their club was being run. After attempts to gain a meaningful voice and two separate home-match boycotts, supporters decided to create something of their own: a football club built around one member, one vote, democratic decision-making, affordability and community ownership.

Bernard explains how CCFC operates without traditional ownership or a conventional board structure, instead using member-led committees to run virtually every part of the club. He discusses the advantages and challenges of running a football club democratically, how more than 1,500 members across 30 countries can participate and why the club remains almost entirely volunteer-run.

The conversation explores CCFC’s commitment to making football accessible through its pay-what-you-can admission system, equal support for its men’s and women’s teams and an explicitly inclusive philosophy built around opposing racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and fascism. Bernard also explains the club’s approach to accountability, restorative justice and its response to the FA’s restrictions on trans players in women’s football.

Chris and Bernard dive into the story behind Clapton’s famous Spanish Republic-inspired away shirt, which became an international symbol of anti-fascism and sold tens of thousands of copies around the world. Its unexpected success helped CCFC secure the Old Spotted Dog, London’s oldest continuously used senior football ground, bringing supporters back to a stadium they once believed they might never call home again.

They also discuss the separate charitable trust that operates the Old Spotted Dog for community benefit, CCFC’s rapid rise through the English football pyramid, crowds exceeding 2,000, the club’s first appearance in the FA Cup, and the difficult question of how far a supporter-run amateur club can climb without compromising the principles that made it special.

Bernard also shares his perspective as an art historian on football, politics and visual culture, explains why politics has always been inseparable from the sport and discusses what traditional football clubs can learn from CCFC’s alternative model.

It’s an in-depth conversation about fan ownership, affordable football, football culture, community, politics and what it actually means for supporters to say a football club belongs to them.

Find out more about Clapton Community FC at https://www.claptoncfc.co.uk/

Here's the picture Bernard references in the show of the overgrown ground.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel sits down with Louis Jones, founder of Surprise Shirts, to explore how a teenage football-shirt obsession became a seven-figure global business.

Louis shares how he launched Surprise Shirts at 16. He explains how the company grew from Twitter DMs, Depop and a dining-room table into a mystery football shirt business carrying more than 11,000 authentic jerseys. The conversation covers building the company alongside his father, scaling a family business and using technology to match supporters with the perfect surprise shirt.

Chris and Louis unpack what makes mystery football shirt boxes so addictive, how Surprise Shirts verifies authenticity and why its model offers fans an alternative to counterfeit football kits. Louis also explains how one shirt can introduce a supporter to a club on the other side of the world.

The discussion turns to football shirt culture and collecting, including the greatest kits ever made, the best shirts from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, iconic sponsor combinations, overrated classics and Louis’s ultimate Coventry City grail. He also reflects on Coventry City’s return to the Premier League, the club’s controversial new home kit, widening financial gaps across English football and the future of EFL clubs.

Finally, Chris and Louis assess England’s 2026 World Cup campaign under Thomas Tuchel, the roles of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, and which World Cup jerseys could become future collectors’ items.

Whether you collect soccer jerseys, love football kit design, follow Coventry City or want the inside story of a fast-growing football business, this episode offers a fascinating look at the shirts, clubs and communities connecting the global game.

Follow Surprise Shirts:
Website: https://surpriseshirts.co.uk
Instagram: @surprise_shirts — https://instagram.com/surprise_shirts
X: @SurpriseShirts — https://x.com/SurpriseShirts
TikTok: @SurpriseShirts — https://tiktok.com/@surpriseshirts
Facebook: Surprise Football Shirts — https://facebook.com/SurpriseFootballShirts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel sits down with Cardiff Met Football Club general manager Nick Vanderpump for an in-depth conversation about the club’s evolution, its place within Welsh football and its ambition to become the leading destination for dual-career footballers.

Vanderpump begins by discussing his lifelong connection to football, his academic background in sports science and sports psychology, and the lessons he learned working with wounded, injured and sick military veterans through Help for Heroes. He also reflects on his time with Bath Rugby and explains why the opportunity to help shape Cardiff Met convinced him to move into football management.

The conversation explores what a general manager actually does at a semi-professional club, from player registrations, transportation and commercial planning to matchday safety, ticketing and supporter experience. Vanderpump explains how his role allows Cardiff Met’s players and coaches to concentrate on their work on the pitch while he manages the many operational demands behind the scenes.

A major focus is Cardiff Met’s transition from a traditional university team into a contracted semi-professional football club. Vanderpump discusses how the club can continue improving without losing the student pathway that makes it unique. He outlines Cardiff Met’s dual-career model, which allows talented players to pursue higher education while competing at a high level and potentially progressing into professional football.

Chris and Nick also examine the financial realities of operating the club, including university investment, commercial partnerships, the creation of an experienced new board and Cardiff Met’s five-year development plan. Vanderpump explains the value the football program provides through student recruitment, brand exposure and practical opportunities in coaching, performance analysis, sports media, strength and conditioning, and club management.

On the pitch, the discussion covers the men’s difficult previous season, the expansion of the Cymru Premier, the move toward Friday night matches, Cardiff Met’s ambition to return to European competition and the academy’s qualification for the UEFA Youth League.

The women’s program receives extensive attention following its promotion back to the Adran Premier. Vanderpump shares the story behind Earn the Right, the student-produced documentary chronicling the team’s season, and explains how Cardiff Met supports injured players physically and psychologically.

The episode also addresses attendance growth, planned matchday improvements, Cardiff Met’s 1957 identity, the overall health of Welsh domestic football and why developing players who move into the professional game should be viewed as a program success.

The interview closes with a wider conversation about Wales, the expanded World Cup and Spain’s championship before Vanderpump defines Cardiff Met’s long-term goal: becoming internationally recognized as the home of dual-career football.

Watch Earn the Right: A Cardiff Met WFC Documentary on YouTube
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From making her senior debut for Wrexham at just 16 years old to beginning a new chapter as a player-coach, Chloe Ankers is building one of the most fascinating young careers in Welsh women’s football.

On Episode 4 of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel sits down with the new Wrexham Foresters goalkeeper and coach for an in-depth conversation about her football journey, the evolution of Wrexham AFC Women and her ambitions on both sides of the touchline.

Chloe reflects on her memorable Wrexham debut against Cardiff Met, where she kept a clean sheet in a historic 3–0 victory, and discusses the patience required to develop behind experienced goalkeepers. She also takes listeners inside Wrexham’s run to the 2025 Hong Kong Soccer Sevens final, where she recorded four clean sheets and was named the Women’s Player of the Tournament.

The conversation explores how goalkeeping is changing, including the importance of playing with the ball at your feet, aggressive sweeping, positioning and decision-making. Chloe also explains why she became interested in coaching at such a young age, the influence of Del Morgan and whether her long-term future lies in goalkeeper coaching, broader first-team coaching or continuing to combine both roles.

Chris and Chloe also discuss her decision to temporarily step away from playing, what brought her back, and why the opportunity to join newly promoted Wrexham Foresters as a player-coach was the right next step.

Plus, Chloe shares her perspective on the growth of the Adran Premier, Wrexham’s ambition to become fully professional, the importance of The Rock as a permanent home for Wrexham AFC Women and the challenges players face while balancing football with university, work and life away from the pitch.

How far can Chloe Ankers go as a player and coach—and what could the future hold for Welsh women’s football?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel talks with Jack Worswick of Last Word on Sports about one of the wildest collapses in modern English football: Leicester City’s fall from Premier League champions to League One.

Jack explains his background as a Leicester supporter and writer, and how difficult it has become to cover the club analytically while also having an emotional connection to it. The conversation frames Leicester’s journey through the impossible 2015-16 Premier League title, the FA Cup win, European nights, and a Champions League quarterfinal run — followed by relegations, financial problems, supporter frustration, and a toxic atmosphere around the club.

Chris and Jack dig into how Leicester’s miracle success changed expectations and pushed the club into a different transfer market. Jack points to the summer of 2021 as a major turning point, when Leicester stopped selling one key player per year and instead spent heavily on players like Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumaré, Jannik Vestergaard, and Ryan Bertrand. Those moves failed to deliver the next step, and without Champions League revenue, the financial damage began to stack up.
The episode also breaks down Leicester’s recruitment issues, including overpaying for the wrong profiles, failing to sell players at the right time, losing players for free, and carrying Premier League-level wages into the Championship and now League One. Harry Winks, Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard, Oliver Skipp, Jordan Ayew, and others come up as examples of the kinds of squad-building decisions that have frustrated fans.

A major focus is Leicester’s relegation to League One. Jack says the 6-point deduction hurt, but supporters see the bigger issue as years of mismanagement, poor recruitment, coaching instability, a fractured squad, and players who lacked the fight needed for a Championship survival battle. The disconnect between fans, players, and ownership is described as one of the biggest changes from the title-winning era.

Chris and Jack also discuss the managerial picture, including the failed Steve Cooper appointment, Gary Rowett’s short spell, instability around Marti Cifuentes, and the arrival of Russell Martin. Martin is viewed as ambitious but divisive, with questions about whether his possession-heavy style can work in League One’s more physical, set-piece-driven environment.

Looking ahead, Jack says Leicester’s priorities are clear: trim the wage bill, move on players who do not want to be there, bring in proven League One performers, find a reliable striker, and rebuild trust with supporters. He says anything short of winning League One would feel like a disappointment, given the size of the club and the danger of staying down.

The episode also looks at key players and prospects, including Harry Souttar as a possible Wrexham target, Abdul Fatawu’s likely departure, Jeremy Monga’s move to Manchester City, Ben Nelson’s future, and academy names like Louis Page, Sammy Braybrooke, Jake Evans, Badia Luko, and Lorenz Hutchinson. Jack stresses that Leicester’s young players could be vital both on the pitch and as future transfer assets.

Chris and Jack also touch on the 2026 World Cup, including England’s win over Mexico, the controversy around FIFA reversing Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension, and how strange it feels for Leicester fans to watch the World Cup while preparing for life in League One.

The episode closes by asking whether Leicester is now a cautionary tale for ambitious clubs outside the Premier League’s biggest financial powers. Jack argues that Leicester’s aggressive push toward the Champions League, failed spending, and financial pressure show how thin the margin is for clubs trying to break into the elite. Ultimately, the conversation captures Leicester City’s rise, collapse, and uncertain rebuild — and why this League One season could define the club’s future.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.