iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16h

Finally, what did matchday programmes look like in the former DDR? I chatted to Anthony Russell, who collects DDR matchday programmes. It's still one of my favourite episodes... open.spotify.com/episode/5d2R... 📸 Anthony Russell

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16h

What happened to East German clubs once Germany reunified in 1990? @michaelwagg.bsky.social wrote a very good book about that and joined me on the podcast... open.spotify.com/episode/53tc...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16h

#OTD 7 Oct 1949 The German Democratic Republic (GDR/DDR) - AKA East Germany - came into being. What was football like in the former DDR? Fortunately, Alan McDougall wrote an excellent book on it and joined me to discuss... open.spotify.com/episode/0K5n...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16h

Have you seen his biopic, The Keeper? They used Dundela's Wilgar Park to double up as St Helen's (the words 'St Helen's AFC' were once painted on this green corrugated iron) and the entrance to Glentoran's Oval to double as Maine Road.

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 05/10/2026

Four years ago this week, my second book, ‘The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism’ was released. Alas, it’s become ever more relevant. Have you read it? What did you think? #booksky

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 05/10/2026

NEW PODCAST 🎙️ I am joined by Ljubljana-based journalist, Miha Zupan, today and we're discussing #groundhopping in Slovenia 🇸🇮 ✅ History (Yugoslav and post-independence) ✅ Rivalries ✅ Travel tips Spotify link here or find it wherever you get your podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/4nfH...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 05/10/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 5 Oct 1878 - Preston North End played its first FA rules match after switching from rugby 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 1919 - Racing de Ferrol founded 🇪🇸 1922 - Jock Stein born 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 1957 - José Leandro Andrade died 🇺🇾 1958 - Antonio Di Gennaro born 🇮🇹 1966 - Careca born 🇧🇷 1975 - Bobo Baldé born 🇫🇷🇬🇳

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 04/10/2026

The climate is weird. I caught the sun this afternoon at wonderful Leeds Castle in Kent (22 degrees), only to have the heater on now at home 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 04/10/2026

Dropping overnight 🎙️ Miha Zupan joins me to discuss #groundhopping in Slovenia 🇸🇮 Sub/catch up wherever you find your podcasts... 🎧 Taster...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 04/10/2026

It’s the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street today (4 Oct 1936). If you’ve not been to the mural, it’s well worth a visit. The East End said “¡No Pasarán!” to the f*scists. @claptoncfc.co.uk also have a new mural to mark the battle. 📍Cable Street, London E1 🚆Stepney DLR/Tube

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 03/10/2026

#OTD 3 Oct 1898 🇦🇷 Alumni Athletic Club, the most successful side in early Argentinian football, was founded at the Buenos Aires English High School. For more, listen to my podcast from when I visited the school open.spotify.com/episode/6m0U...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 03/10/2026

“It’s full of lawyers, doctors, and architects, oh, Tunbridge Wells is wonderful!” 🎶 Wells 1-5 Phoenix Sports (Bexleyheath) SCEFL Premier League (9th tier) 🎟️ £10 #nonleague #groundhopping

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 03/10/2026

I am tantalisingly close to 1,000 followers on Substack (currently 968). Please follow me if you’re interested in: 🧐 Football history 📣 Football culture 🏟️ Groundhopping 👉 outsidewrite.substack.com Thanks! #groundhopping #Skystorians #Footballhistory #Travel

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 03/10/2026

#OTD in football, 3 Oct 1909 - Bologna founded 🇮🇹 1990 - Germany reunified politically - football followed 🇩🇪 Born: 1978 - Gerald Asamoah 🇬🇭🇩🇪 and Claudio Pizarro 🇵🇪 1981 - Zlatan Ibrahimović and Andreas Isaksson 🇸🇪 1983 - Fred 🇧🇷

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 02/10/2026

#OTD 2 Oct 1935 🇦🇷 Omar Sivori was born. His sale from River Plate to Juventus helped fund the stand that’s named after him at El Monumental. Before then, it had been an incomplete horseshoe. Here it is in 2024, when I was last there 👇🏼

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 01/10/2026

Dropping overnight Sunday/Monday 🎙️ My next podcast guest is Miha Zupan, and we are discussing #groundhopping in scenic Slovenia 🇸🇮 Here's a taster... Sub/catch up wherever you get your podcasts 🎧 📸 Miha Zupan

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 29/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 29 Sept 1887 - Sport-Club Germania Hamburg, which merged to form HSV in 1919, was founded 🇩🇪 (pic) 1981 - Bill Shankly died 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 2007 - Highest-scoring Prem game finishes Pompey 7-4 Reading 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Born: Silvio Piola (1913) Andriy Shevchenko (1976) Per Mertesacker (1984)

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 28/09/2026

We’re off at The Volley, as @sebdwhite.bsky.social (L) quizzes @danielgraywriter.bsky.social (R) about his new book, Fanzine. With thanks to @stanchionbooks.bsky.social for organising. Daniel will be on the podcast in a couple of weeks to discuss it.

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 28/09/2026

Peñarol, one of Uruguay's big two, was formed #OTD 28 Sept 1891 as the Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club. The club adopted the yellow and black of Stephenson's Rocket, the first train, and the colours have since become iconic. More here 👉🏼 outsidewrite.substack.com/p/el-clasico... #Peñarol

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 28/09/2026

#OTD in football, 28 Sept 1884 - First match at Anfield (Everton) 1891 - CURCC, the forerunner of Peñarol, founded 🇺🇾 1893 - FC Porto founded 🇵🇹 2004 - Wayne Rooney scored a debut hat-trick for Man Utd 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Born: 1918 - Ángel Labruna 🇦🇷 1964 - Claudio Borghi 🇦🇷 1984 - Mathieu Valbuena 🇫🇷

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 27/09/2026

Dropping overnight UK/CET - @drpetewatson.bsky.social joins me on the pod to dissect the 2026 World Cup in Latin America. Including: 🇦🇷 Argentina's soft power disaster 🇺🇾 Is Uruguay a 'heritage brand' now? 🇧🇷 Is the worst Brazil side in a century? 🇲🇽 🇨🇴 When will Mexico and Colombia succeed? And more!

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 27/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 27 Sept 2003 – Wimbledon FC played the first match after relocating to Milton Keynes (boo!) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 2016 – Sam Allardyce quits as England manager after 67 days following newspaper sting 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Born: 1976 – Francesco Totti 🇮🇹 1992 – Granit Xhaka 🇨🇭

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 24/09/2026

Up next on Outside Write 27/9 - 11 clubs that changed the world (Newsletter) 🗞️ 28/9 - The legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Latin America, with @drpetewatson.bsky.social (podcast) 🎙️ Here's a taster... 📸 Matt Walker

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 23/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 23 Sept 1881 - Jack Reynolds, Ajax manager and pioneer of 'Total Football', born 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 1919 - Belenenses founded on this bench in Belém 🇵🇹 (pic) 1949 - Quini born 🇪🇸 1956 - Paolo Rossi born 🇮🇹 1964 - Yugoslavia 2-7 Rest of Europe XI for Skopje earthquake benefit match ⭐

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 22/09/2026

So, this week, I submitted my manuscript to my publisher for my next book, 'Barrio Clubs: Football in the Shadow of Iberian Giants' 📙 I look at neighbourhood clubs in Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto. It's been an absolute blast to research 🇪🇸🇵🇹 It'll be out in 2027 (TBC, will keep you posted)

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 22/09/2026

Have you listened to this week's podcast with @robinireland.bsky.social yet? We're discussing the challenges of modern football for mid-sized clubs through the lens of Robin's club, Norwich City Find it wherever you get your podcasts, or here on Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0BDL... #NCFC

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 21/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 21 Sept 1929 - Sándor Kocsis born 🇭🇺 1949 - England lost at home to a non-UK team for the first time, 2-0 to Ireland 🇮🇪 1983 - Pat Jennings won 100th cap 🧢 1985 - Charlton played their last match at The Valley until 1992 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 1986 - Roberto Baggio debuted for Fiorentina 🇮🇹 💜

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 20/09/2026

Dropping overnight 🎙️ @robinireland.bsky.social joins me for a look at modern football through the lens of a mid-sized club, Norwich City What chance do clubs of this size have to compete in the current environment? Here's a taster...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 20/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 20 Sept 1879 - John McAlery posted an ad calling for players for his new club, Cliftonville Association Football Club ☘️ 2011 - A pre-season friendly at Fenerbahçe was open only to women and Under-12s 🇹🇷 Born: 1933 - Dennis Viollet 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 1967 - Craig Forrest 🇨🇦

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 19/09/2026

Another cracking day out at Champion Hill to watch Hamlet thrash Welling 4-1 to progress in the FA Cup 🏆

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 19/09/2026

Just caught a snippet of Millwall v West Ham passing through South Bermondsey. LOTS of police vans in the area…

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 19/09/2026

Lots of 'expert commentary' about the Millwall v West Ham rivalry today 🦁⚒️ Over on Instagram, I try to debunk a lot of what you'll hear and offer some historical context 👉🏼 www.instagram.com/p/DddaxPkjeA... #MILWHU #Millwall

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 18/09/2026

A statue of Samuel Johnson’s cat, Hodge, off Fleet Street behind Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub. The world needs more cat statues!

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 18/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 18 Sept 1942 - Atlético Clube de Portugal founded 🇵🇹 1968 - Lansdowne Road hosted its first soccer match, as Waterford Utd's ground was too small v Man Utd 🇮🇪 Birthdays: Peter Shilton (77), Aitor Karanka (53), Sol Campbell (52), Ronaldo Nazário (50), Christian Pulisic (28)

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 17/09/2026

St Paul’s looking magnificent this evening. This is why there are rules about not blocking the view of the cathedral when building in the City.

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 17/09/2026

Football quiz: Name the player and the club 🤔

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 17/09/2026

Up next on the Football Travel by Outside Write podcast (Monday) 🎙️ @robinireland.bsky.social joins me to discuss modern football through the lens of a mid-sized club, Norwich City Here's a taster... Catch up/subscribe wherever you get your podcasts #NCFC #NorwichCity

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 17/09/2026

Coming up next on Outside Write (Sunday) Groundhopper's guide to Defensor Sporting 🇺🇾 Sub/follow 👉🏼 outsidewrite.substack.com #Groundhopping #Uruguay

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16/09/2026

Did I mention I was available for talks, lectures, documentaries and podcasts? 🗣️ 🧐 football history 📢 football and politics ✈️ groundhopping/football travel In English 🇬🇧 and Spanish 🇪🇸 More 👉🏼 www.outsidewrite.co.uk

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16/09/2026

How it started…how it’s going 🦅 🇵🇹 The original Estádio da Luz (taken in 1997) and the new one, built for Euro 2024 #groundhopping

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16/09/2026

#OTD 16 Sept 1984 Diego Maradona made his debut for Napoli, the first of 188 appearances In seven years in Italy, he won two Scudetti, the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana 🏆 and scored 81 goals. Most importantly for the people of Naples, he represented the city against the north.

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 16/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 16 Sept 1937 - First live televised football match (Highbury) 📺 1972 - Presenter Jimmy Hill stepped in to run the line Born: 1951 - Van der Kerkhof twins 🇳🇱 1953 - Manuel Pellegrini 🇨🇱 1958 - Neville Southall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 1965 - Karl-Heinz Riedle 🇩🇪 1994 - A Mitrović 🇷🇸

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 15/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 15 Sept 1879 - Netherlands' first/oldest club formed, KHFC 🇳🇱 (pic) 1998 - Jorge Burruchaga retired 🇦🇷 Born: 1941 - Flórián Albert 🇭🇺 1944 - Graham Taylor 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 1951 - Johan Neeskens 🇳🇱 1966 - Dejan Savićević 🇲🇪 1995 - David Raya 🇪🇸 📸 Haarlemsche FC

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 14/09/2026

Yeah, we cover him in the podcast and I have read that book as part of my research for my first book, Origin Stories Hegazi’s stencil at Champion Hill, which I’m sure you recognise:

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 14/09/2026

NEW PODCAST 🎙️ @karimzidan.com joins me to discuss the fascinating world of Egyptian football We cover: 🗣️ Football and Egyptian national awakening 📣 Ultras 🇪🇬 National side 🏟️ Groundhopping Download/listen (Spotify) open.spotify.com/episode/2uj5... ...or wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 13/09/2026

#OnThisDay in football, 13 Sept 1897 - @corinthiancasuals.bsky.social conclude their 23-match tour of South Africa 🇿🇦 1903 - Uruguay's first win v Arg 🇺🇾 1931 - Stadio Artemio Franchi opened (as the Berta) 🇮🇹 1973 - Fabio Cannavaro born 🇮🇹 1989 - Thomas Müller born 🇩🇪 1999 - Pedro Porro born 🇪🇸

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 12/09/2026

Dropping tomorrow on my Substack 🗞️ The best books on football in the former Communist Bloc ⭐ Sub/follow 👉🏼 outsidewrite.substack.com #ColdWarHistory #FootballHistory #BookSky

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 12/09/2026

Have you downloaded this week's podcast on the golden era of #Uruguay (1918-30) with @martindacruz.bsky.social? 🇺🇾 🥇🥇🏆 Download/listen wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify link: open.spotify.com/episode/1Kvw... Taster...

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Outside Write (Chris Lee) ⚽️ @outsidewrite.co.uk · 12/09/2026

Also #OnThisDay 12 Sept 1907 🇪🇸 Real Betis Balompié were founded in Seville. They have one #LaLiga title, won back in 1934/35 under Irish manager Patrick 'Don Patricio' O'Connell, who has a bust there and a mural in Belfast. I have only been to the Villamarín once, but have seen Betis elsewhere

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