Is North Korea 1966 the most astonishing World Cup underdog run of all time?

In this Mid-Season Break Seasonal Special, super guest Phil Craig takes us down one of football history’s most improbable rabbit holes: North Korea at the 1966 World Cup. Set against the shadow of the Cold War, we unpack how politics, perception, and FIFA power dynamics shaped their path to England — and why their story still lands like a grenade in the “Table of Greatness” conversation.

From a chaotic, obstacle-strewn qualification journey, to the shockwave win over Italy, to that jaw-dropping quarter-final with Portugal (yes, that first-half scoreline…), this is the episode where sport collides with history — and somehow ends up getting adopted by Middlesbrough along the way.

Takeaways

• How the Cold War shaped the way the world viewed North Korea’s team
• Why FIFA allowing participation wasn’t as straightforward as it sounds
• The night North Korea stunned Italy and flipped the tournament on its head
• What the Portugal quarter-final revealed about their ceiling — and their tragedy
• The cultural clash (and warmth) of North Korea living in England, Boro-style

If you love World Cup lore, sports politics, and proper football-history weirdness, this one’s for you. Listen now, and then tell us: where does North Korea 1966 belong in the Table of Greatness?

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

As our mid-season winter break continues, By Far The Greatest Team keeps the spotlight firmly on teams whose greatness deserves revisiting — even if they don’t always get the full episode treatment.

This time, Graham and Jamie hand the mic to Declan Clark, who takes on the task of making the case for one of English football’s most stylish and complete sides: Manchester City, 1968–1970.

In just three remarkable seasons, City assembled a team that could do everything. League champions, FA Cup winners, League Cup winners, and European Cup Winners’ Cup holders — all achieved with flair, intelligence, and a swagger that set them apart from their domestic rivals.

This was the City of Colin Bell’s relentless brilliance, Francis Lee’s fire, Mike Summerbee’s wing play, and Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison’s iconic management partnership — a side that married tactical innovation with attacking joy at a time when English football was evolving fast.

In this short seasonal special, Declan revisits the trophies, the personalities, and the cultural footprint of a Manchester City team that didn’t just win — they entertained, influenced, and left a lasting imprint on the English game.

🏆 Takeaways

• Why Manchester City 1968–70 may be the club’s greatest ever side
• How Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison reshaped English football thinking
• The trophies that confirmed City as a domestic and European force
• The role of flair, personality, and tactical freedom in their success
• Why this team still matters in the context of modern Manchester City

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

As we head into our traditional mid-season winter break, By Far The Greatest Team is doing things a little differently.

Instead of stepping away entirely, Graham and Jamie have put together a special run of bite-sized mini-episodes, each shining a spotlight on a truly great football team that might not normally receive the full podcast treatment.

First up in the series is one of the most extraordinary FA Cup stories of the modern era.

In 1997, Chesterfield, a third-tier English side, went on an improbable FA Cup run that carried them all the way to the semi-finals — and to within a goal-line whisker of one of the greatest upsets in English football history. What followed was chaos, controversy, and one of the competition’s most enduring images: manager John Duncan losing his glasses in utterly unspectacular fashion as the drama unfolded.

This short episode revisits the magic, the madness, and the moments that made Chesterfield 1997 a team forever etched into FA Cup folklore — proof that greatness doesn’t always come with medals, but sometimes with mud, disbelief, and broken spectacles.

🏆 Takeaways

• Why Chesterfield’s 1997 FA Cup run remains one of the competition’s most romantic stories
• How a third-tier side pushed English football history to its absolute limits
• The controversial moments that still spark debate decades later
• John Duncan, touchline chaos, and the most famous lost glasses in FA Cup history
• Why some teams don’t need trophies to earn a place in football folklore

🎧 Enjoy this winter-break special — and join us as we uncover great teams, great stories, and great moments that deserve to be remembered.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

1. FC Kaiserslautern 1996–1998: The Miracle on the Betzenberg

Can a team really fall from the Bundesliga… win a cup… rebuild in the second tier… then return to win the title at the first attempt? In this episode, we dive into the extraordinary, almost impossible tale of 1. FC Kaiserslautern — the Red Devils — and their unforgettable journey from relegation heartbreak to one of the greatest miracle seasons in football history.

In this episode, Graham and Jamie are joined by special guest Benedikt Osl to unpack the full story arc of the Red Devils — a club fuelled by tradition, fearsome home support, tactical discipline under Otto Rehhagel, and a squad mixing veterans, defiant characters, and one very effective moustachioed striker.

We explore the emotional shock of 1996, the turmoil and tears around club icons like Andreas Brehme and Rudi Völler, and the surreal moment where Kaiserslautern lifted the DFB-Pokal after going down. Then comes redemption: Otto Rehhagel arrives, Bayern Munich implode into “FC Hollywood,” and a newly promoted Lautern land the most outrageous opening-day punch imaginable — beating Bayern in Munich — a result that sets the tone for the season to come.

From record-breaking promotion form to classic Betzenberg nights, high-scoring chaos, and the rivalry that shaped an era, this is a story of defiant underdogs who bent the Bundesliga to their will. We also trace what came after: European adventures, financial storm clouds, and a legacy that still echoes through German football.

Takeaways

• Kaiserslautern’s journey is one of football’s purest Cinderella stories.
• Winning the DFB-Pokal after relegation was unprecedented and surreal.
• Bayern’s FC Hollywood era created chaos and vulnerability at the top.
• Rehhagel’s leadership invites comparisons with Brian Clough.
• Early-season results — especially in Munich — shaped the title race.
• Winning the DFB Hallenmasters added to their unusual honours list.
• Their 1997–98 title remains a historic Bundesliga landmark.
• European campaigns were a mix of magic and misfortune.
• Lautern’s later decline shows how hard it is to sustain success.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

From non-league obscurity to conquering the kings of English football — the story of Wimbledon FC from 1984 to 1988 is one of the greatest, wildest, and most unbelievable rises in football history.

In this episode of By Far The Greatest Team, Graham and Jamie are joined by London football expert Stuart Burgess to deep-dive into the era that turned a ragtag group of misfits into FA Cup legends. Together, they revisit the extraordinary ascent of Wimbledon FC, a club whose direct football, intimidating culture, and unshakeable belief helped them smash through the English football pyramid and shock the world.

We explore the characters who defined the Crazy Gang — Vinnie Jones, John Fashanu, Lawrie Sanchez, Dennis Wise, Dave Beasant — and the leadership of Dave Bassett, whose tactical clarity and uncompromising philosophy forged one of the most iconic identities in British football. Stuart brings rich insight into Wimbledon’s South London roots, the personalities behind the rise, and the cultural chaos that made this team impossible to ignore.

And of course, we relive the unforgettable 1988 FA Cup Final: Lawrie Sanchez’s header, Beasant’s historic penalty save, and the day Wimbledon toppled the mighty Liverpool to write one of the greatest underdog chapters the Cup has ever seen.

Along the way, we unpack:

• How a tiny club stormed the First Division in record time
• Why the Crazy Gang’s mentality became their greatest weapon
• The behind-the-scenes influence of Ron Noades and Sam Hammam
• Don Howe’s tactical fingerprints on the Cup Final
• The long-term legacy of Wimbledon — and the birth of AFC Wimbledon

Where does Wimbledon 1984–88 rank among the greatest teams of all time?
We debate it, defend it, and place this unforgettable side into the Greatness Index.

🎧 Listen now for one of football’s most extraordinary stories — brutal, brilliant, chaotic, and completely unrepeatable.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

AFC Bournemouth 1984: Harry Redknapp’s Giant Killers & The Quest to Crown the Greatest FA Cup Shock

How did a struggling Third Division side pull off one of the most dramatic FA Cup upsets of all time — and does Bournemouth 1984 still stand as the greatest giant killing in football history?

In this episode, Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by regular South Coast guest Jamie Wilson to revisit the remarkable story of Harry Redknapp’s AFC Bournemouth, who stunned FA Cup holders Manchester United in 1984.

🔴 First Half – Bournemouth’s Moment of Destiny

We chart Redknapp’s early managerial journey, the belief and bunker mentality he cultivated, and the South Coast rivalry that shaped Bournemouth’s identity. Through tactical breakdowns, dressing-room tales, and context of the club’s precarious position, we explore how motivation, atmosphere, and collective refusal to accept defeat fuelled one of the competition’s most iconic wins.

🏆 Second Half – The Greatest FA Cup Shock Debate

The conversation then widens into a deep dive across FA Cup history — from non-league miracles to top-tier ambushes. We debate how narrative, context, and conditions shape a shock’s legacy, compare legendary upsets using the Giant Killing Index framework, and attempt to crown the greatest FA Cup shock of all time.

With humour, detail and nostalgia, this episode explores whether Bournemouth 1984 was an isolated miracle… or the perfect example of what makes the FA Cup magical.

Takeaways

• AFC Bournemouth’s win over Manchester United in 1984 remains one of the most iconic FA Cup shocks.
• Harry Redknapp’s early managerial style at Bournemouth emphasised spirit, charisma and tactical conviction.
• Motivation, unity and local rivalry played a decisive role in Bournemouth’s success.
• Tactical and emotional momentum were key to their victory.
• The episode explores how football’s landscape and cup competition dynamics have evolved across decades.
• Player stories and first-hand accounts highlight the human side of giant killing.
• Historical context and match conditions are vital in defining true cup shocks.
• Television and media coverage elevated the emotional resonance of these games.
• Statistical evaluation can support shock rankings, but narrative often defines greatness.
• Non-league teams hold a proud tradition of FA Cup disruption.
• Bournemouth’s 1984 triumph acted as a cultural springboard that later shaped the club’s long-term rise.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

Aberdeen 1977–1986 – Fergie’s Miracle in Granite

In the granite city of Aberdeen, a fiery young manager tore down Scottish football’s natural order. Between 1978 and 1986, Alex Ferguson transformed Aberdeen from outsiders into European conquerors — breaking the Old Firm’s stranglehold, humiliating Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, and building a dynasty of discipline, belief, and brilliance.

Before Manchester United, there was Aberdeen. Before “Fergie Time,” there was the miracle in granite.

In this episode of By Far The Greatest Team, Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by Scottish football expert Stefan Shaw to revisit one of football’s most improbable revolutions — Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen, 1978–1986.

They trace Ferguson’s journey from his playing days at Rangers to his early management at St Mirren, before landing in the North East with a burning mission to end Glasgow’s rule.

The discussion explores the ruthless training sessions at Seaton Park, the cultural reset that banished Scotland’s drinking culture, and the rise of a fearless generation — Miller, McLeish, Strachan, McGhee, Leighton, Hewitt — who would take Aberdeen to domestic and European glory.

From the 1980 title breakthrough to the storm-soaked night in Gothenburg ’83 and the back-to-back championships of ’84 and ’85, this episode celebrates how a provincial club out-fought giants and left a legacy no one has repeated since.

Takeaways

• How Ferguson’s discipline, psychology, and fitness culture rewired Scottish football.
• The statistical dominance behind the story: record 27 league wins in 1984-85, 72% first-goal ratio, 44% clean sheets.
• Why the “New Firm” era of Aberdeen and Dundee United still stands alone in Scottish history.
• The future managers and coaches forged in that Pittodrie dressing room.
• Why Aberdeen 1983 remains the only Scottish club with two UEFA trophies.

Call to Action

🔔 Subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
📲 Follow @ByFarTheGreatestTeam for clips, shorts, and new episodes every week.
⚽️ Football’s Greatest Teams. Ranked.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!

Manchester United 1981–1986: Flair, Frustration & the Big Ron Era

Were Manchester United under Ron Atkinson a team of unfulfilled potential — or flamboyant trailblazers who set the stage for everything that followed?

In this episode, Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by lifelong United super-fan Richard Evans to dive into one of Old Trafford’s most compelling transitional eras: Manchester United from 1981 to 1986.

Arriving after years of drift, Ron Atkinson injected charisma, swagger, and a bold attacking identity back into the club. His United were easy on the eye and fearless in intent, with a midfield powered by Bryan Robson, elegance from Ray Wilkins, and cutting edge from Frank Stapleton and teenage sensation Norman Whiteside.

We revisit the era’s unforgettable highlights — from the dramatic 1983 FA Cup triumph to electric European nights against Barcelona and Juventus — moments when United felt capable of beating anyone. Yet the conversation also tackles the frustrations: league inconsistency, injuries to key figures, and defensive flaws that repeatedly derailed genuine title pushes.

With the help of our guest panel, we debate a defining question:
Was Big Ron’s United an underachieving nearly-team, or the bridge between mediocrity and the coming Ferguson revolution?

Takeaways

• Ron Atkinson brought a flamboyant, confident style back to Manchester United.
• Bryan Robson was the heartbeat of Atkinson’s side.
• The atmosphere at Villa Park during this era’s big games was unforgettable.
• United’s European run produced thrilling clashes with Barcelona and Juventus.
• Mark Hughes emerged as a major figure late in the Atkinson years.
• Injuries to key players consistently undermined title challenges.

If you enjoy these podcasts, please don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating and also tell everyone about them!