# Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches (460) Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/cold-war-football-a-history-in-ten-matches-460 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/cold-war-football-a-history-in-ten-matches-460.md Podcast: [Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119) Published: 2026-06-12T23:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://coldwarconversations.com/episode460 Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR5164186306.mp3?updated=1748027491 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/episodes/cold-war-football-a-history-in-ten-matches-460 Duration seconds: 3171 ## Resource The Cold War was a huge battle for hearts and minds — a true “people’s war.” But where did the “people’s game” fit into it? In their new book, Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall explore the surprising and fascinating links between football and the global struggle between capitalism and communism. From East Germany’s famous victory over West Germany at the 1974 World Cup to North Korea’s remarkable run in 1966, they show how football became much more than a game. Tony and Alan reveal how football was used to support democracies, strengthen dictatorships, and win influence in the developing world. These matches gave people a rare glimpse of life on the “other side” of the Iron Curtain — sometimes bringing enemies closer together, and sometimes helping to spark unrest and revolution. Packed with legendary players, unforgettable goals, and controversies both on and off the pitch, this is a wonderfully rich history of how the Cold War shaped football — and how football, in turn, shaped the Cold War. Enter the book giveaway here https://coldwarconversations.com/giveaway1/ Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode460 Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off tips via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE THE COLD WAR… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/episodes/cold-war-football-a-history-in-ten-matches-460/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/cold-war-football-a-history-in-ten-matches-460.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.