The Bomb and the Bowler Hat

Oct 14, 2015, 12:00 AM

"It's possible something brilliantly illuminating happened there, part Escape To Victory, part footballing salon, part late-colonial Woodstock distilled through sternly moustachioed men of empire."
In Episode Eight of the Blizzard Podcast we bring you Barney Ronay's 'The Bomb and the Bowler Hat' from Issue Three, looking back at the extraordinary collection of football minds interred in the Ruhleben Camp outside Berlin during World War One.
The legacy of those collected in the prisoner of war camp, including influential coaches of clubs such as Athletic Bilbao and FC Nurnburg, could well be the birth of modern football as we know it.
If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions email podcast@theblizzard.co.uk, or find us on Twitter @blzzrd.
Barney Ronay writes for the Guardian about sport. He is the author of several football books including The Manager and Any Chance Of A Game? and writes occasionally for film and television, most recently co-scripting the feature film From The Ashes. Twitter: @BarneyRonay
Issue Three, like all issues of the Blizzard, is available on a pay-what-you-like basis from www.theblizzard.co.uk. Digital downloads cost as little as a 1p each (RRP £3), while print versions are available from £6 + postage (RRP £12). You can also find us on the Kindle and Google Play stores.