Welcome to the 3rd Advent/Christmas/Holiday episode this year. It’s a read of a children book again, and that book involves a time-traveling boy and his dog. They time travel, through goalposts, to the first organized football match under Football Association rules, in 1863, between Barnes and Richmond. The game was played at Barnes commons, in West London, across the river from Fulham’s FCs stadium, the Craven Cottage. And the boy and his dog (Kane is his name, no relation to Harry) mess up football history while there. Or, almost.

The book is by Adrian Lobley, and I don't want to give away the whole thing here - I'll read up to chapter 10.

Plus: some of the best Christmas-themed stadium chants.

Until January 19th!

HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Adrian Lobley, Kane and the Christmas Football Adventure

"The best Christmas Football chants", YouTube

"Comfort Comfort O My People" in the opening piano version, from Road to Virtuosity Sheet Music, YouTube

"Comfort Comfort O My People," closing version with organ and drums, performed by the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

If you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/