168 - Bert Sproston - Premier League

Tim McCoy Executive Director Pennsylvania West State Soccer Association (PA West Soccer) Talks Soccer

Total Sports Recall (TSR) is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. TOTAL SPORTS RECALL HOMEPAGE [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/total-sports-recall] EPISODE SUMMARY Tim McCoy is the Executive Director for Pennsylvania West State Soccer Association (PA West Soccer). He was also a classmate of host Harv Aronson at Slippery Rock University and these two were radio mates at the school’s radio station, WRCK. This interview took place in 2024 but with the World Cup currently down to the semifinals, the topic of this podcast is very relevant. TOTAL SPORTS RECALL BACKGROUND Host Harv Aronson brings you an array of sports history topics recalling great moments and athletes from sports yesteryear. No sport is left alone with an emphasis on football and baseball but there will be reflections on past boxing, mixed martial arts, basketball, golf, and an occasional hockey memory. Harv Aronson has been an established sportswriter with one published book under his wing and brings with him nearly 55 years of sports knowledge and exposure to sports as a fan. With a degree in communications and journalism, Harv will be using his radio voice to entertain listeners with popular stories and events from the past as well as some surprises. Some podcasts will bring interviews with a sports personality and perhaps the opportunity for listeners to join in on the show. HOSTS - HARV ARONSON Harv Aronson was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his beautiful wife Melissa. You can listen to Harv’s Total Sports Recall Podcast [https://totalsportsrecall.captivate.fm/], which is also available on Spotify, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. He currently writes for AbstractSports.com, the Sports History Network [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/author/harv-aronson/], and the magazine Gridiron Greats. Harv wrote the published book "Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans" and as a professional writer has had articles published in an array of sports publications. Harv loves all sports but football and baseball are at the top of his interest. His passion is for sports history. Visit Harv’s portfolio at https://www.clippings.me/totalsportsrecall [https://www.clippings.me/totalsportsrecall]. You can contact Harv using his official podcast email address which is totalsportsrecall@gmail.com [totalsportsrecall@gmail.com]. You may also reach out to Harv on X using the handle @TotalSportsRecl [https://x.com/TotalSportsRecl]. Leave a voice message for the Total Sports Recall podcast to be aired at a later date. [https://www.speakpipe.com/TotalSportsRecall]

168 - Bert Sproston - Premier League

The name Bert Sproston might not ring a bell to many. But his heroics off the pitch are extraordinary. As we celebrate the 2026 World Cup, there isn't a better time to bring Bert's story to the fore than now. Sproston was a star defender for the English National Team when it paid Berlin a visit in 1938 for an exhibition game against the Germans. As expected, England won the game. But that's not what this story is about. While Sproston made his mark with teams such as Leeds United, Manchester City, and Totenham Hotspur (and a few other clubs as well), perhaps his biggest contribution in life is what he did for a Jewish teenager who approached him in Germany after the English had defeated the host team. Rolf Friedland asked Sproston for help ... to help him escape Berlin and Germany during this turbulent time when Hitler was in the process of building his concentration camps and carrying out atrocities beyond imagination. World War II was beckoning, and Friedland needed a way out. He approached Sproston and the English star obliged and helped Friedland escape Nazi Germany just a few months later. In this very unique episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, I discuss all of this with three very special guests, beginning with Jenny Leonard and Fiona Thomas, the sisters of John Leonard who recently had a new book published, "Escape From Berlin, England's Bert Sproston and The Football Refugee." Sadly, Leonard passed away prior to the book being published, but his two sisters carry on his legacy and know the story well. Also joining for this special podcast is Alan Freeman, Rolf's son (Rolf later changed his name to Ralph Freeman, and we discuss why during the podcast). Not only is this story about soccer and heroism, we touch upon the political firestorm surrounding this particular timeframe that included England's goal of not being pulled into the War, and their gesture of offering a salute to Hitler not going over as well as they had hoped.

1970s Steelers v. Cowboys Rivalry (Part 1)

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS HOME PAGE [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/yesterdays-sports-podcast/] EPISODE SUMMARY Mark sits down with his friends Dave DePaola and Harv Aronson (host of Total Sports Recall) to reminisce about the one of the greatest rivalries of the 1970s - the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. You can read the full blog post here [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/football/nfl/1970s-pittsburgh-steelers-v-dallas-cowboys-rivarly]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS BACKGROUND Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below. No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time [https://amzn.to/3kf5MuO] Running Wild: (Growing Up In The 1970s) [https://amzn.to/3snjccy]

Pete Rose bulldozed Ray Fosse, the Longest Wimbledon Final, and Jim Brown said, 'Take this job and shove it' - This DiSH for July 14

In 1970, Cincinnati's Pete Rose bowled over Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse in the MLB All-Star to score the winning run. in 1967, Houston's Eddie Matthews hit career home run #500. In 1968, Atlanta slugger Hank Aaron his career home run #500. In 2019, Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the longest men's single final. The match took four hours, 57 minutes.

The Patriots: From Boston to Foxboro (Presented by the Sports History Network)

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network - the headquarters of sports' yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/]. SHOW DESCRIPTION: These days, the New England Patriots are often thought of as one of the elite teams in the NFL. However, that hasn’t always been the case, especially during the team’s infancy, when they were a charter member of the upstart AFL and chaos and confusion often reigned. The Patriots of the 60s and early 70s were a transient team and played its home games in no less than 5 different stadiums. The Pats also cycled thru its head coaches quite frequently back then and one coach in particular is often remembered as the one who best epitomized the team’s failings during this time. In this 4-part series, we will take a look at the team’s humble beginnings in Boston in 1960 to their first years in Foxboro. We will also do a deep dive into the timeline between 1969 – 1972 to relive some of the most shocking and bizarre events to ever impact a professional sports franchise. The Patriots: From Boston to Foxboro. HOST - JOE SANTOS: Joe Santos grew up in Massachusetts and is an avid football fan, with a special fondness for the NFL in the early 70s. This Week in Pro Football and NFL Game of the Week were must-see TV back in the day. And living in Massachusetts meant you saw all of the NY Giants games on tv, both home and away, as they were the de facto home team for the NFC. Due to the blackout rules at the time, only the Patriots away games were shown. Being a huge sports history fan, Joe will continue to tell the unusual stories from an era that's considered to be the golden age of pro football.