Football didn’t always have penalty shoot‑outs — and the story of how they arrived is far stranger, funnier, and more dramatic than most fans realise. In this episode, we explore the unlikely origins of the shoot‑out, the scepticism it faced, and the moment it finally took root in British football.
From muddy pre‑season pitches to the world’s biggest stages, we trace how a simple idea reshaped the sport, created new heroes and villains, and left one nation with a very particular kind of footballing anxiety.
It’s a tale of nerve, chaos, tradition, and twelve yards of pure pressure — with a few unforgettable detours along the way.
36 mins