The Island Games in Guernsey, Arctic Circle dominance in Norway & the European qualifying rounds

The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

You might think there's not much going on in the football world at the height of summer - but there are in fact plenty of talking points to be explored by Sweeper co-hosts Lee Wingate & Paul Watson, who is recording the pod ahead of his mammoth 60-hour, 13,229km journey from London to Micronesia to watch the nation's first-ever futsal tournament.

Part 1 is dedicated to our very favourite part of the European football calendar: the qualifying rounds for the UEFA club competitions. We discuss the biggest away days, the first-time participants, the clubs from outside the top flight involved and a chance encounter with the Borac Banja Luka director at a Balkan wedding.

The next segment looks ahead to the latest edition of the biennial Island Games, which will see islands ranging from Greenland (the largest in the world) to St. Helena (one of the most remote on the planet & the place Napoleon was exiled to) compete in a football tournament held on the Channel Island of Guernsey this July.

Last up, we show some love for the summer leagues: the only two top-flight clubs in Europe based in the Arctic Circle are dominating Norway's Eliteserien, KÍ Klaksvík are chasing the almost-impossible feat of a perfect season and there's an update on the punishments handed out to the Belarusian trio that were involved in match-fixing.

RUNNING ORDER:

PART 1 - The European club competition qualifying rounds: debutants, lower-league clubs, banned teams, away days & a Balkan wedding (00:44)

PART 2 - The Island Games in Guernsey: the history, the participants, the frontrunners, the sponsor and the future of the tournament (16:19)

PART 3 - Summer leagues: Arctic Circle superiority in Norway, a potential perfect season in the Faroes & the aftermath of the Belarusian betting scandal (28:53)