Next up on our tour of Italian cities and their football teams is the ancient city of Padua. Nestled a few miles inland from Venice in the north-east corner of Italy, it has a remarkable history. They are represented on the pitch by Calcio Padova who are currently plying their trade in Serie B amongst the likes of Ashley Cole’s Cesena. Formed in 1910, their best days came in the late 1950s and early 1960s, recording a third-place finish in Serie A. Since then, they have bounc

Mainz, Germany. Located on the west bank of the Rhine River – Northern Europe’s most important trade route. It sits opposite Wiesbaden and close to Frankfurt, making it an important transport hub for the wider region. Its football team, FSV Mainz 05 (founded in 1905 – hence the 05, as many German teams do), has in recent decades cemented itself in the Bundesliga without really challenging for the top positions. A few Europa League forays and a quarter-final appearance in the

A club founded in 1904 (hence of 04), with a huge history, a massive fan base, and one of the strongest traditions of supporter involvement in European football. Relegated recently, yes – but back again now in the Bundasliga and ready to mix it with the big boys of the continent. They have a proud history, able to boast 7 league titles, five German Cups and a UEFA Cup win. They are the 6th biggest club in Europe if using club membership as a metric. To understand Schalke, th

Hamburg SV (Sport-Verein = Sports Club) is a German Bundesliga team from the large and important port city of Hamburg. It is, like many European and Asian teams, a multi-sports club, but its most famous and biggest team by far is its football club. Since their foundation in 1919 they’ve had some remarkable success down the ages: six-time German league champions and winners of the German Cup three times. Last season, they won promotion back to the top division, and this seaso

This is a glorious badge, for a club representing a town with a glorious past. Did Darlington build the modern world single-handedly? If they didn’t, they gave it a damn good go. So, let’s do the National League North outfit the honour and #GetTheBadgeIn. Firstly. The team. The club. The Darlos. Founded in 1883, they initially played in local leagues until becoming one of the founding members of the Third Division North in 1921. In 1925, they won that league and were promoted

Have the Guns Fallen Silent in Crayford? The heyday of British power was fueled be adventure and bravery overseas – but also a lot of extremely hard graft back at home overseen by some of the most technically minded and skilled workers in the world. And it happened in places like Crayford. Formerly part of Kent, now within the London Borough of Bexley, Crayford didn’t just supply the men who went to war – but also the women who produced the weapons and ammunition that sustain

Fish. Peasants. Royals. Rebels - and now a 5th tier Football Team which will be playing some of the biggest and most historic names in English football next season...For a club that not long ago was dealing with debt, unpaid players and uncertainty, it’s been quite a ride. So, congratulations to the 2026 National League South Champions - and let's #GetTheBadgeIn for Worthing FC 🐟🐟🐟 Let's start with the basics: Where is Worthing? Worthing sits on the south coast, just