With pundits and loyal listeners from across the globe, it continues to shine a unique light on international stories, teams and players.

Here, the 主播大秀’s South American football correspondent Tim Vickery (aka ‘The Legendinho’) – who hasn’t missed a show since the very first! – reflects on how the show began, evolved and continues to thrive:

Early December 1997.

For the previous few months, I had been doing plenty of radio reports for the 主播大秀 World Service, and the odd thing for 5 live.

Up All Night had been launched. Someone from the show heard me and thought it might be worth a try.

I got a call: Did I fancy doing a quick round up of South American football, say five minutes long, on Sunday night? I did, and we were away.

But when the phone rang again the following week, I was surprised.

Oh, so we’re doing it again, are we? It’s a regular thing, is it? No one had told me! I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Two decades later, it’s still going strong.

We went from five minutes, to ten, and then to fifteen.

In late 2002, I got an e-mail: We’re thinking of making it interactive, I was told. An hour long phone-in. Do you think it would work? Not a chance, I replied, and thought no more of it.

A few months later, when I dialled-in for the usual weekly round-up, I had some news: You know it’s extended tonight, I presume? I didn’t. Has no-one told you it’s now an hour long phone-in? No-one had. But let’s roll up our sleeves and try and make it work.

And here we still are, having grown to an hour and a half, then to two, and for occasional specials, up to four.

How has it lasted all this time? We’ve been lucky with presenters. Richard Dallyn saw that it was going down well, and gave it a boost. Anita Anand was wonderfully charming, and adept in handling the transition to a phone-in.

And then came Dotun.

A certain Cork City right back knows Dotun Adebayo as ‘Uncle D’ (sorry Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, but you have to share him with the world!).

He’s everyone’s Uncle D, a big Baloo the bear figure guiding all of us Mowglis through the highways of life.

Dotun is key to two of the main reasons, in my humble opinion, for the show’s success – and for the fact that, to my unending delight, it frequently appeals to people with little interest in the game of football.

One is the sheer warmth that is generated. The show really does feel like a global community, filled with mutual respect and affectionate banter.

All are included: pundits, callers, those who send in texts and e-mails, those who listen live or to the podcast. Radio can be a fine generator of intimacy.

The other is the programme’s sheer range. It can go from frivolous and infantile humour (guilty, your honour), to in-depth cultural discussion and back again, all in the space of a few minutes.

Very rarely do I put the mic down at the end of a show without feeling that the previous two hours were gloriously spent in a joyful weekly communion with old mates.

And of course, none of it would be possible without the loyal listeners…

“The World Football Phone-In has been a central part of my week for the last 10 years, having stumbled across it whilst eating tea and toast after a night out at university. ‘Was it dream?’, I thought in the morning. No, and alas life has never been the same since. Careers, girlfriends, families, daughters and, more importantly, sleep, all come second to the dulcet tones of the Legendinho (Tim Vickery), and the ‘best dressed chicken in town’ (Mina Rzouki), both going all out attack and defence for their justification of their favourite styles of play.” – Bobby

“The World Football Phone-In is more than just about football.” - Richard

“This show has been part of my life since I turned it the right way around.” - Ekram

“The Phone-In has helped me through many a sleepless night Dotun. is a legend.” - Margaret

“Undoubtedly the best thing on any 主播大秀 channel, radio station or website.” - Henry

The World Football Phone-In 20th anniversary special will be live on 5 live from 1am Saturday 2 December. Watch it on the 主播大秀 Sport website or catch-up via the podcast, and get involved using #WPFI20.

Sunday鈥檚 World Cup final will mark the end of Mike Ingham鈥檚 distinguished career as 主播大秀 radio鈥檚 chief football correspondent.

It is fitting that Mike is calling time after a World Cup full of incident, shocks and stories; and I know his commentary on will once again live up to the occasion.

Mike joined the 主播大秀 more than 40 years ago, starting at , and he took over as football correspondent from Bryon Butler in 1991.

Since then, he has set the standard in authoritative and intelligent football analysis, while his commentary partnership with Alan Green has become legendary. However, it is Mike鈥檚 integrity as a broadcaster and trusted colleague which most sets him apart. He cares passionately about the output and the traditions of 主播大秀 Sport 鈥� and it infuses everything he does.

There are few voices in the modern media which illicit such respect and attention. Put simply - when Mike speaks about football, you stop and listen. For me, it is his meticulous attention to detail, deep understanding of the game of football and听whimsical sense of humour which define his broadcasting 鈥� and that鈥檚 why I am delighted he will continue to be a regular voice on 5 live, presenting a series of special football programmes.

John Murray will be taking over as football correspondent and I know he is extremely honoured to be following in the footsteps of Mike, Bryon Butler and Brian Moore. I also know he will do a wonderful job.

Friday 11 July at 9pm on 5 live, we will be broadcasting when he will look back at the eight World Cup tournaments he has worked on from Mexico 86 through to . It promises to be a great listen.

On November 10th and 11th Victoria Derbyshire will broadcast from Rocinha, one of the largest favelas (slums) in Rio de Janeiro. It鈥檚 not far from where the England squad鈥檚 main base is due to be when they arrive for the World Cup next June. Ahead of the tournament Victoria will be finding out what supporters making the journey to South America can expect.

Brazil has a population of 196.6 million (UN 2011), in 2011 around 16 million people (8.5% of the population) were living in extreme poverty, defined as having 70 reais (拢27) or less a month. The country though is one of the rising economic powers - otherwise known as BRIC nations - together with Russia, India, China and South Africa. It鈥檚 estimated there are one million crack cocaine users in Brazil and the latest crime figures show that 406 people were murdered in Rio and the surrounding state in just one month (August 2013). Rio itself is home to more than 600 favelas.

At the moment Brazil is getting . Protests across the country . Beginning in June, as a response to rising public transport costs, the protests have developed into a movement against poor public services, the cost of staging next year's World Cup and better working conditions for teachers. We鈥檒l be speaking to some of those involved who have vowed to continue demonstrating right up to the World Cup finals.

Since 2008 armed police units (Pacifying Police Units or UPP), backed by soldiers and marines, have been going into Rio's favelas to drive out criminal gangs, and establish the first permanent police presences. It鈥檚 part of a from drug-traffickers before next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The figure for how many favelas have been pacified so far is only just over 30. Leaving hundreds still in the control of criminal gangs.

Rocinha was pacified in November 2011. Hundreds of .

We鈥檒l also report from a favela under the control of drugs lords - a no-go zone for police - where shootings are common and drugs are sold openly in markets on the street. Traffickers are known as the 鈥榩arallel power鈥�, running favelas as their own kingdoms. They build the roads and schools, and mete out their own kind of justice: beatings for thieves, heads shaved for fighting.

Around 400 local people are killed by police in Rio every year. We'll meet in his hometown. Ten officers have been arrested, and she is campaigning to find his body.

We鈥檒l hear from prostitutes learning English to try and attract World Cup fans next summer. They reckon they will be sleeping with 40 men a day during the competition.

Two years ago Brazil announced it was spending 拢1.4 billion to tackle what has been described as a "crack cocaine epidemic". It is estimated the country has one million crack-cocaine users, we鈥檒l be visiting a clinic where crack addicts are treated to hear from patients and staff.

We鈥檒l also report from inside football's Mecca - the Maracana stadium 鈥� where the World Cup final is due to be held on 13 July, 2014. We'll sit with fans of the Brazil鈥檚 biggest team Flamengo and see for ourselves the passion Brazilians have for the game.

Victoria Derbyshire will be broadcasting from Brazil on and .

See more photos from Rocinha .

The start of the Premier League season is always an exciting time for everyone at 5 live.

We're extremely proud to bring you a total of , with our commentary team led by Mike Ingham, Alan Green, John Murray and Ian Dennis. On top of that, we'll also have coverage of the Champions League, Scottish Premiership, Football League, FA Cup, Capital One Cup, the Europa League and next summer, the World Cup in Brazil. Plus, this year, we'll also be enhancing our coverage of women's football with commentaries from the Super League and some of the key World Cup qualifiers.

However, as we embark on the new season, there is also a sense of sadness in our ranks. For the first time in nearly 40 years, 5pm on Saturdays will not be graced by the familiar, melodious tones of reading the classified football results.

James - or JAG as he is known to friends and colleagues - has been forced to retire as his voice is no longer strong enough to broadcast following surgery to treat throat cancer.

It is a cruel way to end a legendary career. He had made reading the results into an art form - every inflection of his voice indicating which way a match had turned. We will miss him terribly.

It was never going to be easy to replace James, but I am delighted that the former Radio 4 newsreader, Charlotte Green, has agreed to take on the role. She will start on Saturday September 28th and says it is a dream come true.

Only myself and producer, Audrey Adams, have been fortunate enough to hear Charlotte reading the results. We met up earlier this month to have a run through - and it left us in no doubt that Charlotte is the perfect choice to take over one of the most high-profile roles in radio. She can't wait to get started.

Our football line-up includes more new voices this season as well, with Chris Waddle and John Hartson joining our team of pundits, presenting while Dan Walker takes over as presenter.

So there's lots that is new, but Dan will also be bringing back something old and much loved - the 听 which used to herald the start of Sport On Two many years ago will now play out at the opening of Dan's show every Friday night. It's a wonderfully evocative piece of music and we hope it will get everyone in the mood for our big weekend preview show. You can listen to it by pressing play below:

Then, after all the action, the returns with Mark Chapman, Motty and Steve Claridge debating the big issues from the weekend.

But it's not just about big clubs on 5 live - listen out for Caroline Barker's excellent at 5.30am every Sunday or, if that's too early, it's .

It promises to be another great season and we hope our blend of old and new will be a winning combination for all our listeners.

Dan Walker鈥檚 first Friday night 5 live Sport begins at . You can get in touch with the programme on by calling 0500 909 693, by texting 85058 or by tweeting .

Subscribe to our for all our best football analysis. You can also read our .

, who greatly relished their trips to London every two years. A legendary victory there would inspire another generation of supporters to make the journey, like the 5-1 thrashing handed out in 1928 by the team that was instantly dubbed the Wembley Wizards.

Of course, there was 1967 when Scotland humbled Sir Alf Ramsey鈥檚 side on the same turf on which they had won the World Cup a year previously. Sure, the score was only 3-2 but the Scottish performance was personified by Jim Baxter, playing keepie-uppie with the ball as he sauntered down the left wing.

There are also one or two occasions they don鈥檛 talk about much in Scottish pubs. The 7-2 defeat in 1955, the 9-3 battering in 1961 or the 1975 episode, when Rangers鈥� Stewart Kennedy picked the ball from his net five times. 鈥淭hey shot the wrong Kennedy,鈥� said the graffiti on Glasgow walls.

By the time I started going to Wembley the fixture鈥檚 days were numbered because of hooliganism. In 1977 the Scottish support had celebrated a 2-1 win by leaving with the pitch and goalposts. England casuals began to appear in Glasgow in the 1980s and the annual meeting of the sides was abandoned at the end of that decade.

Scotland did return to Wembley for Euro 96, only for Gary McAllister to miss a crucial penalty kick, which was followed by who, to rub a barrel of salt into gaping Scottish wounds, was Scotland鈥檚 player of the year听due to his听Rangers form. In 1999 Don Hutchinson netted the winner in a Euro 2000 playoff at Wembley, but sadly for the Scots, Paul Scholes had scored twice in the first leg at Hampden Park four days previously.

That was that 鈥� until this week鈥檚 episode. Mind you, whatever happens at Wembley between Roy鈥檚 boys and Gordon鈥檚 Grenadiers, it won鈥檛 change the answer to one favourite pub quiz question:

Q: Who was the last native Scot to score against England in a men鈥檚 senior competitive fixture? (answer below the picture of Don Hutchison's 1999 winner)

A: Ray Houghton, born in Glasgow in 1962, for the Republic of Ireland at Euro 88.

is at 9.30pm on Tuesday 13 August on 主播大秀 Radio 5 live. You can listen again for seven days by clicking . 5 live has full commentary on England v Scotland from .

听

After a hat-trick of awards for Gareth Bale, we've got award fever of our own in the 606 office and are currently building up to the inaugural 606 End of Season Awards.

As part of 5live's Big Day Out on June 1 we'll be celebrating the best calls, fans, teams, trips, designated drivers and football tweeters of the season with you for company.听听

听The 606 judging panel* will decide the majority of the awards but call of the year is going to be voted for by you. We'll announce the shortlist on the show on Saturday 11th May and you'll be able to听听

In the meantime - do you know anyone who should be recognised as 606's Fan of the Year?听Is it their dedication and the work they put in behind-the-scenes? Are they the ones that get the chants going? Or are they just the biggest fan of your club? We want you to nominate your fan of the season.听听to nominate who you think deserves it.

A shortlist will be announced a week before the Big Day Out, with the winner being announced on the night.

We鈥檝e had a different non-league team of the week on every show throughout the season. So it鈥檚 only right that we have a non-league team of the season. We've had so many great stories from Mansfield manager, Paul Cox getting a Bentley for the result against Barrow to Matt Le Tissier coming out of retirement to sign for Guernsey FC and getting them promoted. 听Should your team take the honours? Who wants to be shown last on Match of the Day every week anyway? Non-league football is definitely where it's at in 2013.听

听Robbie has spent the season giving shout-outs to designated drivers up and down the country - the shandymen of football. But who has put in the real miles? Who deserves the ultimate Shandyman honour? 5 Live's non-league show presenter Caroline Barker and a very special guest will announce the winner on the night.

Only the most loyal of fans travel to grounds all around the country to watch their team. But which is the best trip? Which fixture you look forward to every year and why? Is it the best town for a few drinks pre-game? Is it the best away end in the ground? Or does it just serve the best bovril? We鈥檒l be crowning the 鈥楤est Away Day鈥� on June 1^st.

And if听you鈥檙e a footballer these days, you have to be on Twitter 鈥� it almost comes with the title. But who鈥檚 a must-follow? If you could only follow one footballer on Twitter, who would it be? The 606 judging panel will be picking one must-follow and crowing them our "Football tweeter of the season"

So that's the awards:

听Call of the season听

Fan of the season

Non League team of the season

Designated Driver of the season

Best Away Day

Football tweeter of the season听

听Let us know what you think on our Facebook page or using #606Awards on Twitter.

听*The 606 judging panel are the production team that put the show together each and every week.听

听

听

No current footballer divides opinion like Luis Suarez.

There are no grey areas. You鈥檙e either with him or against him.

Given the outrage triggered by 鈥� the second of his career, remember 鈥� it seemed highly likely that former colleagues and team-mates would all go to ground.

A friend of mine, a Liverpool fan since the Shankly era, emailed me in the aftermath of the Chelsea game, 鈥渕edia hype succeeds and judges a peck on the arm, which didn't mark or break skin, a worse offence than lunging two footed challenges and violent stamps.鈥�

I knew he鈥檇 take a strong line in support of Liverpool鈥檚 latest number seven. But what about the people who knew him and worked with him at his clubs in Holland?

At Groningen, where aged 18 he鈥檇 spent one season, before leaving under a cloud for a fee decided only after arbitration?

At Ajax, where his penultimate game, before leaving for Liverpool, had seen in 2010?

What about Bakkal himself, now playing for Dynamo Moscow?

We鈥檝e made contact without getting an interview. Yet. There鈥檚 still time. But other key players in the Suarez story were happy to talk to us.

Football people like Ajax team manager Herman Pinkster, FC Groningen Technical director Henk Veldmarte, former Groningen team-mate Hugo Alves, and Ghana鈥檚 world cup striker Dominic Adiyiah. And they helped to build a picture of a player with so many contradictions.

A man, we learnt, who鈥檚 meticulous about punctuality. You arrange to see him at 09:00, and if you鈥檙e a moment late he鈥檒l want to know why.

Tell him you鈥檒l do something for him, and he鈥檒l be on your case if there鈥檚 any delay.

A teenage striker who convinced representatives from FC Groningen they had to sign him just 15 minutes into the first match they鈥檇 watched him playing for Nacional in Uruguay.

A captain at Ajax who made it his business to welcome new young players into the dressing room, toning down the initiation rituals for their benefit.

A proud听Uruguayan who keeps the only key to the room in his house in Montevideo which serves as a museum for his career. Entry is by invitation only.

The presenter of the Dutch equivalent of Match of the Day, Tom Egbers, described him as 鈥渃harming, always friendly, unlike so many footballers.

鈥淗e would always give an answer, never nasty or aggressive.鈥�

A former amateur footballer himself in Amsterdam, Egbers put him in his top three of Ajax stars along with and adding 鈥淚n terms of spectacular football, he tops the bill.鈥�

So what鈥檚 not to like in a player who scored 91 goals in 139 appearances in Holland and draws such compliments?

Henk Veldmarte who recommended his signing in June 2006 reflected on his talent like this, 鈥淗e鈥檚 a grown up person but the way he likes playing football sometimes also has the mentality of a child.鈥�

One of his closest friends in Europe is Herman Pinkster, who helped him settle in Amsterdam. Among a number of telling insights, he offered this gem. 鈥淲e really had to adapt. We had never had a player that was so determined to win games, to focus like a soldier in a war to win the points.鈥�

Pinkster who was honoured to be invited to attend the Uruguyan鈥檚 wedding recalled a crucial game near the end of one intense title battle. Ajax won ugly 1-0 but that wasn鈥檛 good enough for the captain.

鈥淗e was so angry that Ajax had played badly.

鈥淭he coach tried to calm him down but he could not enjoy the moment of winning, (he was) so disappointed in the performance. 鈥�

Pinkster is also revealing within the programme about how he and the club tackled Suarez when this 鈥榳inning mentality鈥� became something darker, more devious.

Desire for victory

It was a theme first explored by a former Groningen team-mate, Hugo Alvez from Brazil who鈥檇 acted as his interpreter and guide on Suarez鈥� arrival. We were sitting in one of the bright new executive lounges at the club鈥檚 22,000 capacity - rather like the Madjeski Stadium only with green seats - two hours outside Amsterdam. (I had to ask Hugo questions in English and he answered in Portuguese. So I had to believe that his answers were not about his favourite music, food or underpants.)

His answers lost nothing in translation. He likes and admires Suarez very much.

鈥淏ut when he was on the pitch, everything changed. The desire for victory is with him at every moment,鈥� he said.

听鈥淭hat is why sometimes for some people he seems to go over the limits.

鈥淭o help his team to win he can do things that other players would never do.

听鈥淚n the middle of an emotional game, he can vent it in a wrong way.鈥�

Alves condemned the bite on Ivanovic but his next answer also carried echoes of my friend鈥檚 email. 鈥淪ometimes I see people tackling violently with clear intention of breaking the opponent鈥檚 leg, which is much worse than to bite someone.

鈥淎nd those players get (a) one, two game ban, when the intention was just one颅 to break, to destroy physically their opponent.

鈥淎nd Luis with this kind of attitude can bite someone鈥f course it is against the law.

鈥淏ut I see players with a much worse intention who do not get the same kind of stick Luis gets.鈥�

'Never do it again'

Tom Egbers challenged Suarez over the original biting incident in 2010. And he still remembers the conversation.

鈥淗e told me 鈥業 want to win. I do not approve of myself but I desperately need to win and I鈥檒l do anything to win. Anything.鈥�

鈥淪omething in his brain happens. He genuinely apologized to the player, and humbly accepted the seven game ban.

鈥淗e said he would never do it again.鈥� Right.

Ghana鈥檚 Dominic Adiyiah who spoke to us from Ukraine and whose header Suarez saved on the goal-line with his hand to keep Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup told us, 鈥淗e needs to grow up.鈥�

Perhaps Herman Pinkster is the closest to understanding what makes Suarez such a compelling, controversial personality.

鈥淗e鈥檒l always be the boy from Montevideo.鈥�

is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 1 May on 主播大秀 5 live. The programme will be available to after broadcast.

We sometimes say that 5 live is "the home of live sport." So what does that actually mean?

Well, we pride ourselves on covering a wide range of sports live - and from inside the venue. In fact, we aim to get as close to the action as possible. You might have heard and John Murray whispering while to avoid distracting the players during The Masters (yes, they are that close!).

We feel this kind of access is essential to capture the true drama of an event and to report on all the stories which seem to inevitably develop around sport.

However, just like television, you have to acquire rights to provide radio commentary from inside a stadium or from the course. These rights can sometimes be hotly contested in a competitive market place.

As such, we were pleased recently to packages for a further three years from the start of next season. We have four out of the seven packages available - Saturday lunchtime kick-offs, first choice at Saturday 3pm, Sunday 4pm kick-offs, plus Monday and Tuesday night matches.

When combined with our coverage of the SPL, the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Football League and international football, we think it makes a pretty compelling proposition for our football-following listeners. That's not to mention our coverage of the World Cup in Brazil coming up next year.

We are also committed to covering a wide range of sports - not just football - and this summer we are particularly excited by the prospect of a home Ashes series on on . Our England cricket commentary deal with the ECB lasts until 2019 so plenty more from and for a few years yet!

So how do we decide which rights to acquire and what sporting event we should cover on 5 live? To be honest, it's fairly simple: we choose what we think is most editorially compelling for the audience. We will use audience research and listening data to try to inform these decisions too. Of course not everyone will agree with our choices but they are always taken in good faith and with the audience in the forefront of our thinking.

I understand some listeners have asked why we haven't covered some of the recent Champions League matches not involving British sides. This has not been a question of rights so much, more an editorial decision based on the potential cost of coverage and the level of audience interest. We will be commentating on the Champions League final at Wembley and possibly the second leg of one or both of the semi-finals.

We do also have a responsibility to cover those other sports which perhaps don't hit the mainstream agenda as much as football and cricket - and we take that responsibility very seriously. So, expect to hear a lot more Olympic, Paralympic and women's sport over the coming months on 5 live and 5 live Sports Extra.

Ultimately, everyone at 主播大秀 Radio Sport loves sport and we all feel hugely privileged to provide what we hope is one of the best live sport services around. I am also lucky to manage some of the best broadcasters in the business who quite simply bring sport to life on the radio.

For a full list of upcoming 5 live commentaries visit our .

In five days time League听Two's听 will take on the Premier League's 听in the 听at Wembley.

To mark the occasion Mark Pougatch will tonight host , the home of Bradford City. He鈥檒l be joined by Bradford manager Phil Parkinson, joint Chairman Mark Lawn, former players and managers including Paul Jewell and Jamie Lawrence as well as an audience of fans.

But let's not forget this is a huge day for Swansea too; you'll also hear from Terry Yorath, who played and managed both clubs, as well as Brian Flynn who managed the Welsh side for two seasons.

In the last 12 years Bradford City听have spiralled down the leagues. They were in the top flight at the turn of the millennium听but are now in the fourth tier of English football. Their achievement on making it to the League Cup Final and beating heavyweight opponents on the way - including Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa - has certainly put the club back on the map.

We thought Valley Parade was the place to do a programme to illustrate this remarkable run. We hope to get a real sense of the rejuvenating effect this has had on a city that has had to deal with the 鈥� where on Saturday 11 May 1985 56 people lost their lives - riots in 2001 and which has suffered economically during the recession.

In organising a programme from a stadium you have to think about the makeup of the audience. Who do you invite to get a cross section of the community, and who should be on your panel of guests? Fans group have been brilliant, helping with an audience and people who can talk to us about the club's history to give a first-hand account of what this means to them, their club and to Bradford as a whole.

Don't forget you can listen to Bradford's and Swansea big day out on Sunday at 4pm.听Full build up begins with Ian Payne from听12pm here on听.

Garth Brameld is a producer for 5 live Sport. You can listen to 5 live Sport live from Valley Parade on . It will also be available after the programme as a download.

Few football clubs in Europe can match the achievements of .听

Four times winners of the European Cup - three in a row between 1971 and 1973 - the current Dutch champions are still renowned for their 'total football' made famous by the brilliant during their European domination.

Walking the corridors of the Amsterdam Arena past pictures of famous faces and sitting in the office of team manager David Endt surrounded by old boots and shirts and personal momentos of great Ajax names reminds you of the club's standing.

But their reputation as a Jewish club sits less comfortably at the new stadium far removed from the Jewish neighbourhood around the city's De Meer district where their old ground was situated.

And it could even lead to a challenge through the courts in the next months by caused by home supporters calling themselves "Super Jews" and chanting "Joden, Joden" ("Jews, Jews") at games.

More than three quarters of Amsterdam's Jewish population died in . And the scars are still felt by surviving relatives living in the city.

Donald Speelman, a retired Jewish businessman stopped our interview twice because he was overcome when discussing why he stopped going to games after 50 years and why he's now fighting for action from the club.

He said that Ajax with a new hierarchy in charge, inspired by Cruyff, have acknowledged that something needs to be done.

The question is what and how. None of the people I met agreed on a solution. In fact the only common ground was that there would be no instant, lasting improvement.

Endt, a former player before his current role told me "We never chose for the position of being called a Jewish club. It came over us and that sometimes hurts us because it has bad effects."

Very few of the fans let alone the players, past and present, are actually Jewish. Yet this Jewish identity is readily embraced. It's worn like a badge of honour by supporters alongside in some cases, tattoos of the Star of David.

One of the hardcore F-side fans I met in a city bar described the power of the "feeling of being Jewish" even though he and most of his friends weren't.听

Dutch film director Eddy Terstall is a longstanding Ajax fan but not a Jew. He also doesn't join in chants like "Everybody who's not jumping is a Jew".

And smiling he recounted a tale which seemed to sum up the widely held view among the Ajax following.

"A friend of mine works at the airport security and he's visibly Jewish. At one point he had to check Ajax fans on the way to an away match and they noticed. "Hey, it's a Jew". So they put him on their shoulders!"

The fun - if that's what they'd call it - stops, though, when rival fans at clubs听like Feyenoord and Den Haag sing about gas chambers and make hissing noises.

And that's why Jewish groups believe changes have to come before such anti semitism becomes more overtly violent.

A former club chairman who is Jewish admitted that he and other officials haven't properly challenged this disturbing rivalry, " I failed and my predecessors failed and the mayor failed and everybody failed."

The incident of at AZ Alkmaar made big headlines in the Netherlands.

You wonder what renewed momentum that furore may offer Ajax in tackling their issue of identity and so achieving another significant success.

is on 5 live at 9pm on Monday, 4 February and available to listen again for seven days after broadcast. It will be available as a download.