Flo’s lockdown list of football podcasts
I’m a podcast nut. I have been since about 2010 when I was doing my A-Level exams and needed some distractions to help me procrastinate. Since finishing school and uni and moving into sports journalism, I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a few podcasts. I currently help run the QPR Podcast, a weekly fans podcast for QPR, and have appeared on Guardian Football Weekly, Football Ramble Daily and the Offside Rule WSL Edition.
My favourite podcast at the moment isn’t a football one, it’s a celebrity one. Who Weekly is a hilarious podcast where two people chat about inane celebrity gossip- shoutout to SEASON editor-at-large Lucy McCalmont for recommending this podcast to me. When it comes to football podcasts, my favourites are Guardian Football Weekly and the Offside Rule Podcast, not just because I’ve been on them... The Offside Rule Podcast was really the first football podcast to be completely run by women. Sports broadcasters Kait Borsay, Lynsey Hooper and Hayley McQueen launched in 2012 and they’ve since created a women’s football-specific podcast too.
Like many of you, I’m longing for football. Lockdown would be just about bearable if there was live football to watch and help pass the time. However, for the good of global health, football is currently on pause and looks like it will be for at least another month, probably two. There’s plenty of football podcasts still recording, thankfully, including some that I’m involved in. I’ve been recording the QPR Podcast under my duvet for a few weeks and now have a neck ache as a result. Myself, David Fraser, Paul Finney, Chris Charles and Clive Whittingham have still been recording the podcast weekly because there’s lots of QPR stuff to chat about. We’ve talked about our favourite games, all-time best XI’s and even got an interview with the club CEO Lee Hoos. QPR fans on Twitter have been really grateful to us for continuing the podcast because it gives them something to listen to and take their mind off coronavirus.
The perfect thing about podcasts is that you don’t need to meet up with anyone to listen to them or record them. It’s all remote! So you can make sure you’re not breaking any social distancing rules. Here are my top football podcasts to enjoy in self-isolation.
Stadio
Stadio is the brainchild of Berlin-based journalists Musa Okwonga and Ryan Hunn. The Stadio podcast accompanies the pair’s website which is full of thought-provoking articles and essays on legends from the game including Bobby Robson and Robert Baggio. A favourite episode of mine is ‘What If’, a speculative look at many sliding doors scenarios in football including life if Sergio Aguero hadn’t scored for Man City on the last day of the 11/12 Premier League season. Expect discussions about film and TV too, not just football — a recent episode even featured Marvel.
Guardian Football Weekly
My friends at Guardian Football Weekly are still recording twice a week despite the fact there’s basically no live football taking place. It’s been running for about 15 years and producer Jonathan Fisher, Max Rushden and Barry Glendenning have gotten creative and are now rewatching classic games and interviewing special guests. It’s the usual light-hearted chat but with a new twist. During lockdown, the team sat down to discuss Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ moment at the 1986 World Cup. Did you know that England actually played terribly in that World Cup quarter-final? No, me neither. Listen and find out!
Football Ramble Daily - Greatest Games
‘Greatest Games’ is a regular series from podcasters Football Ramble Daily and a perfect podcast for lockdown. Every episode, football journalists Marcus Speller and Jonathan Wilson chat with football journalists, historians and football fans about memorable games, including World Cups and Champions League Finals. They relive every minute and even play a few clips from the match. The series covers games from the last 50 years and there’s plenty of nostalgia. I would recommend reliving the madness of Craven Cottage 10 years ago. Fulham’s crazy Uefa Cup Round 16 victory over Juventus is one hell of a ride.
Tifo Football Podcast
The Tifo Football Podcast comes from the wonderful visual world of YouTube channel Tifo Football, which makes videos about football tactics and history. Hosted by Joe Devine, the podcast has big-name journalists like the Financial Times’ Murad Ahmed and big conversations about topics like sports washing, tactics, and geopolitics. Each episode has an awesome illustration of the guest or topic to accompany it. I haven’t mentioned anything to do with Liverpool yet so for all those Liverpool fans, here’s a treat, a deep dive into the Reds’ transfers, tactics, and strategy. Expect more of that in the Tifo catalogue.
The SEASON Podcast
Yes, we have our very own podcast! Hosted by SEASON founder Felicia Pennant, the SEASON Podcast explores important conversations in football culture and fashion with a lineup of top guests. Hear from top designers and stylists who are leading the way in football fashion and players and coaches who are literally changing the game. The lineup of guests includes creative director and stylist Daisy Deane; football coach and player Tyra Mills; founder of Fashion East Raphaelle Moore; Goal Click founder Matt Barrett; and sportswear designers Georgina Hunt and Jordanna Andrews. If you need a bit of motivation and kick up the a** then listen to Episode 7 with Eartha Pond. She is a former footballer and fearless campaigner who is working tirelessly to break down barriers for girls.
Words: Flo Lloyd-Hughes