5 Podcasts to Expand your Football Knowledge
Football fans have a tough gig. With the expanded coverage of the game, it’s hard to stay on top of all the latest news.
A few seasons back, I discovered podcasts and more specifically football podcasts which have become my go-to medium for staying in the know.
I am subscribed to 23 football podcasts that produce approximately 40 new episodes per week. Generally, I listen to them all, yes it may sound absurd but it’s one of my favourite pastimes.
So I think I’m pretty qualified to give you my five recommendations for podcasts to keep you in the footballing loop.
Note — there is no order. Also, note — when I say the show comes out… that is when it comes out in Australia. 🇦🇺
The Football Ramble
Chances are if you Googled “football podcasts to listen to” you have seen this entry. The Ramble has been going since 2007 and it regularly features in iTunes top 10 sports podcasts.
The team of Marcus Speller, Luke Aaron Moore, Jim Campbell and Pete Donaldson have an alluring cohesion which allows the podcast to be thoroughly insightful and extremely funny. The focus of the podcast is on the English Premier League but they aren’t afraid to dabble in far-flung locations such as Scotland (Ramble joke).
There is the main show that comes out on a Tuesday and there is a Premier League preview show that comes out on a Friday. Also, they released a book aptly titled The Football Ramble which is a must read for anyone with an interest in the game.
BBC 5 live’s World Football Phone-in 🌎
If you’re after a world perspective on football there is no better podcast to listen to. Hosted by the larger than life Dotun Adebayo, this show features continental footballing experts including; the ‘Legendinho’ Tim Vickery from South America, the ‘Springboka Junior’ Mark Gleeson from Africa and the ‘Colonel’ Mina Rzouki from Europe. Vickery is a mainstay but over the course of a month the show usually touches each continental confederation (except Oceania because of well…).
As this is a live phone-in, listeners call in and ask a range of questions that can see the conversation turn towards politics, culture, singing and of course football.
This is a weekly show that comes out on as a podcast on a Saturday. Be the first to call in each year to earn yourself a Brazilian shirt name. Unique.
EPL Round Table
Hosted by the dulcet American tones of Kevin DeVries, this podcast features a collection of fans from an assorted range of Premier League clubs. The upside for this podcast is that many of the fans have solid connections to fan groups and supporter trusts with the inside track of what’s going on in their clubs.
I must declare an interest, I have featured on this podcast a few times talking about Manchester United and Portugal when international periods come around.
They usually release two Premier League episodes per week and as of last season, they produce a weekly Fantasy Premier League podcast appropriately titled the ‘FPL Round Table’. This season Jacob Jackman launched the Championship Round Table on the same feed which is also an informative listen.
The Front 3
This podcast recently passed the two-year mark and I am glad to say I was listening from episode one. The podcast was launched by football freelancers, Adam Boultwood, Laurence Mckenna and Dave O’Brien with Kristan Heneage joining the original three a few months back.
The podcast offers a comprehensive roundup of the action across Europe’s major leagues whilst aiming to debunk the football cliches too often used by Paul Merson and/or Richard Keys. They have solid listener interaction through #Iamthehole on Twitter giving listeners the opportunity to pose questions that are answered on the podcast.
Through their connections, they have been able to post bonus interviews with some interesting guests on topics in football rarely featured on other podcasts. A recent example being an interview with Korean-based football writer, Steve Price which was a discussion on what is actually happening in Chinese football.
The Spanish Football Podcast 🇪🇸
This is only a recent addition to my podcast list but it has made an immediate impression. Hosted by the Greek, Phil Kitromilides and the British, Sid Lowe from the ‘podmobile’ in a carpark somewhere in Madrid, this podcasts gives an expert analysis of Spanish football.
The podcast previews and reviews the action in La Liga while also raising awareness of other footballing topics circulating Spain such as mismanaged stadiums and the media bias towards Real Madrid (or Barcelona…). My favourite segment is ‘Culture Corner’ which looks at some of the nuances of life in Spain, such as late dinner times and the role of the Basque Country or Catalonia in Spanish society.
While all the other podcasts on this list have an English hue to them, this is entirely Spanish which gives a better insight into the league containing the world’s best players. The main downside is that the episodes are only about half-an-hour long but thankfully they post a new one every few days.
So there you go, five podcasts to keep you occupied while you’re heading to work/uni/school, during a workout or playing Football Manager with the added bonus of enhancing your football knowledge.
Let me know some of your favourite football podcasts in the comments below, I’m always on the lookout for a new listen. ⚽️
