EFL Unfiltered with David Prutton

He’s had to wait until the twilight years of an impressive career, but last month saw former Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest winger Albert Adomah, finally secure his dream move back to West London to sign for his beloved QPR! With Mark Warburton at the helm and a decent squad at Loftus Road, ‘Uncle Albert’ doesn’t see any reason why they can’t finish in the top 6, and with him as an option off the bench in the blue and white hoops, you wouldn’t bet against them. Elsewhere Clem has finally managed to get his favourite football pundit Sue Smith on the show, and with the breathing space of the international break, the two of them give their expert insight into all the big stories in the EFL so far this season, and preview this weekend’s fixtures.

If Wycombe’s rock n roll gaffer Gareth Ainsworth ever writes his autobiography, he’ll easily get a chapter out of this last week alone! A prolapsed vertebrae saw him rushed to hospital in agony last Friday, while his absence from the dugout saw his wanderers record back to back wins for the first time this season, as Gareth had to watch on his iPhone from a recovery ward at the Royal Berkshire hospital! The rock n roll theme continues as Bastille drummer Chris Wood talks about watching live streams of his beloved Plymouth Argyle, while thousands of miles away on tour with the band, and one of the EFL’s most potent strikers in recent times, Robbie Earnshaw joins Clem to preview all this weekend’s biggest fixtures. 

He scored a hat trick on his full England debut at Wembley, played more than 500 games for Watford FC and is the club’s all-time greatest goal scorer, but that didn’t stop Luther Blissett regularly receiving racial abuse from the terraces as a young player in the seventies and eighties. As we celebrate black history month, Luther opens up to Mark Clemmit about how bad things were, and why it’s so important to continue the conversation about racism in football now and in the future. Wimbledon director Ivor Heller has forfeited everything for his beloved club and looks forward to next week’s triumphant return to Plough Lane, and Leyton Orient skipper Jobi McAnuff joins Clem to preview the key fixtures this weekend across all 3 divisions of the EFL.

This week on the podcast Mark Clemmit talks to Millwall FC’s head coach Gary Rowett on life at The New Den and The Lions’ impressive form so far this season. Former Nottingham Forest legend Mark Crossley opens up about his struggles with mental health this year, and how step by step he’s gaining strength and raising awareness to help others, and Shrewsbury Town supporters liaison officer Roger Groves describes the crippling effect that empty stands are having on clubs like his, and how despite staging successful Covid compliant test events last month, there’s still no light at the end of the tunnel.

‘Project Big Picture’ could change the structure of English Football forever if it gets the backing it seeks, and EFL Chairman Rick Parry addresses the proposal in a frank and honest interview with Mark Clemmit, while discussions between the EFL and The Premier League continue. In addition Luton Town’s head coach Nathan Jones assesses ‘The Hatters’ flying start to the season upon his return to the club after a short spell at Stoke, and Derby County’s veteran defender Curtis Davies joins Clem to discuss this week’s big stories, and preview the forthcoming fixtures across all 3 divisions in the EFL.

On the show this week, Mark Clemmit is joined by Newport County’s charismatic homegrown head coach Mike Flynn, to talk about the impressive recent form of his South Wales’ Skybet League Two table toppers. Bill Edgar from The Times celebrates the English football league clocking up 200,000 professional games in its 132 year history, and Phil Brown joins Clem to look at the forthcoming weekend’s fixtures, and discusses this week’s early season managerial changes at Nottingham Forest and Barnsley. 

Released by Leicester City as a schoolboy, goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe thought his football dream was over until he was picked up by Burton Albion’s youth academy and given another chance to hone his craft. It certainly worked because this summer aged just 17, he signed a professional contract with Frank Lampard’s Chelsea! Clem caught up with Teddy and Burton’s Academy Manager Dan Robinson, to find out how it all panned out. Also on the show this week, Hull City manager Grant McCann gives a brutally honest assessment of his side’s collapse and relegation last season, and praises their flying start to this campaign, and BBC and Sky Sports EFL expert Caroline Barker, picks out her selection of the weekend’s most interesting clashes across all 3 divisions.

Clem is joined this week by Birmingham City’s new head coach Aitor Karanka, and Nigel Adkins provides his pick of the weekend’s previews and throws in some motivational life advice as well! Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don't miss any of action from the EFL.