FANS

It’s the final episode of the series and Sachin is very much going out with a bang given he’s joined by brilliant author, scriptwriter and podcaster John O’Farrell for a chat about Fulham. 

John is at his engaging best as he reflects on following a club that boasts many well-known supporters. In part that is down to Fulham’s rather nice location but that’s not the case as far as John is concerned, as he explains via one of the most unique and interesting origin stories in FANS history. 

From fighting mergers to coping with relegations, celebrating promotions and seeing an awful statue of a legendary musician built outside Craven Cottage, John has seen and done it all as a Fulham fan. And that includes being there when they pulled off a remarkable victory over Juventus en route to the 2010 Europa League final. As John explains with great warmth and wonder, it was an unforgettable occasion, as was the final itself. 

Not surprisingly, John tells a host of amusing stories, including one about the time a Fulham player swore at his young nephew and another involving a Hollywood superstar’s less-than-impressive footballing ability. 

John also talks about modern-day Fulham and why he fancies them to make a positive impact in the Premier League next season before going through his all-time Fulham XI and providing an answer to the final question. 

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot. 

Cheers!

Hallo alle. 

Yes, that's right, it's time for Sachin to type a greeting into Google Translate and copy and paste the German version into these episode notes as a way of introducing his chat with the award-winning author and journalist Uli Hesse about being a Borussia Dortmund fan.

Uli is a hugely respected and revered voice on German football and from his kitchen in Berlin he speaks with great authority and passion about Dortmund, the club he was pretty much destined to support. Location played a significant role in that, as did family. Speaking of which, Uli tells a very amusing story regarding what happened when his sister took him to his first ever Dortmund game.

That game, against Karlsruhe in January 1977, was held at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund's home ground and one of the most spectacular stadiums in Europe. Uli speaks about how it has changed over the years and why it's such a brilliant place to watch live football, which leads to a discussion about the 'Yellow Wall', the Westfalenstadion’s stunning terrace. Uli is a long-standing season-ticket holder there so knows it well. In speaking about it he also talks about German fan culture in general and why English fans are right to be envious of it. 

It's then onto memories of Dortmund's most notable games during Uli's time supporting the club, with few sticking in the mind quite like the 1997 Champions League final. Dortmund ripped up the script by beating Juventus in Munich and Uli was there. He shares his memories of that incredible night, which included being the designated driver for a group of oddly-underwhelmed teenagers.

There then follows a discussion about a man Uli and Sachin adore in equal measure - Jürgen Klopp. The former speaks about his seismic impact at Dortmund before the latter does the same in regards to his time at Liverpool. Warning listeners: this part of the podcast gets very emotional. 

Finally, there is a chat about Erling Haaland and just how impactful he could be for Manchester City before Uli talks through his all-time Dortmund XI. It contains a Scottish midfielder NOT called Paul Lambert. 

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

Reading Football Club. Discuss. It’s not the easiest of tasks given their lack of notable history and success. But do not fear because the brilliant comedian Anthony Richardson is here to give the lowdown on life as a Royal.

Anthony is best know for being one half of The Exploding Heads, the internet-based comedy act he and the equally brilliant Mark Davison launched a decade ago and which has brought us such masterpieces as Bohemian Rhapsody with Footballers and Colin from Portsmouth. Anthony chats about how both came about and how in the case of the former it led to a rather awkward exchange with Danny Baker.

It’s then onto Reading - the club Anthony pretty much stumbled into supporting as a child and has had a curious relationship with ever since. There was his first game at Elm Park, Reading’s original ground, which he remembers most for leaving early, and the subsequent trips to their modern home, the Madejski Stadium, of which he speaks with great humour and a gripping sense of regret. The experiences have broadly not been enjoyable. The sense of belonging clearly not there.

On a far happier note, Anthony recalls the great, history-making Reading side that achieved promotion to the Premier League in 2006; what made them so good and why they were able to do so well in the first of their two successive top-flight seasons.

Anthony also discusses the difficult direction his relationship with Reading has taken since he became a father before going through his all-time XI and providing an answer to the final question.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

After a bit of a mid-season break FANS is back, and what a return it is as Sachin is joined by brilliant Talksport journalist Natasha Everitt for a chat about Charlton Athletic and the excellent Her Game Too campaign.

Quite simply, Natasha was born to support Charlton, which she explains via possibly the greatest origin story in FANS history. It’s a genuine love affair and there is no doubting Natasha’s love for a club that has experienced incredible highs and lows during her 20 years or so following them.

There were the Roland Duchâtelet years, characterised by chaos and heartbreak on and off the pitch but also the never-to-be-forgotten afternoon at Wembley in May 2019 when Charlton came from behind to beat Sunderland in the League One play-off final. Natasha talks with great vividness about what it was like to be an Addick during that time.

Natasha also talks about the immense sense of belonging she feels watching Charlton at The Valley and, specifically, from a stand named after Alan Curbishley, a legendary figure in the club’s history who Natasha was too young to appreciate at the time but well and truly adores now, and mainly because of his surprisingly good appearances on Charlton TV.

It’s then onto Her Game Too, a movement created last year with the intention of making football a safer and more welcoming place for female fans. Natasha is its Charlton ambassador and she explains with great clarity and conviction why and how she got involved. That involves speaking about the sexist abuse she has has suffered as a Charlton fan, in person and online. Seriously, this vile crap needs to stop.

Natasha wraps things up by talking through her all-time Charlton XI (which provides Sachin with an excuse to bang on about Joe Gomez) and providing an answer to the final question.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

The Asian fan experience: it’s not something much is known about or which is often spoke about but, for obvious reasons, is close to Sachin’s heart, and this episode is a chance for him to give it some much-needed attention with the help of the brilliant Sanjay Bhandari.

Sanjay is chair of English football’s anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out and a man who absolutely loves the sport he has a hand in shaping. The boy from Wolverhampton who, as he outlines, was destined to follow Manchester United and has been doing just that, home and away, for the best part of 40 years.

It has been a joyful existence but also one of fear and loathing because of his ethnicity. Growing up Asian in Wolverhampton in the 1970s meant being subject to racism from the top of government, specifically in the form of local MP Enoch Powell. It was the time of Powell’s infamous Rivers of Blood speech, which as Sanjay explains had a profound, day-to-day impact on his life and love of football.

Sanjay and Sachin also talk about what it means to be an Asian fan generally – why and how the immigrant experience influences who those from Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi backgrounds support and why the lack of on-pitch role models matters, not to mention what can be done about it.

It’s then onto Sanjay’s role with Kick It Out - how he got it, why he took it and what he hopes to achieve, specifically in the fight against racism - before the conversation moves onto United. Sachin takes great delight in reflecting on the club’s current woes and credit to Sanjay for providing his own thoughts with calm, humour and intelligence.

And he gets his own back when the chat moves onto the club’s era of dominance under Alex Ferguson, with Sanjay explaining why of all the great moments during that period, it was a night at Selhurst Park that stands out most.

Sanjay also talks through his all-time United XI before providing a Gazza-influenced answer to the final question.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

It was inevitable Sachin would do another episode on Liverpool and here it is, and yet again he is joined by an excellent Red to talk about the Reds. First it was Kevin Sampson; now James Pearce.

James has been a much trusted and respected voice on Liverpool for more than a decade now, first in his role as the Echo's LFC reporter and, since 2019, as The Athletic's man at Anfield. It has been, and remains, a dream existence for the boy from Bath who grew up wanting to watch Merseyside's finest as often as possible.

That process started with a bang; a 6-1 victory over Coventry at Highfield Road in May 1990. James talks about seeing the then recently-crowned league champions in full flow and how it was the start of everything. 

That has meant some lingering lows, most notably the regret of not being in Istanbul for Liverpool's greatest ever night. But there has also been plenty of highs, including forming a relationship with Kenny Dalglish following his return to the club in 2011. James spoke to the King on a regular basis having finally landed his dream job at the Echo and tells a brilliantly amusing story about one conversation they had over the phone.

It's then onto the joy and privilege of following Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool - that game against Barcelona, that final in Madrid - before James reflects on how he is making an incremental and fun return to watching his boyhood club as a fan rather than a journalist. From the Kop as opposed to the press box.

James also talks through his all-time Liverpool XI, which includes a brilliant centre-midfield partnership but one that perhaps asks a bit too much of a legendary former captain. 

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot. 

Cheers!

And it’s LIVE! Yes, that’s right, it’s a rare face-to-face episode of FANS as Sachin is joined by comedian Elliot Steel at the Westow House Pub & Hotel in south London for a chat about Crystal Palace.

Westow House makes for an excellent setting for what proves to be an excellent chat about the Eagles - a club located not far from where Sachin and Elliot are meeting and who Elliot supports in large part because his dad does. His dad, in case you don't know, is the fellow, and brilliant, comedian Mark Steel and this episode opens with Sachin outlining his rather difficult and amusing relationship with Steel Snr.

There’s loads of chat regarding Elliot’s love/hate relationship with Palace, from the joy and pride he takes in watching them at Selhurst Park to his frustration with some of the players and games he has seen in his 20 or so years following the club. One man Elliot absolutely adores from that time is Iain Dowie and there is a lovely story regarding where and when he met the former Palace manager.

Elliot also delves into a variety of other topics, including which comedian is the best footballer, the real reason Jürgen Klopp is a great manager and why he cannot stand Arsenal fans. The latter makes for a sensational rant.

Elliot also talks through his all-time Palace XI and provides an interesting and typically funny answer to the final question.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot. 

Also, if you’re looking for a place to eat and drink in south London do check out Westow House. It really is a brilliant boozer. Full details here: https://westowhouse.co.uk/contact/

Cheers!

It’s back! Yes, that’s right, the start of a new series of FANS is here, and what a start it is as Sachin is joined by the brilliant BBC commentator Steve Wilson for a chat about Tranmere Rovers.

Steve is in typically articulate and engaging form as he discusses the club he was born to support having grown up in the shadow of Prenton Park – Tranmere’s ground and, as Steve makes clear, one that is NOT in Liverpool.

His first trip there was in January 1975 and there are memories of the sights, sounds and smells of the occasion – a Third Division game against Grimsby that, as was typical of following Tranmere at the time, took place on a Friday night. Steve was hooked and about to embark on a journey of extreme highs and lows.

There have been financial difficulties and multiple relegations to contend with as a ‘Trannie’ fan during the past 40 years or so but also the glorious, never-to-be-forgotten reigns of Johnny King and John Aldridge. Steve speaks with great warmth about the success both men brought to Tranmere as well as with great humour about his personal interactions with each of them. His story about interviewing Aldridge for Football Focus is especially wonderful.

Speaking of ‘the Aldridge Years’, Steve also reflects on the three iconic matches Tranmere played under their former player-manager in the early noughties, and in particular the 4-3 victory over Southampton in February 2001. Steve was at Prenton Park that night commentating for BBC Five Live and speaks with fascinating insight and honesty about the experience.

Finally, there is a chat about modern-day Tranmere and how the club appears to be in good hands thanks to the presence of two former players in Mark Palios and Micky Mellon. And speaking of former players, Steve also talks through his all-time Tranmere XI, which includes a place for one of his BBC colleagues. And no, it’s not Dan Walker.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

It’s the final episode of the series and Sachin is well and truly going out with a bang given he’s joined for a chat about Brentford by the brilliant broadcaster and podcaster, Natalie Sawyer.

Natalie is as engaging as she is eloquent and those traits are fully on show as she talks about the club she’s adored ever since a childhood trip to Brentford’s old ground, Griffin Park, in 1987. There’s a lovely story about what happened beforehand involving her brother and a group of Bristol Rovers supporters before Natalie goes on to speak about how it was the Griffin Park floodlights as much as the action on the pitch that drew her into a life following the Bees.

It’s not been an easy life given Brentford’s lack of success and financial troubles over the past 30 years or so but Natalie has loved the ride, one which peaked at Wembley this May as Thomas Frank’s men beat Swansea in the Championship play-off final. Natalie was there and talks about her emotions on the day and why promotion to the Premier League meant so much not only to her and her brother but also their dad, west London’s very own Crocodile Dundee.

This naturally leads to a discussion about modern-day Brentford and the huge role played in the club’s rise by owner Matthew Benham. Natalie is full of praise for her fellow fan and tells a story about meeting him that sums up the banker-turned-professional gambler’s notoriously enigmatic nature.

Natalie also chats about meeting her all-time Brentford hero, Dean Holdsworth, as well as about appearing on a bus as part of a club campaign to sell matchday tickets.

In FANS tradition, Natalie wraps things up by going through her all-time Brentford XI and providing an answer to the final question, both of which lead to Sachin worrying about her home life.

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!

Trophies, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Well, not quite, but they’re certainly not the be-all and end-all of being a Tottenham fan as far as Leon Mann is concerned.

Leon is a broadcaster, film maker, campaigner and, as Sachin knows from personal experience, a truly lovely person, and he speaks with typical intelligence and warmth about his 30-plus years supporting Spurs. It’s not been easy given the club’s relative lack of success but, overall, Leon has loved following the club, and especially because of the players he’s seen.

Waddle. Lineker. Gascoigne. Klinsmann. Bale. Just some of the superstar footballers who have brought Leon joy from childhood to adulthood and in their own ways made up for a dearth of silverware. He speaks about them all, with one man picked out for particular special mention – Gazza. Leon was there when he scored THAT free-kick against Arsenal at Wembley as well as for when he suffered THAT injury against Nottingham Forest and reflects on how those moments sum up a flawed genius. Leon also reflects on the time Gazza nearly ran him over.

There’s also a chat about the poignant circumstances surrounding Leon’s first trip to White Hart Lane, as well as about the pros and cons of Daniel Levy’s 20-year chairmanship of Spurs. And before all of that, Leon discusses his long-standing efforts to improve ethnic diversity in UK sports media, for which he was rightly awarded an MBE earlier this year.

Leon also talks through his all-time Tottenham XI, which contains a truly controversial selection, and gives an answer to the final question that Sachin simply can’t accept. 

So download, listen and love. And after you have, please Rate and Review. It would mean a lot.

Cheers!