Football Ruined My Life

By Colin Shindler, Jon Holmes, Paul Kobrak (and the late Patrick Barclay)

When Football Ruined My Life started back at the beginning of 2023 it was the new podcast about old football.

In it, distinguished football journalist Patrick... more

66 ratings

FAQs about Football Ruined My Life:

How many episodes does Football Ruined My Life have?

The podcast currently has 154 episodes available.

Best of Football Ruined My Life

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 149. The One About Jimmy Hill
This week Jon Holmes, Colin Shindler and Jim White are talking about one particular player – and one manager and one club director and one club chairman and one trade union official and one television executive and one presenter and one analyst and famously on one occasion, one linesman... none other than the Bearded Wonder that was Jimmy Hill. That simple list of his achievements and the different roles he played within football indicate what a unique individual he was. It’s regrettable that in later life he became something of a caricature and a figure who could be easily mocked with his pointed chin and his cross of St. George earrings. Yet no single figure made a bigger impact on English football in the second half of the twentieth century than Jimmy Hill. It was Hill who suggested three points for a win which stopped both teams playing for a draw twenty minutes from time. He never received the honours that his innovations merited and his final years suffering from dementia made for a sad end which Football Ruined My Life is determined to correct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 18, 202640min
Number 2: 148. The One with Steve Walsh
There are times when the panel like to turn the spotlight on those men who do incalculable good work behind the scenes of a football club but remain largely anonymous. Such a hero is Steve Walsh who for many years has performed the job of Head of Recruitment, most famously at Leicester City where he spotted and brought to the club Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez who between them were the spine of the team that won the Premier League in 2016 and cost the equivalent of what it would cost to take a finger nail from Erling Haaland on loan. In a fascinating behind the scenes look at how clubs sign players these days, Steve compares what happens now with what happened when he started out as a scout. The difference in the money is of course breathtaking but also the extraordinary scouting network over which a Head of Recruitment presides. No longer does manager have to travel midweek to watch a player in the Scottish Second Division but a combination of a world wide scouting network and endless footage captured by cameras in every league in every country provides the information on which millions of pounds can be spent without the manager ever seeing the player in action until he arrives at the club. No arguments this week but a series of fascinating revelations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
September 11, 202645min
Number 3: 146. Can An Ex-Player Ever Make A Successful Owner?
This week Jimmy Mulville, Jon Holmes and Colin Shindler examine ex-players who become owners. It used to be that players saw how managers behaved and thought they could do better when they retired. Now with the increase in players’ affluence, they have seen how the clubs they played for were run and have decided that they could do it as well, if not better. This philosophy underlay the actions of Derek Dougan at Wolves, Francis Lee at Manchester City and a man who remains perhaps the biggest enigma. Terry Venables, after a distinguished playing and managerial career, was desperate to take the last big step into ownership and decided to partner Alan Sugar when they took over Tottenham Hotspur from Irving Scholar in the 1990s. Well, we all know what happened then but is it ever possible for an ex-player to buy, own and then successfully run a football club? And do fans want such an owner or would they prefer to stick to Middle Eastern nation states and American hedge fund managers? Tune in and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 28, 202644min
Number 4: 145. Don Revie’s England
In 1974, Leeds United won the First Division by five points, transforming themselves from the ugly side known as Dirty Leeds. It was Don Revie’s greatest triumph as a club manager. At the end of that 1973-4 season Alf Ramsey was sacked. Don Revie was his obvious successor as the FA had no intention of ever appointing Brian Clough. In March 1975 England beat Germany at Wembley with a standout performance from Alan Hudson. The press was ecstatic as England ended the season three points clear at the top of their qualifying group for the following year’s Euros. Just two years later Revie resigned before he was sacked and went to manage the UAE team for a lot of money for which he was widely reviled. His time as England’s manager is pointed to as England’s nadir. Colin Shindler, Jon Holmes and Jim White discuss how things went so wrong so fast for Revie’s England? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 21, 202648min
Number 5: 137. The Gap Between the Premier League and the Championship.
This week Jim White, Colin Shindler and Jon Holmes wonder if the gap will ever narrow between the Championship and the Premier League. In 1964 Leeds United were promoted from the Second Division and in their first season in Division 1 they lost the League Championship to Manchester United only on goal average (as it then was). In the 1976-77 season Nottingham Forest finished third in the Second Division – well behind Chelsea and champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. The next season they won the First Division, the year after that they won the European Cup and then retained it the following year. Clearly that is never going to happen these days. More relevant is that last season all three clubs who had been promoted the previous year went straight back down again. This year at least one will go down and possibly two of the relegated sides in 2025 will come back up again. Will any club in the future be able to replicate what Forest did? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 17, 202644min