Left Field

It's been a roller coaster start to the delayed European Championships with Christian Eriksen's on-pitch cardiac episode sending shockwaves across the world. That UEFA decided to keep the cameras rolling sparked an angry reaction from viewers that might not have dampened had the player not regained consciousness. Thankfully, courtesy of his teammates and the medical team, he did. That Denmark completed their match with Finland on the same evening raised even more questions. We discuss an unsavoury incident.

Elsewhere in the tournament, there have been great goals by big lads, eye-catching youngsters, fun co-commentators, terrible kits and a lot more. We run the rule over our favourite bits of a hectic five days.

After lots of uncertainty, the Copa America did get the green light in Brazil and the new hosts immediately eased to a 3-0 win over Venezuela. Neymar looked pretty decent but where does he rank amongst the greats? We also chew over a very snazzy free-kick routine by Colombia and a Stoke-born, Blackburn striker making his debut for Chile. Weird.

There's even time for us to 'analyse' Spurs' impending appointment of Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca. He likes hats, which could go either way for his new club. We're not sure.

After the break, we start in Paris where Novak Djokovic closed the Grand Slam gap on Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer by winning the French Open. If the Serb wins at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows he'll officially be the GOAT; a remarkable scenario given his competition.

Next, we head Stateside where the Phoenix Sun got the better of the Denver Nuggets on the court and in the stands. Not only did they sweep the series in four games, but the scoreline was also predicted by a passionate fan who went viral after punching the lights out of an aggressor. 

We end the show discussing the weird links between pork offal, burritos and missing the Olympics due to a positive test for nandrolone. It might be the weirdest doping excuse we've ever featured. Just.

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

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And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

You wait 18 months for a chance to watch your team in person then you boo the players before kick-off as they take a stand against racial inequality and discrimination. Despite it happening twice in a week, manager Gareth Southgate, quite rightly, insists his players have no intentions of backing down. What happens next is anyone's guess, but the prospect of this happening every time England play during the European Championships is thoroughly depressing.

Across Europe, 24 teams are making their final preparations ahead of the tournament's opening game in Rome. France are the standout favourites but who are the dark horses?

In South America, they're still trying to figure out if the Copa America will take place. Argentina and Colombia were due to share the honour of hosting the tournament but social unrest and Covid-19 mean they've ceded the right to Brazil, who, erm...are struggling on both fronts as well.

To end part one, we cast an eye over the USA's mad 3-2 win over Mexico and dip our toe in the transfer window waters as Aston Villa pip Arsenal to the Championship's best player.

A packed Not Football starts with Jon Rahm's unfortunately-timed positive Covid test. The Spaniard was six shots ahead at the USPGA Memorial Tournament in Ohio when he got the news and was forced to withdraw. Surely the situation could have been handled better?

In Paris, the French Open has been in the headlines after the premature exits of Naomi Osaka and Roger Federer. Both quit the tournament off their own backs for very different reasons. Given Novak Djokovic or Rafa Nadal will win, our focus remains off-court.

In Tokyo, athletes are already arriving ahead of the delayed Tokyo Olympics. Local support for the Games has dwindled dramatically but officials insist they will go ahead. At this point, we're not sure anybody can be surprised.

To end the show, we check in the farcical showdown between Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather and discuss the ravages of time as LeBron James fails to keep the Lakers in the playoffs.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

It wasn’t a classic Premier League finale but Harry Kane probably won’t care. The man who wants to quit Spurs to win trophies helped himself to a couple of personal accolades on Sunday as he finished the season with the most goals and most assists. He’s quite good but is he £150million in a pandemic good? We’re set to find out this summer.

Harry’s goal against Leicester sparked a dramatic collapse by the Foxes who somehow ended the day outside the Champions League places having been in them for time immemorial. After their FA Cup fairytale, this was a plot twist Brendan Rodgers did not want.

Spurs’ win also denied Arsenal a place in the Europa Conference League. The red side of north London might be [insert Alan Partridge shrug gif] but surely there are concerns about the direction of travel at the Emirates? We also discuss all the emotional goodbyes as tributes poured in for Sergio Aguero, Gini Wijnaldum, Nuno Espirito Santo and more.

Elsewhere in football, we run the rule over some madcap playoff action and head to Spain and France where plucky underdogs Atletico Madrid and Lille sealed famous league titles.

In part two, 50-something Phil Mickelson proved he’s still got it as his leathery skin and smooth lefty swing sent the crowds at the Quail Hollow wild. Victory in the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island on Sunday made him golf's oldest major winner. On a scale of 1-10, how much does he look like a used car salesman?

We round off the show with a quickfire check-in on gymnastics, where Simone Biles again proved she’s got great feet for a little woman, the Monaco Grand Prix, which looked nice on TV again, and the NBA and NFL playoffs.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Youri Tielemans crashed home a cracking winner as Leicester City beat Chelsea to seal a first-ever FA Cup win. From top to bottom, the Foxes are a very likeable outfit. We weigh up their burgeoning credentials and those of their manager Brendan Rodgers and keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

A painful weekend for Chelsea was compounded by defeat for the Women's team in Sunday's Champions League final. Emma Hayes' side travelled to Gothenburg with big hopes of becoming only the second English side to win the competition but they were blitzed by Barcelona in a harrowing first half. We review the action.

Not to be outdone by showpiece finals, the Premier League served up a cracking moment as Liverpool keeper Alisson kept his side's Champions League hopes alive with a stoppage-time bullet header. Naturally, we had to discuss our favour keeper goals.

There's also time to talk Harry Kane, Roy Hodgson, tight title races in Spain and France, Alex Scott's promotion to Football Focus anchor and Gary Neville's petition to have football regulated. It's a packed part one!

After the break, we honour Roman Grosjean's Indycar win by talking bad burns and car crashes, look ahead to the NBA playoffs and dissect every badge of the franchises going for NFL glory.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Manchester City may have been denied the title on Sunday by Chelsea but courtesy of Leicester's win at Manchester United on Tuesday evening, Pep Guardiola's squad have now been crowned Premier League champions. That's two trophies this season for the Citizens but will they make it three in [insert host city of the Champions League final]? Only Thomas Tuchel, who has made an incredible impact at Stamford Bridge, stands in their way.

Before the German turns his attention to European matters, he's got to get past Leicester at Wembley. Brendan Rodgers' squad flirted with another league collapse but now seem dead certs to finish in the top four. If he wins the FA Cup, surely a bigger side will come knocking for his services.

At the Emirates, Arsenal's exit from the Europa League at the hands of former coach Unai Emery has seriously undermined Mikel Arteta's project. It feels like the clock is ticking on his tenure at the Emirates. We chew over the bones of a very painful night for the Gunners.

The bad weeks don't stop there. Oli McBurnie, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion all had one to forget. And Derby County didn't exactly cover themselves in glory despite avoiding relegation on the last day of the Championship season. It remains to be seen whether off-field matters dampen Wayne Rooney's celebrations. To end part one, we talk terrible football sponsors. Yes, we're looking at you Ed Sheeran.

Horse doping tops the bill after the break. The winner of the Kentucky Derby was on steroids but his owner is pleading innocent. We try and keep a straight face as we probe the details. There's also time for some dick-punching action in the NBA and some high-quality baiting of Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Protesting against the club's Glazer owners on Sunday, Manchester United fans not only broke into Old Trafford but also forced the postponement of their side's clash with Liverpool. In the broadcast studios and on the back pages their actions seemed to split opinion.

When football and politics meet, is it right that ex-pros are the ones providing the commentary? We discuss the latest fallout from the European Super League and how the Premier League plans to prevent clubs from attempting a future breakaway.

On the pitch, Sergio Aguero and Gareth Bale both flashed a bit of leg at potential suitors with goal-scoring cameos. What next for two of the Premier League's one-time best players?

In Italy, Inter Milan knocked Juve off their perch by sealing a first Scudetto in over a decade. The Old Lady's gamble on Andrea Pirlo hasn't paid off it remains to be seen if he's still in charge next season. If he is, he'll get to pit his wits against Jose Mourinho, who out of the blue has been appointed the new head coach at AS Roma. Will the Eternal City handle the not-so-Special One?

We end part one with a brief look at some handbags in Monaco and pay homage to Emma Hayes after she guided Chelsea Women to the Champions League final.

After the break, we talk lame sporting nicknames, New Zealand Rugby putting the All Black name on the open market and Covid causing the cancellation of the IPL.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

If anger against the proposed European Super League united fans last week, by the end of the weekend, it was VAR that was back earning the wrath of the average punter. A sending off for kicking the ball, a penalty disallowed for an offside that happened before kick-off, imprecise lines drawn by invisible men near Heathrow, should we just bin it off once and for all? 

At Wembley, 8,000 fans watched Manchester City maul Sp*rs 1-0 to secure a fourth consecutive League Cup triumph. Would Jose Mourinho's presence have made a difference? We'll never know. What is indisputable is that Daniel Levy's wait for a trophy continues. 

In a packed part one, we also look ahead to the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League, discuss the Premier League's upcoming social media boycott, assess the fallout from the failed Super League and question the point of the new Hall of Fame. 

After the break, we discuss the Olympic sport we'd most like to train for, talk hugging etiquette ahead of the NFL draft and wonder whether UFC fighters should wear shinpads to stop their legs from shattering on impact. 

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Close to midnight on Sunday, 12 of Europe's 'biggest' clubs stunned the football community by confirming the launch of a breakaway Super League created to replace the Champions League. Dressed up as a means to 'save football' by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, it has been derided by the game's various governing bodies, the domestic leagues, governments, players and supporters. We started to discuss the fallout from the announcement and then, in real-time, it started to collapse before our eyes...

In any other week, the news that Spurs - one of the dirty dozen - had sacked Jose Mourinho just days before a final would be our headline story. He leaves north London with an IMDB credit but no trophies. How much of a failure was this 17-month experiment? And to whom does Daniel Levy turn to next?

Elsewhere in football, Newcastle have turned their season around just in time, Sheffield United have been relegated and Norwich City will be back in the top tier. In Spain, Barcelona subjected Athletic Bilbao to a second Copa del Rey final defeat in the space of two weeks. Lionel Messi's amazing goal got tongues wagging.

After the break, we discuss the return of sports fans. A few locals watched one of the FA Cup semi-finals and snooker's famous Crucible arena has been 33% full. Hopefully, it's not another false dawn.

We end the show with an in-depth analysis of YouTube star Jake Paul's first-round knockout of MMA star Ben Askren. Only kidding...but it does come up.

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

After a couple of weeks off - tune in to find out why - we're back with a bumper episode. In part one, we turn our attention to the weird feud between Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the duo traded barbs after United beat Spurs 3-1. We're not sure if it was about parenting, cheese or if we missed the point completely.

Arsenal and Liverpool have both been in a weird patch of form recently. Having missed the chance to discuss the Reds win over the Gunners, we check in on both sides as they look to rescue something from the season. What's causing us to break out in a nervous sweat?

10-man Leeds United somehow managed to upset the odds, the form book and anyone with a penchant for xG as they beat Manchester City at the Etihad. We discuss our favourite and least favourite football stats before turning our attention to headbutts and teammate fights.

Over in Spain, Atletico are making things difficult for themselves as they search for a first La Liga title since 2014. Surely they can't bottle it given how dysfunctional their rivals have been?

After the break, we head to Augusta where Hideki Matsuyama became the first male Japanese golfer to win a major and, more importantly, Rory McIlroy hit his dad (with a ball). 

We also check in on the Grand National, talk bad/good bets and discuss which sports franchise we'd own if we had a pot to piss in.

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid the price for fielding a weakened Manchester United team as Leicester eased into the FA Cup semi-finals at their expense. The Foxes will face Southampton on one side of the draw with Manchester City or Chelsea awaiting them in the final. Who'll be celebrating at Wembley?

Brighton's 3-0 win at Newcastle means Graham Potter's men have opened a six-point gap on the relegation zone. Fulham, who looked dead and buried, are now breathing down Steve Bruce's neck. How much longer will Mike Ashley stand by his man?

Elsewhere in football, we have a chuckle at Joe Hart's social media gaffe, weigh up who'll win the Champions League and Europa League, talk dodgy defending and keeper goals and discuss the WSL's new TV deal and what it means for the women's game. 

After the break, Eddie Jones' time as England head coach could be coming to an end after a disappointing Six Nations campaign. Why is he so disliked? And how on earth did Wales screw things up in Paris? 

To end the show, we head Stateside to check in on March Madness' god-fearing fans and try to figure out why a minor league baseball player thought 21lbs of methamphetamine was a good thing to carry around in his kit bag. 

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan