LOI Central

It’s hosts with notes this week as Johnny is overwhelmed by the sheer professionalism of his co-hosts who ably step in for a paternity left Dan McDonnell in the sunny surroundings of Oliver Marketing. Yes, it’s a full studio this week as Johnny is joined by the Robin to Dan’s Batman in Sean O’Connor, a fledgling journalist who’s more than finding his feet in this years league press boxes. Alongside Sean is another Boy Wonder in Keith Treacy who’s commentating skills were pushed to the limits this week and still had the energy to tackle the show that delved deeply into the European saga, RTE gates, the beauty of a lumping Galway, air raid sirens at Lincoln, stag parties in Phibsboro, the Waterford 9, and another mailbag heavy with Bohs woes. We also cut away to Harry Kenny and Paul Doolin for a tribute to the late great Jim McLaughlin who sadly passed this week. All of this bumper, bumper, edition is brought to you by the ever forgiving and always encouraging Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff and Lillys Childcare. Yes the sponsors are getting value for money this week. Pray for traffic jams on your commute because it’s episode 28 and it’s a marathon!

Reunited for at least the second time, the veterans of not one but two lengthy group-stages European campaigns join a solo Johnny and a stand in producer for the 27th episode of season 8 from a sunny Oliver studios. First in the door is Ciaran Kilduff, who might be a tad irate about the perception of the women’s game, while his old teammate Ronan Finn has his ideas about what a club should be about: winning matches. Even though his student days are behind him and maybe his coaching days in front of him, the veteran midfielder still has ambitions with UCD. But the big debate today is why does nobody want to win the league? In a Bohs heavy mailbag, there’s also room for some Shamrock Rovers debate and the extreme contrast in styles between Michael O’Neill and Stephen Kenny. There’s Cork splashing the cash, commercial versus football success, and no, the podcast won’t be cancelled should Dundalk go down. The business end of the season approacheth and we’ve Collar & Cuff, Lilly’s Childcare, Rascals Brewery and of course, Future Ticketing to thank for getting us this far. Its an early edition, presenter light, episode 27 and it’s here now!

It's not a standard show, as we record on Monday night after Shels scoreless draw with Derry City and it appears that the burning question is - what is the standard? Owen Heary, a multiple league winner with Shels, dials in to offer his take on the panache free situation at the top of the table and mull over what happens from here. There's plenty of love for the League of Ireland from Luke Dennison, the Drogheda United goalkeeper from California, who chatted with Dan after their draw with Bohemians. Aside from those chats, we've got a busy mailbag with more Stephen Walsh jibes, Dublin bias, and a lively instalment of ref chat. Be warned: there's a few questions about the standard. What we have no doubts about is the standard of our sponsors with Rascals Brewing, Lily's Childcare, Collar & Cuff and Future Ticketing giving us the consistency we need to keep this show on the road.

The boys are back face to face in Oliver after a weekend of mixed emotions with JW mourning Galway disappointment and Dan energised by a casual Friday of tram and pram pushing in Dalymount. After a giddy reunion featuring urinal banter, the perils of pissing money down the drain, and tales of wrong weddings and inaccurately named children, Paddy Kavanagh stops by to talk football, agents and modern wages before offering his two cents on the state of the game. We’ve also got the return of Pat’s chat to the mailbag, Drogheda artistic impression analysis and the Stephen Walsh Olympics question that needed answering. All of this is facilitated by our friends in Lily’s Childcare, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery so bí ciúin and yes, there is a bar in Dalymount!

We are in peak LOI in Europe time, which means the annual state of the nation debates about our league although this week’s pod veers off into a discussion on the state of several other nations. Dan has declared Derry’s defeat to Bruno’s Magpies the most damaging in recent league history but Johnny thinks the pub talk will disappear from memory and wonders if some of these UEFA countries should do the same. Conan Byrne stops by after watching Shamrock Rovers lose to Sparta Prague to offer a slightly surprising Hoop themed end of year prediction before we enter the thorny topic of wage inflation – with a bit of St Pat’s nostalgia thrown in - and ask if any of our clubs are really getting bang for their buck. We hope that our friends at Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Lily’s Childcare and Rascals Brewing never find themselves asking the same question. It’s episode 24 and its worth Kuwaiting for.

The boys are sort of back in town, if not in the same room, as post-Euros Dan reflects on the contrast between the glory of Germany and the survival instincts of Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Tuesday night. Johnny was there for the great escape, catching words with Johnny Kenny, the hero of the first half hour, before waking on Wednesday to confirmation that Galway United have eventually tempted one of their wild geese back home. Johnny talks European ambitions with Greg Cunningham and the difficulties of the chase with John Caulfield. In a busy week of storylines, the lads discuss new signings, increased spending, grappling with teams from Gibraltar and whether lawyers or League of Ireland players represent better value for money. All of this is wrapped into a cost effective hour or so with the help of our friends at Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Lily's Childcare and Future Ticketing.

It's just after the final whistle in Iceland, and no, not the one Mum's go to, so we look at the game with old friend Barry Murphy who married his debs date and ain't happy with certain goalkeeping pundits. We've also got a Derry double act with Hoban and Higgins and Dan stops by from the semi to pose a perplexing quiz question. No Collar & Cuff mailbag this week because our announcer is too busy writing Bob Dylan's liner notes, but we do have the saves of the season so far, the Caoimhin Kelleher question, Stephen Kenny's rebuild from number 1 up, keepers and beauty queens, and how good is Ed McGinty? All served up with a hanky in your pocket by Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Future Ticketing and Lily's Childcare. It's episode 22 and it's under an hour.

A title race!? In July!? With no Shamrock Rovers!? With THEIR reputation! No, it's not Roly from "The Fast Show" but our two regulars who are joined by sometime RTE co-commentator and very busy all rounder Paul Corry to discuss, dissect, analyse and eulogise the demise of the Shamrock Rovers title challenge. Is it goalkeeper problems? Where's the manager's head at? Transfers? And is their best chance this season in Europe? All of these questions in the hand-stitched mailbag are pondered by our crew. Dan, who arrived almost on time to our virtual studio, takes time out from his busy sightseeing schedule to cast his eye over the games from his brief return home while Johnny's co-commentating is analysed by our listeners. It's a Rovers-heavy show with both Sligo and Shamrock featuring heavily but we do get to the other contenders and Corry nails his colours to the mast while Johnny looks optimistically at third place. We've made it to July and all because Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals Brewery continue to throw us enough magic beans that we hope to someday grow a beanstalk. It's the hope that kills you, it's episode 21 and there's no party in Tallaght!

"Parenthood", "Strangers On A Train", "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Family Guy", and "The Saint". No it's not the films leaving Netflix this month, rather it's the topics of discussion on this week's brief, disjointed, somewhat chaotic, trans European pod. With Dan dialling in from a substandard German hotel room with tales of darts players and sharing Paul Cook anecdotes on a train, we remember Tommie Gorman and Joe Heron, analyse the European draws, and listen to Johnny mull over the League of Ireland journeys that fatherhood will bring him on . Our "Usual Suspects" of Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Lilly's Childcare continue to support a show with hotter takes than Padraig Amond's face after an afternoon on the sunbeds. So buckle up for a quickfire blast of stream of consciousness podcasting, yes, it's episode 20 and it's pure Hollywood!

It's horses for courses this week as we have our final show before our midterm break. As the European election posters come down, we embark on our own leadership debate with a review of the season so far with the help of studio guest Graham Gartland. We discuss inappropriate trips to Croatia, Rovers goalkeeping woes, the secrets to Shelbourne’s defensive success, and the battle at the bottom. And, yes, we even do title predictions. Dan also checks in with the lesser heard Keith Long to chat about the lesser seen Dublin media amid Waterford’s brilliant start to a new campaign. Beyond that, there’s talk of hairy babies, scorched press boxes, and the merits of sending dead or alive horses to the European parliament. As usual we cater for all tastes with Collar & Cuff, Lilly's Childcare, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing all providing the platform for the mayhem. It's episode 19 and it's time for a break!