This week we blur the lines between sports and politics as we welcome in Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to the pod. On the back of Damien Duff's crusading comments about the league, Aodhán talks candidly to us about how and why football is where it is and faces an uphill struggle while Johnny faces a downhill struggle despite his penchance for the hills. There's Viper Room nostalgia, hypocritical oaths, Stadiums with no respect and a whole host of the usual Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery fuelled deep dives  into why this game of football continues to define us. It's here, its a tad late but it's episode 14 and, trust me, its as good as it gets..

LOI Central S07E14 with Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

#LOICentral is a podcast with opinion, analysis and interviews on all the latest happenings in the  League of Ireland, hosted by Johnny Ward & Dan McDonnell

Sports

Like Eric B. and Rakim, Sonny and Cher, and The White Stripes, all good duets must come to an end, if even only for a week. Don't fret listeners as soon as the sponsorship cash rolls in Dan will be back strumming harder than Garfunkel in Central Park next week. So for one week only Garry Doyle steps into the virtual studio to mull over the season so far, the always growing  Damien Duff phenomenon and his formative years as an Arsenal fan in the six counties. The Collar and Cuff mailbag is bursting with opinions from Galway for Europe, Roblox LOI, and whether or not Dalymount is more political than Kildare Street. Johnny gets feedback on his stance on chicken rolls, and his quality of football tips, and we have a chat with Finn Harps chairman Ian Harkin on the new stadium plans that were just announced. At just over an hour we're certainly not the never ending story and if you've any complaints please direct them to the lovely people at Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals Brewery. It's an even dozen and it's live!

S08E12 with Ian Harkin and Garry Doyle

There's an eerie flashback feeling to Episode 11. The Dundalk news has stunned our two hosts with Dan doing all he can to avoid crashing his car when he hears that Noel King has been entrusted with Dundalk's survival.  Our listeners have stuffed our Collar & Cuff mailbag fuller than something something as we try to digest the big news of the week without the help of a chicken fillet roll. Johnny talks to Ronan Boyce and Dan hears from Stephen Bradley about the sandy beaches of Tolka and the green fields of Kosovo. There's Derry safety, food ethics, free range wings, monetising goalkeeper stoppages, the Fleetwood factor, are Bohs any good and did Duffer go too far? Put on your Angela's Ashes filter, tune in to Blackboard Jungle and relive the glory days of cult podcasts with Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff and Lillys Childcare and yes, we obviously aren't golfers!

S08E11: King's Coronation, Kosovo and the Chicken Fillet Debate

As Mister Sun makes a rare appearance, we say goodbye to an FAI chief and look at mythical leaks and manager rumours doing the rounds. On the back of Bohs' two wins we talk to James Akintunde after his winning goal and he tells us about hanging with his boys in Dunboyne. We delve into the Dundalk goal drought before heading to the chip vans around the grounds for Pot Noodles and reindeer burgers. There's underrated versus cult hero, Dan's holiday dilemma, the plight of small town clubs, and the subdued atmosphere at some of the grounds. On a weekend of big games ahead, it's Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Lily's Childcare you've to thank for this light hearted, therapeutic look at the league. It's episode 10 and we're in it for the ride!

S08E10 FAI’s Hill To Climb & Getting To Know James Akintunde

As Hildegarde whips up a storm in Leinster house, storms play havoc with pitches and we finally realise that 8 seasons of this malarkey is completely redundant in the face of the Damien Duff renaissance, there's a gloomy outlook to this weeks pod. Ciaran Kilduff drops in to our Oliver Marketing studio to dissect the big news story of Stephen O'Donnell's termination as well as turning down numerous job offers from Johnny to stay at Athlone. Our Collar and Cuff mailbag is full of your opinions on pitches, Dundalk and the identity of our American continuity announcer who just released a new album. There's a 'best finisher' debate, institutionalism in dressing rooms, the value of an away fan and when public conversations should be private. All of the round ups and previews are in partnership with our sponsors who now have grown to include Lily's Childcare along with the stalwarts of defence, Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It's episode 9 and its a wee bit later than normal..

S08E09 with Ciaran Kilduff

March of many weathers hasn't really lived up to its reputation and the constant rain has left sodden pitches countrywide for an Easter double header. While Duffer, once he gets out of Johnny's head, bemoans the state of said pitches, and threatens to produce his own "straight story" on his Da's ride on, there's a missing interview and a catch up with Jon Daly and Ruaidhri Higgins before we welcome Barry Murphy and his geometric geographical analysis of when a goalkeeper is not a goalkeeper and when 53 degrees north of the penalty spot isn't spot on. In the Collar & Cuff mailbag the lads discuss the biggest LOI crowd this century and explain why 'These Are Days' we'll remember even though 10,000 maniacs weren't in attendance and offer their take on O'Donnell and why Dundalk needed a UCD this season. As Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery continue to nonchalantly sign off on this pod we also ask whats more relevant than a Damien Duff nothing story, what's it like to be a number 2, and what is Bob Dylan whispering to Johnny's unborn child. The Times they are a-Changin' but episode 8 is just more of the same.

LOI Central S07E14 with Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

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