My Sporting Hero

What does it feel like to suffer fan abuse as a footballer? What are the effects on mental health of long term player injuries? How does it feel to be called a 'wage thief'?

In this new series format, presenter Daniel Gray is joined by a number of footballers and football types to discuss what matters to them in an honest and open Nutmeg fashion. This is the Player Take Over.

For the first two episodes, Scotland cap Michael Devlin is our guest, and after that we’ll be bringing in colleagues of his to go inside the game. In this second one-on-one episode, Dan and Michael dig deep into the traumas of long-term injury and its effects on mental health. They talk through footballer/fan relationships, including the effects on players of verbal abuse, and celebrate the little moments that make us love the game.

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The stadium has had a fresh link of paint, the fixtures are out and we are back. In this new series format, presenter Daniel Gray is joined by a number of footballers and football types to discuss what matters to them in an honest and open Nutmeg fashion. This is the Player Take Over.

For the first two episodes, Scotland cap Michael Devlin is our guest, and after that we’ll be bringing in colleagues of his to go inside the game. In this ‘getting to know you’ introductory podcast, Dan and Michael discuss what it is like to play in a hammering, player and supporter reactions to defeat, trade unions and football, footballers’ on holiday and much more. They also run through why they wanted to make this podcast series, and the topics they’ll be covering in future episodes.

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Daniel Gray tells the incredible tale of the Basque refugee children exiled to Britain during the Spanish Civil War who became professional footballers. Theirs is a compelling, life-affirming story of heartbreak, horror and heroism, and a journey from blitzkrieg to the Bernabeu via Ibrox, Guernica, Alf Ramsey and László Kubala. 

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Daniel Gray and Alan Pattullo are joined by Pat Nevin for a blether about his book The Accidental Footballer, and much besides, from Motherwell to Morrissey. 

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Host Daniel Gray is joined by acclaimed author Michael Calvin for a chat about his newest book, Whose Game Is It Anyway? 

Expect a fascinating insight into the meaning of football, Calvin’s journalism career from The Watford Observer to broadsheet travels, the writing process and the football manager who lived on fish and chips.

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Please help us make this podcast by joining Nutmeg FC on Patreon. Your money keeps us going and gets you some goodies: https://www.patreon.com/nutmegfc

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Former Dundee United midfielder and current Cowdenbeath assistant manager Craig Easton joins Daniel Gray for a wide-ranging chat about the imminent fixture pile-up, his career in Scotland and England, the lure of Dundonian nightspots and the joy of animals entering the pitch. Craig talks also of his writing career, playing for the McLeans of Tannadice, Britpop, the moments when pre-match nerves truly hit, favourite old grounds, referees falling over and much more. An entertaining chat as eclectic as one of Easton’s mid-90s compilation tapes… 

Never read Nutmeg magazine? Issue 19 is out now and we have offers on back issues and subscriptions. See https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/shop

Please help us make this podcast by joining Nutmeg FC on Patreon. Your money keeps us going and gets you some goodies: https://www.patreon.com/nutmegfc

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What was Elton John’s view on Stephen Glass? How does Rod Stewart keep up to date with East Fife scorelines? Those vital questions and so much more are covered in this genial conversation between Daniel Gray and Sun writer Ally Ross, BBC man Colin Paterson and ex-Smash Hits editor and Daily Record columnist John McKie. In this mazy dribble of an episode, the trio talk about their Tartan Army travels across the world, including euphoric dejection in Kazakhstan, the importance of talcum powder and a £35 pizza. The closest thing you’ll get to international travel this winter. Probably.

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In the fourth edition of our occasional series My Favourite Year, journalist and broadcaster Paul English joins Daniel Gray for an entertaining gallivant through Celtic’s 1987/88 double-winning season. Our battered old football time machine lands them in a Clydebank car park in the summer of 1987 where they stumble upon Billy McNeill agreeing to become Celts’ boss for a second spell. Then, it’s off for a canter through a magnificent season via a Chris Morris shrine, the beauty of player numbers on shorts, the genius of Paul McStay, Mum’s DO NOT TAPE OVER videos, red cards at Thatcher and buckshee turnstile tricks. 

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 Please help us make this podcast by joining Nutmeg FC on Patreon. Your money keeps us going and gets you some goodies: https://www.patreon.com/nutmegfc

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Daniel Gray is joined by former Scotland international Don Masson, the man who infamously missed a penalty at Argentina ’78. The pair discuss Don’s early days in Banchory and the spiritualist who forecast his career, his move to Middlesbrough and his playing days at Boro, Notts County and QPR. He talks about a crucial penalty he did score – the one that helped Scotland to the World Cup – and the chaos surrounding the Argentinian campaign. And of course, Don reveals his feelings about THAT spot-kick, for which he is ‘Still Saying Sorry’, the title of his new autobiography. A fascinating glimpse into a man who should be remembered for far more than a Peru penalty. 

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Please help us make this podcast by joining Nutmeg FC on Patreon. Your money keeps us going and gets you some goodies: https://www.patreon.com/nutmegfc

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Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker joins Daniel Gray to talk Scotland, Serbia and Somerset Park. In the first part of a chat that oozes love for the Scottish game, Ian talks about his commentary career thus far, from the highs (co-commentating with Bobby Moore…) to the lows (Having “You’re just a fat Harry Potter” chanted at him…), and gives unique insight into broadcasting in the time of Covid. Then, Dan joins an emotional Ian again the morning after the Belgrade night before to ask him about commentating on Scotland’s incredible victory over Serbia, and what it means to an entire nation. 

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Please help us make this podcast by joining Nutmeg FC on Patreon. Your money keeps us going and gets you some goodies: https://www.patreon.com/nutmegfc

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