In this interview, I speak with Sam Hickson, former Event Manager for Western Sydney Wanderers (WSW) and Football Australia about his incredible journey through Qatar 2022 and the Australia/New Zealand 2023 FIFA World Cups.

Sam reflects on his time at WSW, the Socceroos and the Matildas, sharing countless stories. Now in the UK, he balances his roles with the Football Association (FA) Para Teams, Women’s Super League (WSL), and International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF).

Special mention goes to his work behind the organisation of the 2025 Cerebral Palsy Football Euros which will take place in Loughborough later this year. Don’t miss the BIG reveal at the end!

I interview John Lauridsen, a former Danish professional footballer who played for Esbjerg fB, RCD Español, CD Malaga and the Denmark national team on 27 occasions.

We talk about how he got to Spain, his time at RCD Español and the incredible UEFA Cup season in 1987/88 that saw the Pericos reach the final against all the odds, beating Borussia Möenchengladbach, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Vitkovice and Club Brugge along the way.

In the summer of '88 John signs for CD Malaga for two seasons and then returns to Esbjerg to gain two successive promotions back to the Danish First Division.

John sees out his career at Bramming Boldklub.

Glenn returns to the podcast to give a very different perspective from his initial predictions at the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season as both Nottingham Forest and AFC Bournemouth have performed well beyond all expectations at this halfway mark.

Glenn Becket, from the Sydney Nottingham Forest Supporters group, tries to inquire – on behalf of his Club no doubt – about Kerkez’s availability and even offers 50 million Pounds for Antoine Semenyo (I of course have to counter-offer!). We dissect other players’ performances to date.

Technical issues then interfere towards the end of the podcast with Nick resorting to asking questions via the chat method, including asking Glenn's plans for the 2026 World Cup and his book “Following England Abroad”. To buy a copy please send an email to: [email protected] or contact his Instagram page:   / gbtravelbloke  

I chat with Ander Mirambell, four-time Winter Olympic Skeleton slider and a life-long supporter of La Liga Club RCD Espanyol de Barcelona. We start and finish chatting about RCD Espanyol and La Liga, however the main focus is on the winter Olympic sport of Skeleton, from Ander's initial involvement in 2005 through to his retirement after competing at his 4th Olympic Games in Beijing 2022.

We begin our discussion with a look at iconic Ipswich Town players from the 1980s, highlighting the '81 UEFA Cup-winning team and giving a special mention to the remarkable manager, Bobby Robson. Our chat naturally includes the joys of football sticker collecting and our shared, albeit unwanted, Premier League record.

We then delve into Giles's book, "Head for the Floodlights," exploring the complexities of traveling to all 92 football grounds in the 1980s. We discuss the strategies and tools used by Giles and his father to document their adventures across England and Wales. The book's pictures take us back 35 years, showing how grounds looked before the Premier League era.

We attempt to unravel some mysteries, such as how Giles went paint-balling with the Scunthorpe United squad, what he liked about Twerton Park in Bath, and the special significance of Watford FC's Vicarage Road for Giles and his father.

To wrap up, we share our enduring love for Atlanta sports, and Giles provides insights into his latest BBC documentary, "F1 in 10 Years," which is a must-watch for all fans.

You can get Giles' book at: https://www.conkereditions.co.uk/product/headforthefloodlights/