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Returning to Between the Lines is Ben Reiter, author of Astroball, to talk about how the story he reported took a shocking turn - and how he went after it in a brilliant new six-part podcast, The Edge.

The incredible rise of the Houston Astros from the worst team in baseball to world champions is the story that made Ben's name. When, in November 2019, news of a cheating scandal engulfed the organisation and tarnished their achievements, Ben decided he had to return to the story to discover what happened and what, if anything, he had missed.

The result is, in our opinion, the sports podcast of 2020 and you don't need to be a baseball fan to understand or enjoy it.

Finally, please check out our latest title, produced in association with The Athletic: At The End Of The Storm - stories from Liverpool's historic title win. It's the perfect gift for the Liverpool fan in your life - and it's out now.

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Alan McInally won the Bundesliga in his first season at Bayern Munich, missing only two games. He learned German and starred alongside legends like Klaus Augenthaler, Hans Pflügler and Jürgen Kohler. There was also current boss Hans-Dieter Flick, a quiet scholar of the game who has brought huge success to the club. Alan’s manager Jupp Heynckes was very demanding but brilliant. The players were weighed every day and trained every Sunday. Alan loved president Uli Hoeneß who was so kind to him when his career was tragically cut short by injury at the age of just 30.

Also in part two, Alan vividly describes what it felt like walking out to play in a World Cup match for Scotland.

Thanks for a brilliant Big Interview, Big Man

Graham.

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Alan ‘Rambo’ McInally works so well on television because he brings the same passion and astuteness that he employed in his career as a clever, uncompromising striker. In this Big Interview, he describes in forensic detail a goal of the season he once scored for Aston Villa against Millwall.

We chat about Alan’s move from Celtic to Villa where he played under the late Graham Taylor. He had great midfield suppliers like Gordon ‘Sid’ Cowans and the late great Neale ‘Tattie’ Cooper. Graham was a father figure, unyielding but without whose coaching Alan wouldn’t have achieved his next move, to Bayern Munich.

Thanks for a brilliant Big Interview, Big Man.

Graham.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Henry Winter returns to Between The Lines to talk about an interview he did with Nigel Pearson, in which the two men went hiking across Dartmoor and swam in a chalk pit. It makes for great copy and is testament to Winter's skill at relationship building and what he sees as the power of The Times, under whose masthead he writes. Aspiring and developing sportswriters listen up - Henry's breakdown of his intro to this piece is a lesson from the best in how to set up what he calls 'the shop window'.

Finally, please check out our latest title, produced in association with The Athletic: At The End Of The Storm - stories from Liverpool's historic title win.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit backpagepress.substack.com

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Alex Bruce. For the first time, here’s the full episode.

In part two we hear about Alex’s admiration for Manchester United heroes Ronaldo, Giggs and Keane, but especially Rooney, a pal now but once an enemy who would target him for being Steve Bruce’s son. Alex thinks Wayne is underrated, one of England’s greatest players. We also hear how as a kid Alex would take shots at a young Kasper Schmeichel in their street and how one day they would grace the same Leeds United team.

There’s talk about why Alex switched his international allegiances from the Republic to Northern Ireland – for once ignoring his father’s advice. Alex tells how the Championship is physically harder than Premier League, and how gaining promotion with Hull was an especially sweet experience because his beloved dad was the manager.

Enjoy

Graham

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit revistadelaliga.substack.com

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Alex Bruce. For the first time, here’s the full episode.

In part one we hear about how being the Manchester United captain’s son was just normality to Alex, how Old Trafford’s superstars were just his old man’s workmates. But what he saw inspired him, and he wanted it for himself. The culmination was when Alex graced the Wembley turf as an accomplished centre-half, although that FA final with Hull City – a five-goal thriller against Arsenal – ended in defeat.

There’s chat about how his youth career faltered at Man U – and was then resurrected at Blackburn Rovers, we discuss Tom Huddlestone – a wonderfully gifted player who made everything look easy, and we talk of how a terrific Hull dressing room gave him no problem for being the boss’ son.

Enjoy

Graham

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Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the last five years of The Big Interview. This episode focuses on Henrik Larsson.

First up, we’ll hear from stand up star Kevin Bridges and his tale of Larsson and the defiled Glasgow bus ticket. Then Line of Duty actor Martin Compston reflects on his love affair with Celtic’s magnificent number seven. Jocky Bjorklund talks about his former Old Firm rival and international teammate’s football intelligence before Stiliyan Petrov considers how Larsson inspired such confidence in his Celtic team-mates that they almost won the UEFA Cup. Chris Sutton rounds things off by saying that his Parkhead partnership with the legendary Swede was the happiest spell of his career. He felt that between them they could hurt any side in Europe.

Enjoy!

Graham

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Martin talks to Sebastian Moffett about Japanese Rules, his examination of the intersection of Japanese culture and its emergent football scene at the start of the 21st Century.

It's a book Martin leant on while researching his own work on Shunsuke Nakamura and he asks Sebastian about the time he spent living and working in Japan, the techniques he used in the interviews for the book and how it impacted his life and career.

Find out about our latest book - At The End of the Storm: Stories From Liverpool's Historic Title Win

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Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Martin Compston from season three.

It was so much fun chatting with the guy who plays Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in the phenomenally popular crime drama Line Of Duty. But did you know that Martin’s earliest role was playing sweeper in the youth teams of Greenock Morton and, later, the mighty Aberdeen? He quit football for his acting career, but his love for the beautiful game, nurtured by watching Celtic heroes such as Paul McStay and Henrik Larsson, never flagged. He played alongside Henrik once and was so starstruck he couldn’t speak.

Martin has made a couple of football-themed movies. He gives us behind-the-scenes insights into performing with The Damned United actors Michael Sheen and Stephen Graham, and what it was like working with legendary director Ken Loach for the film Tickets.

There’s stuff about being led astray by pal Greg McHugh before starring for José Mourinho’s side in a Soccer Aid match, and why he would love to play Scotland’s first world champion boxer Benny Lynch.

Enjoy!

Graham

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Welcome to a new episode of Between the Lines. This is the story behind our first Spotify Original podcast, which is out today! It is called 'Mutiny at Hearts' and tells the story of arguably the most explosive press conference in British football history in October 2006 - when three Hearts players led by club captain Steven Pressley turned on the club's megalomaniac owner, Vladimir Romanov.

The episode is available exclusively on Spotify.

Enjoy

LISTEN TO MUTINY AT HEARTS ON SPOTIFY NOW

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit backpagepress.substack.com