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As well as being one of the best natural finishers of his generation, Clive Allen's story spans eras. In this Big Interview we'll go from Jimmy Greaves, the legendary striker who replaced Clive's dad Les at Tottenham, to Harry Kane, who he helped develop as a coach at Spurs. Clive earned his place on that family tree of great English goalscorers, and in this part he'll tell you about a nostalgic tour of the seven London clubs he played for, the pros and cons of the Chicken Run at West Ham and how he helped save Chelsea (by being sold).

Clive Allen’s autobiography Up Front is out now and I can recommend it - it's an unusually honest story of life as a No.9 for some of England's greatest clubs during the late 70s, 80s and early 90s.

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Welcome to sixth episode in this new season of Between the Lines. This is my conversation with Hugh MacDonald about the sportswriting legend Hugh McIlvanney, specifically his legendary piece on Welsh boxer Johnny Owen. This is a fascinating chat not least because Hugh brings a personal element it. The two men formed a strong friendship towards the end of McIlvanney’s life and Hugh delivered the eulogy at his old friend’s memorial service.

Thanks to Hugh for agreeing to this interview. Follow him on Twitter @redblaes. The first five episodes of this season feature interviews with Ben Reiter, Oliver Kay, Lawrence Donegan, Andy Mitten and Daniel Gray. Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this, please leave us a review, tell a friend, spread the word. 

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Here’s another chance to hear my interview with John Collins from season two.

What adjectives encapsulate John the footballer? Talented, graceful, classy, intelligent... and a whole lot more. He was a key component of the Scotland national team during its last proud era, and his fine club career was marked by a bold move to leave Celtic for Monaco. It was while playing in the principality that he perfected his footballing philosophy, but he already had a passion for excellence, and I believe that it would be a scandalous waste for Scottish football – in fact football in general – not to listen to what he says about how we should develop young talent.

We hear about how an early knock-back galvanised him so that before long he found himself playing alongside George Best in a friendly for Hibernian. About being teammates with the young Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. And about the real meaning of that wink to the TV camera when Scotland lined up before the opener of France ’98 against Brazil.

Enjoy.

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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 Pat Nevin. For the first time, here’s the full episode.

In part two Pat explains what is stopping Eden Hazard becoming the best player in the world and how Johan Cruyff was the greatest-ever influence on the beautiful game. Pat also waxes lyrical about his beloved friend, the late great John Peel, the radio DJ who taught him, and a million others, that it’s okay to be different.

If you would prefer not to wait 12 months to listen to these extra interviews, it’s time to become a Socio at patreon.com/grahamhunter

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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

Welcome to fifth episode in this new season of Between the Lines.

This is my conversation with Daniel Gray about the sportswriting legend Hugh Mcllvanney, in particular Hugh’s piece on the death of Jock Stein. Headlined ‘Worshipped by His People’, it appeared in the Observer on September 15 1985, just five days after his death. Daniel is something of an expert on Hugh McIlvanney and hosted a sold out ‘Reading Workshop’ at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2019. Here he talks about the impact of the piece and the legend of McIlvanney, who passed away in January 2019.

Thanks to Daniel for agreeing to this interview. Follow him on Twitter @d_gray_writer and at danielgraywriter.com And check out some of his own brilliant books, including Black Boots and Football Pinks, and Saturday 3pm.  

The first four episodes of this season feature interviews with Ben Reiter, Oliver Kay, Lawrence Donegan and Andy Mitten.

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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

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

Pat was as intelligent a footballer, most notably at Chelsea, as he is a human being. In part one, he tells how he honed his natural talent by copying the greats of the game – such as Celtic-era King Kenny Dalglish, how meeting the charismatic John Terry taught him a lesson about never prejudging people, and how he just loves being considered one of life’s ‘weirdos’.

If you would prefer not to wait 12 months to listen to these extra interviews, it’s time to become a Socio at patreon.com/grahamhunter

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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

When Andy Mitten was commissioned to go to Mexico in search of Diego Maradona, he could have been forgiven for thinking twice. Not only was the Argentine legend one of the most elusive footballers in the world, he was also managing the Mexican second division club Dorados, who happen to be based in the State of Sinaloa. If you happen to have heard of Sinaloa, it is probably because it is home to the Sinaloa cartel, one of the biggest drug-trafficking organisations in the world. More El Chapo than El Diego.

So, what did Andy do? Well, he slipped out early from a night match at Old Trafford and began his epic journey. The result was a spectacular piece of Gonzo journalism which appeared in Four Four Two in the summer of 2019. Here, Andy tells us what it was like to write one of the most memorable pieces of his career. 

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Hola!

Charlie Adam’s late father was his greatest influence, instilling in him a will to succeed by demanding hard work and total commitment. The graft paid off, and this majestic midfielder graced several famous jerseys including those of Rangers, Liverpool and Scotland.

Charlie’s passing abilities made him hot property, and he is one of that rare breed who is able to visualise and articulate precisely how he executes his artistry. He could also hit a shot – boy can he shoot – and he describes some of his most famed strikes, including a free-kick in a Wembley play-off final victory for Blackpool which he considers fated because he had hit a carbon copy in training the day before.

Charlie also pays tribute to Liverpool legends Luis Suárez and Steven Gerrard, describes being man-marked by Phil Jones, and relates in detail how on earth he managed to score a goal for Stoke City at Chelsea from inside his own half.

Brilliant stuff from a brilliant guy.

Graham

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Graham answers more questions from socios of the Big Interview.

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Welcome to the third episode in the new season of Between the Lines!

This is Martin's conversation with Lawrence Donegan about his classic 1998 book, Four Iron in the Soul. The book tells of Lawrence's year spent caddying for Ross Drummond, then the 438th ranked golfer in the world

Lynne Truss said in The Times: 'Not since Bill Bryson plotted a random route through small-town America has such a breezy idea for a book had a happier or funnier result'.

Listen to Lawrence reflect on the influence of Bryson, and George Plimpton, on the book, and how he pieced together this classic of sports literature.

Enjoy!

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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