It Started With a Kick – Episode 61 : Chris Lee
Chris is an author, writer and podcaster and the man behind the excellent Outside Write magazine which takes readers to various nooks and crannies around the world in search of what defines football culture through its history and especially its politics. Chris describes himself as ‘an increasingly club-agnostic fan’, which certainly marks him out as very different to nearly every guest I have had on this podcast and thus will make for an intriguing episode as we dot around the globe rather than follow one particular club to the bitter end. But we do have to start somewhere and that is at Selhurst Park in 1986 but not to see Palace, but Charlton taking on Southampton.
Initially Chris was attracted to QPR not so much by the flowing football but more the blue and white hoops and the atmospheric Loftus Road. His favourite World Cup was 1986 a tournament watched by huge crowds with wonderful players and spectacular goals including Josimar smashing one in from distance. Chris’ global awakening was inspired by Channel 4’s Transworld Sport.
Part 1 – https://bit.ly/4dZbUov
Part 2 – https://bit.ly/3SNdtMA
Episode 62 : Alan Biggs
Alan is one of the most revered journalists/broadcasters/commentators on the football circuit today. Cutting his teeth in local papers at the Derbyshire Times before moving into television with local tv station Sheffield Cablevision, he is a well-known voice on BBC5Live, Final Score, talkSPORT and many, many more. He has a regular column in the Sheffield Star and has written for nearly all the nationals in his time, plus a couple of books including his autobiographical ‘Confessions of a Football Reporter’. As we will discover, Alan has witnessed some memorable moments in football history, including Paolo Di Canio’s infamous shove on the referee in 1998.
Alan’s first match was an FA Cup tie between Chesterfield and South Shields and he followed the Spireites at home and when they were away, he switched between Sheffield United and Wednesday. Little did he know at the time that he would spend many years of his subsequent career at Bramall Lane and Hillsborough. He also talks about how nervous he used to get on the morning of a game he was working on to the point where he couldn’t eat anything.
Part 1 https://bit.ly/3FYBQnE
Part 2 https://bit.ly/3ZC0EII
The Football Mine 