The podcast where special guests live out their fantasy by becoming the manager of the football team they support and pick a starting eleven made up of their all-time favourite players. Our guests are in the hot seat as they pick which of their club's heroes will form the team line up, as well as deciding on the formation, the captain and the set piece takers. We'll also find out who they will appoint as their very own assistant manager and which kit they choose for their beloved team to proudly wear. Who makes their Ultimate XI? Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Twitter: @ultimate_xi
Paul Longley, social media comedy royalty, brings us his well thought out Chelsea Ultimate XI - an absolute goldmine for the late 90s/early 00s Premier League aficionados amongst us. Paul's stories of who he picks and why are laced with memorable moments, familial ties and that deep-rooted need that all football fans have to show off their knowledge of obscure players. A timeless side, a very excited manager and a one-of-a-kind piece of Chelsea merchandise all make for an Ultimate XI of the highest order. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Just one of the all-time great UK comedians delivering an absolute belter of an Ultimate XI - jack of all trades, master of all trades Stuart Laws fights Ange for the top job at Spurs, and the guile with which he picks an attacking and classy all will come as no surprise to fans of his comedy. Listen as he delivers a tactically sound and balanced line up featuring the shining lights of Spurs' Premier League history - Stuart aims not just to rival the numerous THFC Ultimate XIs we've had on the podcast, but to beat them outright... and I'd have to say his team does just that. Watch Stuart's special online now "Stuart Laws? Is That Guy Still Going?" Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Comedy king and Palace fan Ed Night gives us the lowdown on his Ultimate Eagles XI - featuring some insanely talented wingers, future stars and my least favourite Premier League footballer of all time. In his laidback style, Ed effortlessly casts a line-up of pure class featuring Palace's recent and current legends. A funky formation and 3 (THREE) kit choices round off an absolute classic of an Ultimate XI. Click here to buy tickets to Ed's show www.mickperrin.com/tours/ed-night-the-plunge-2/ Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What do you get if you cross an Italian with a Geordie and then force them to pick their favourite ever players for their beloved Newcastle United? Why, it's this magnificent episode of course! Emil Franchi, radio broadcaster extraordinaire, has managed to overcome his hangover from the Carabao Cup Final and put his manager hat on to pick his all-time Magpies team. Players from the club's trophy-winning side blend seamlessly with cult heroes, Championship legends and names from Newcastle's "almost" years. And one thing is for certain, the Ultimate XI that Emil has put his heart and soul into would not have to wait another 70 years for silverware. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's been a long time coming, but finally a fellow Saints fan joins me on the podcast to pick their all-time Southampton XI. Tom Deacon - comedian, DJ, presenter - was brave enough during this, arguably the worst season in Saints' history, to reminisce about the days when St Mary's and The Dell used to be full of hope and pride, determination, underdog spirit and, perhaps most importantly, points. Misty eyed we most certainly are in this episode, but rightly so when you hear some of the names that have graced our South Coast club over the years. It may be difficult to think of a positive future, but with the past players that Saints have had over the years, there's still a lot to be proud of - and Tom's Ultimate XI showcases that excellently. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Back with a bang after the Christmas break, we've got radio presenter and Rock 'N' Roll Football co-host Matt Dyson. As our first Nottingham Forest fan on the podcast, Matt took the opportunity to immortalise many of the current NFFC squad who are flying high in the Premier League at this moment in time; however the balance he achieves by partnering them with some of Forest's past heroes is truly masterful and a pleasure to witness. As a vocal proponent of exciting, high-energy football and music, often being played at the same time, Matt's electric City Ground side is one for the ages and reminds us all why Forest should be considered amongst English football's most lovable clubs. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's the countdown to Christmas, and the managerial merry-go-round is in full swing. A great thing for Ultimate XI fans, as it means in this episode Chris "Woody" Wood gets the top job at Plymouth Argyle, and the Devon native drummer from indie pop royalty Bastille is not phased by the task. Despite the familial tensions it has brought about, naming his Pilgrims Ultimate XI seems to be quite cathartic for Woody. Demons were exercised, illegal behaviour was admitted and ruthless decisions were made, ultimately leading to the man who is one half of the brilliant Away Days podcast giving us his authentic and honest take on what it means to be an Argyle fan. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Will Gamble is normally the one asking the questions as he interrogates musicians and bands worldwide, but this time the shoe was on the other foot as I asked Will to pick his all-time favourite Chelsea players. Living close to Stamford Bridge and being a regular visitor there with his family, Will witnessed first hand the almost overnight Premier League powerhouse that Chelsea became just after the turn of the century, but as his selections prove it wasn't always plain sailing. With some names that won it all, and some that just missed out either through bad luck or their own self-inflicted demise, this is certainly a team full of the characters and the skill that summed up that Blues era. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Quizmaster general LukePingu, creator of YouTube's best football trivia videos, dons his manager hat and picks his Derby County Ultimate XI. Although the Rams are widely remembered for their record-breaking low Premier League points total in the mid-2000s, as Luke proves with his selections they have also been home to some fantastic players in recent history, many of whom have forged their legacies in the club's toughest years outside the top flight. True to his Derbyshire roots, Luke's XI features names that embody the heart, tenacity and loyalty that those representing Derby County have had to show in the last two decades, and some that hope to be part of a new era at Pride Park. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Absolute Radio host and absolute legend Andy Bush is on the mic picking his Everton Ultimate XI. The broadcast luminary takes us back to the Toffees' golden era of First Division success with some of his selections, but also manages to sprinkle a delicious smattering of "Dudes can literally just sit around naming random footballers" which will certainly win over the Premier League purists. Headbutts and hedge funds, wildcard substitutions, and an ethereal Assistant Manager all combine to make an Ultimate XI that truly embodies the footballing heritage of the blue half of Merseyside. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Drummer, football podcaster and Roots Hall addict Piers Hewitt reveals his carefully selected Southend United Ultimate XI. We're down in the lower leagues again, which means many things; loan player love-ins, bald club legends, and cries of "I Had No Idea He Played For Them" galore. Whilst this XI may lack top-flight experience, the players Piers has fallen in love with more than make up for it in grit, loyalty and ambition. And this is apparent in the number of players The Boxer Rebellion drummer picks from the highs (back-to-back promotions) and lows (financial chaos) of the Shrimpers' recent history. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This episode we are joined by powerhouse journalist Mehreen Khan, The Times economics editor and co-host of Heroes and Humans of Football podcast, and she manages to pick a side that is spiritually and intrinsically 'Chelsea' but does not necessarily feature some of the names we would expect to make it in to an all-time Blues XI. Her unbridled passion for her team shines through though; Mehreen talks about how she first fell in love with the West London club and reflects fervently on the players she picks that represent her attitude to life and football, and what gets created is an XI that all Chelsea fans will appreciate and that Mehreen can stand behind proudly. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I chatted to Barnsley's brightest young social media superstar, the lovely Kadie-Leigh Hanlon. Kadie-Leigh is an EFL evangelist on Instagram and talks all things Tykes on TikTok; her video interviews are fast becoming must-watches for all football content consumers, so it was a pleasure to hear her select her greatest Barnsley XI. Once I had got over the initial shock of realising that I own football socks that are older than Kadie is, I let myself get swept away and fell in love with the home-grown heroes and Premier League-level talent that the Yorkshire side have had represent them over the years. With a few names from recent years and some icons that even Kadie-Leigh's grandparents would struggle to remember clearly, this Ultimate XI epitomises everything that's great about Kadie-Leigh and her beloved Barnsley F.C.; youthful and dynamic but with a proud understanding of tradition. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week I am joined by creator of arguably the funniest videos on Instagram and TikTok, Ed Jones. He is a superb comedian and sketch comedy performer, and in this episode he paints his own personal picture of what it has been to be an Arsenal fan. Some of his choices, I think you will agree, do not scream "first name on the team sheet" - but yet, the way Ed speaks about them, you can see why they hold such a dear place in his heart and you'd be forgiven for thinking they have racked up more appearances for the North London club than they actually have. Lovingly dubbed 'Moment FC', it's true that you won't find statues of many of Ed's selections outside the Emirates, but if you're interested in hearing about eleven of the Gunners' greatest "Barclaysmen", then look no further. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The lovely Dee Allum, hilarious stand up comedian, picks her favourite Watford players this week - and true to the Hornet's recent transfer policy, it's a really mixed bag. Players of all levels, nationalities and appearance records feature in the side, but truthfully 'tis just a preamble until Dee tackles the most difficult selection of all; which of Watford's 648 managers since 2010 will she pick as her assistant? Buy tickets to see Dee's Edinburgh Festival Fringe show here: tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dee-allum-deadname Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
You've seen him on camera presenting football on Sky Sports, now hear the cool-headed Blues fan Kyle Walker pick his Man City Ultimate XI. Featuring a host of talent from the recent era of City success, but also containing an incredibly rogue shout for left-back, which we always welcome on this show. Kyle's team is packed full of class, in truth an XI of the players he didn't pick would give anyone a run for their money, but listen now to find out the answer to the question everyone is thinking - does Kyle's namesake make it in the Man City Ultimate XI? Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
The satirist, writer and a 'fan for all seasons' Jon Harvey is famous for sending up those in power with a deluded sense of entitlement, and clearly this is also his approach to managing a squad of footballers as he attempts to balance 6 (SIX) midfielders into his all-star Tottenham Hotspur Ultimate XI. And, honestly, I think he manages it - yes, some players will be knocking furiously on the door of his manager's office to ask him why he insists on playing them out of position. Or why, when he has picked only three defenders, is one of them also being charged with trying to win the Golden Boot. But if there's one thing Jon knows it is speaking truth to power, and this "romantic failure" of a Spurs Ultimate XI certainly does that. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Driven, ambitious, talented. All words that can be used to describe both this week's guest and most of the Coventry City Ultimate XI team that he selected. Louis Jones is the creator of Surprise Shirts, which has fast become the must-have subscription for football shirt collectors, and he puts his entrepreneurial skills to good use in selecting his Sky Blues side. Whilst the young innovator may not have known Coventry's heyday as a Premier League side, the team he picks features top tier quality, club legends, and eclectic characters including one player that Louis dubs having "the attitude of a Sunday League player with the talent of a Champions League player". Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
All hail the genius jokester Glenn Moore as he gives us his Sheffield Wednesday Ultimate XI. With quite a unique journey to becoming a Wednesday fan, we shouldn't be surprised that Glenn's maverick side features a myriad of playing styles and moral attitudes from players that mostly toiled outside of the Premier League for his beloved Owls. Packed with quality, criminals, and the best shirt sponsor in history, immerse yourself in this hilarious episode. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Many of the Anfield faithful will know my next guest on the podcast, as he is one of the most well-respected and revered contributors to Liverpool fan content around at the moment - the expert Dave O'Connell, owner of DaveOCKop.com, joins us to pick his Liverpool Ultimate XI. A blend of old and new, Dave's side follows the tradition of Reds Ultimate XIs but also features an unprecedented first for the podcast, a set-piece taking twelfth man, and overall captures the true spirit of the Kop. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
In this laugh-filled episode I chatted to stand up comedian and podcaster Liam Withnail. Originally from the East End of London, but now residing in comedy mecca Edinburgh, Liam is not going to apologise for his Hammers Ultimate XI which, we discover as it reveals itself, contains a core spine of Irons stereotypes; genuine and hard as nails, often criminal but always entertaining. His love for West Ham is evident in the mixture of eras and playing styles he blends tastefully to create a side that is true to his and West Ham's heritage, provides a nod to his Scottish allegiances, and unashamedly head-butts anyone who gets near them. Absolute perfection. Liam is going on tour around the UK with his hilarious show "Chronic Boom" - for tickets please visit www.berksnest.com/liam Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
This time up it's the genius behind the funniest football videos online, Andy Cantwell. Best known for hilariously imagining the reactions of football commentators like Martin Tyler as they voice some of football's most exciting moments, Andy takes us through his all-time favourite Liverpool players. His YouTube channel tends to look at the lighter moments of his beloved Reds but there's nothing funny about the time and thought that has gone into picking his side. The left-hand side of his 4-4-2 will have Premier League cult hero worshippers frothing with excitement, and throughout his side are dotted some of the peerless names and faces that have blessed Anfield over the years. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
A different kind of episode this week, but this one is less novelty and more novel-y as I chat with James, Jack and Tash of the Football Book Club Podcast, and they pore over the words of some of football's finest authors to select who they want to represent the Ultimate Football Book Club XI. Picking from the pool of players turned writers whose books they have reviewed for their own exquisite podcast, the guys try to fairly reflect the wide array of careers that these ex-pros have had before venturing into literature, choosing a side that boasts some incredible stories and opinions on the game, even if their on-field achievements were less than memorable. But a fine mixture of top-shelf players and bargain bin biographies combine to create the most unique side we've ever had on Ultimate XI. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
WE'RE BACK! Now that the summer transfer window is out the way, Ultimate XI managers can begin working with their squad day in day out and confidently start naming the players that will make it in to their starting elevens, and this week it was the turn of Ash Rose. Ash is famously a passionate football nostalgist, he co-hosts the terrific "Alive and Kicking: The 90s Football Podcast", and as a QPR fan is certainly prone to a fond look back at simpler and perhaps better times. In his selections though we see shine through the overwhelming excitement and pride that can only come from playing in front of a home crowd at Loftus Road, as he picks football royalty up front, an iconic "the streets will never forget" playmaker and scorer of, unquestionably, the greatest overhead kick of all time. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
SPECIAL EPISODE! Top tier comedy partnership Anthony Richardson and Mark Davison - better known as The Exploding Heads - are loved by supporters far and wide for their witty and irreverent takes on modern football and fan culture, and today the Sports Horn podcast creators are giving the treatment to Ultimate XI with a particularly unique episode. Mark and Anthony put forward their suggestions for England's best worst team, in the Ultimate England Flop XI - those players with the great honour of having represented their country at International level, but who were evidently pretty crap in an England shirt. Chosen independently of each other, both their sides boast some exceptional footballing talent, and in some ways are probably harshly included in a squad celebrating underachievement; but in other ways they were all terrible and as England fans we have earned the right to belittle their careers and personal lives aggressively until they are forced in to a public apology. It is eventually my duty to pick the starting eleven from their nominations, and despite that burden this episode gave all three of us time to reflect lovingly on what it means to be an England fan and how any player, whether raw or experienced, flashy or solid, legend or rival, is only one mistimed tackle away from making it in to the England Flop XI. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Just after Sunderland had cruelly missed out on a spot in the Championship play-off final to eventual winners Luton, I spoke with football broadcaster and content creator Dougie Critchley about his favourite Mackems' players. Despite the semi-final heartbreak fresh in the memory, Dougie comes out strongly with a brilliant line up of Premier League stalwarts sprinkled with some of the shining lights of their EFL era, and moulds them expertly into an attacking force to be reckoned with. Those who aren't Black Cats fans may be surprised at the length of service for some of the players that make into Dougie's all-time Sunderland XI, but no one can argue with the selections themselves as he mixes youth and experience to create a side that has goalscoring options to spare. Wearing what until recently was Dougie's lucky Sunderland home kit, get ready to uncover an average Manchester United Reserves side / pitch-perfect Sunderland Ultimate XI. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Here we go again, the Ultimate XI bandwagon rolls on... in this episode, the brilliant football presenter and reporter Dan Bardell is up and running as manager of Aston Villa and his first duty is to pick his Ultimate XI. No mean feat considering some of the iconic players to have played for the Midlands' side over the years, but Dan charges fearlessly into picking his squad and, as is becoming custom for Ultimate XI managers, tries to hide a largely attack-minded team behind a traditional formation. Navigating the one personally-imposed selection criteria that could see his team of favourite Villains change in the next 3 to 5 years, listen as Dan's eleven reveals itself to include many club heroes; including one who is supposedly still playing football in his home country into his 50s (source: Wikipedia), another who is officially the smallest Premier League player ever (source: Wikipedia), and someone who has been dubbed the best footballer to ever don the claret and blue of Aston Villa (source: Dan's dad). Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
On the show this time round is universally adored comic Nathan Caton, stand-up legend and host of That's My Team podcast. He's used to hearing his guests talk passionately about their football clubs, but for Ultimate XI Nathan himself is in the spotlight as manager of his boyhood club Brentford. Along with many other Bees fans, Nathan remembers the times before their Premier League achievements where Brentford were forced to wallow in the doldrums of League Two, but the side he picks reflects the years of transition and highlights the development of talent and transfer market savviness that took the west London side to their current heights. Featuring an obscenely attacking line-up from front to back, but particularly at the front, it was a true pleasure to hear the joy in Nathan's voice as he describes some of the heroes he's watched grace the turf at Griffin Park, and listening to him talk you can't help but get swept up in the buzz surrounding the Brentford story. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
In this episode, Middlesbrough F.C. superfan and author Rob Fletcher picks his favourite eleven players to have ever graced the Riverside Stadium. Having just recently launched his latest book "1992: The Birth of Modern Football", Rob has spent many hours reflecting on the significance that year has had on football as we know it today; but it also acts as a marker for the selection process behind his Boro Ultimate XI, as Rob delves deep into the reams of genuinely quality footballers the Teesside club have had in the Premier League era. Included in it are examples of the players and the transfers that revolutionised top tier English football in the mid-90s, and we chat about the sliding doors moment that could have changed the fortunes of Middlesbrough football club forever. Brazilian flair, Spanish excellence, German hairstyles and Italian petulance, Rob's side epitomises all that was great about the dynamic and intoxicating feeling surrounding Middlesbrough, and football in general, throughout those definitive decades. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Fulham die-hard, podcast veteran and friend of the show Sammy James is my next wonderful guest on Ultimate XI. As co-host for over 500 episodes of the Fulhamish podcast, the award-winning favourite of Cottagers fans everywhere, Sammy is just the man to take the reins at Craven Cottage and guide his Ultimate XI side to glory. As he navigates through the years, Sammy evaluates some of the players in his side that made their names in the Fulham squads of the last two or so decades, an up-and-down period that includes teams that dreamt of European glory and dominated the Championship. We also reminisce about the simpler times when Fulham joined the Premier League in the early 2000s, when football club owners were millionaires and not billionaires, and Championship Manager addictions caused us both to follow the fortunes of random clubs. What results is a fantastic conversation producing an excellent side of Premier League stalwarts that includes, bizarrely, the answers to not one but two classic football trivia questions. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
I'm joined this week by the incredible Ali Woods, Old Trafford season-ticket holder and viral comedy sensation. As one of the UK's best-loved Instagram and TikTok funnymen, as well as an effortlessly classy stand-up, Ali's comedy shorts are unbeatable. Picking his Ultimate Man Utd XI, though, is no laughing matter - clearly a lot of thought has gone into Ali's side as we talk through some of the big names of the Fergie and Post-Fergie era that define his selections. Come for the golden memories, stay for the dubious impressions of United heroes. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Joining me on the podcast this week is the cardigan wearing comedian and Chelsea fan Michael Odewale. He may be a BTEC Philosopher, but he certainly makes the grade when it comes to picking a classic Chelsea Ultimate XI, featuring some of the best players to have ever graced the Premier League. Morals are questioned, medically necessary headwear is discussed, and a Christmas dinner hosted by one of Stamford Bridge's loveliest Italian imports is imagined as Michael selects a team that is hard as nails from back to front, but also comes through with a lot of flair and plenty of goals. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI Host twitter @Beng_Miller YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Join me as I speak with comedian and commentator Sapphire McIntosh as she talked about her love of Liverpool F.C. and the players that make up her Ultimate XI. Born in Leeds, living in London, at her auntie's house for the miracle of Istanbul, Sapphire has a great blend of nostalgic and current names in her side, and with a footballing background herself is best placed to demote Jurgen Klopp to assistant manager and take over at Anfield for this episode at least. Some predictions are made that could shock Liverpool fans and have Kyle Walker's lawyers sweating furiously, whilst I try to entice Sapphire with some hypothetical scenarios that would mean Steven Gerrard can hang a Premier League winner's medal alongside his other accolades. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Thanyia Moore joined me on the podcast this week, and the Arsenal Ultimate XI she selected is as electric, dynamic and cheeky as you'd expect from the award-winning comic, actor and writer, and one of the finest voices in comedy out there. We delve into her mother's sadistic obsession with Arsenal, which has driven Thanyia to begrudgingly adopt the toxic trait of supporting the Gunners herself, and along the way it's fair to say we learned a lot about ourselves and about each other. Not one to shy away from wielding the axe even mid-podcast, her side features a host of great players, some of whom you would expect to hear in an all-time Arsenal side and some you definitely would not have guessed to even make the squad. Listen to Thanyia take me on the rollercoaster that is her dream team as we race through the twists and turns of her side but end up triumphing gloriously at the finale, perhaps prophetically, and then reflect as we're left with an Arsenal Ultimate XI for the ages. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Next up on the Ultimate XI manager merry-go-round is podcast OG and award-winning author, screenwriter and producer Giles Paley-Phillips. As co-host of a podcast that takes a deep look at facing up to moments of adversity, being in the dugout of his beloved Crystal Palace for Ultimate XI was never going to phase Giles who brings to life an Eagles side in his own image and one that ticks all the right boxes. Club legends, obscure fan favourites, flair and grit, moustaches and baldness all combine expertly to make up a team any fan can appreciate. Giles' side also contains some superb examples of that great English football tradition, the affectionate but mildly offensive nickname. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Comedy maestro and Arsenal die-hard Dane Baptiste is my guest this week picking his Gunners Ultimate XI. As a South-East London boy, Dane's side features some of the local heroes that made Arsenal a force to be reckoned with throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s, as well as a touch of the continental flair that become synonymous with the Wenger era. One of the most attacking sides I think we've heard on the podcast but a team that complements itself nicely, despite one Highbury legend playing slightly out of position; and, in an Ultimate XI first, listen out as Dane attempts to replicate the attention to detail pioneered by Arsene Wenger as he selects a direct AND an indirect free-kick taker. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
This time, on Ultimate XI - one of the most celebrated names in comedy and Lancashire lad Tez Ilyas find himself in the Blackburn Rovers dressing room and selects his all-time favourite players to wear the historic blue and white shirt. What follows is one of the most balanced sides we've ever had as Tez vehemently imposes upon himself a very strict formation and selection policy. Depite that, there is some lovely chat about holding midfielders, hard-as-nails centre backs and the best looking Rovers player Tez has ever witnessed. With the memory of Blackburn's title-winning team just about still lingering, listen as Tez attempts to blend the medalled heroes of the 90s with the talent of Rovers' solid noughties Premier League sides. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
An iconic voice of talkSPORT, stand-up supremo and champion of lower league football, my guest this week is Devon's finest Charlie Baker who joins us to glide effortlessly through his favourite ever Torquay United players. Our first foray outside of the professional divisions for Ultimate XI serves up some brilliant chat and features a host of well-known names that you may be surprised to learn have graced the pitch at Plainmoor. Sprinkled delightfully across the team are also some of the rich characters and their stories that epitomise the National League, giving us both the opportunity to gush over the sights, smells and memories that you can only get from the drama of non-league football. Goal-laden it is not, but Charlie Baker's Torquay United Ultimate XI is certainly one for the history books. Charlie is going on tour in the first half of 2023 - visit charliebakercomedy.com for more info and tickets. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
My guest this time round is the comedic content creator Jonny Sharples, loved by football fans from all over for his hilarious takes on the beautiful game. As a Football Manager icon, Jonny effortlessly eases into the hot seat to take charge of his Newcastle United Ultimate XI. A classic formation gives birth to an absolutely dazzling squad including a marauding centre-back, club legends new and old, and a surprise strike partnership that hopes to bring about redemption for one figure of Magpie folklore. In an unprecedented turn of events, Jonny also makes the case for the inclusion of a player that hasn't ever made an appearance for Newcastle United - listen now to see if Ultimate XI history gets made as I toy with letting an outsider make it on to the hallowed St James' Park turf. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
An aptly timed episode of Ultimate XI this, as I spoke with comedian and musical performer Jamie D'Souza who was still riding the high of Arsenal's brilliant defeat of their north London rivals at the weekend. Surprisingly only one player from that side makes it in to his Ultimate XI, however the remaining selections make up a unique and nostalgic team that provides an insight into the mind of a younger, more hopeful Arsenal fan. A late arrival to football, Jamie started supporting Arsenal just after their 'Invincibles' heyday. His choices delve deep into the pantheon of Emirates-era Arsenal players that were responsible for lots of good football but barely any trophies, and it was a pleasure to reminisce about some of those characters and how they defined an indefinable period in Arsenal's history, both on and off the pitch. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
After almost two years, the Ultimate XI podcast is back - and with a bang. First up from the new slate of episodes is the word-perfect Theo Delaney. Best known as the host of the Life Goals podcast (also a superb listen), Theo is a content creator and adland legend, Spurs season ticket holder and self-confessed "football geek". Join us as he goes on a decade-spanning tour of his favourite Tottenham players with the same poise and panache that you'd see from a mazy run by one of the dazzling midfielders he has selected. Including a veritable feast of honourable mentions, a discussion on the psychotic tendencies of left-backs, and a bold claim regarding the greatest football kit ever made - sit back and enjoy Theo Delaney's expertly crafted Tottenham Hotspur Ultimate XI. Get in touch with the podcast - Website: ultimatexipodcast.com Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
This time on Ultimate XI, the well-travelled actual real life football manager Paul Watson gives us his all-time favourite Bristol City players. An international football veteran known for championing the football fortunes of the world's smallest nations, Paul takes the reins much closer to home as he walks us through some of the cult hero worthy, underrated and allegedly violent names he's picking for his Ultimate XI from the south-west. Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Joining me this time to pick his Ultimate XI is the comedian, actor and writer Tom Parry. Best known as one part of hilarious sketch comedy trio Pappy's, Tom finds himself singularly in charge for a change as we give him the top job and ask who makes his all-time Wolves XI. Legendary players delivering memorable moments make up an expertly put together side, and you can listen as Tom gives the "too-hot-for-the-matchday-programme" version of his ideal team and provides the justification for his choices, including a podcast first as the manager of the Wolves Ultimate XI deems it sensible to select a player who has physically threatened him outside a nightclub. Come for the rumours of transgressions allegedly committed by big names in football, but stay for wonderful journey through the ages to find out who makes Tom Parry's Ultimate Wolves XI. Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. YouTube (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
In this episode of Ultimate XI, I was delighted to welcome no nonsense centre back and superstar comedian Nish Kumar to take over the hot seat at Manchester United and select his Ultimate XI. In the first ever video episode of the podcast, Nish had the chance to tell us about his adopted son and try to convince me that Nemanja Vidic was good on the ball, and you can also watch as we both share our stories of overcoming Football Manager addictions and discuss which current Man Utd player would be capable of kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan. Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
In the next instalment of the Ultimate XI phenomenon, England cricketing hero and singer-songwriter Mark Butcher takes control of Crystal Palace to select his all-time favourite Eagles players. From being coached by a CPFC legend at school through to playing golf with some of the club's icons, Mark talks us through his history of supporting the South London side and picks a team that spans decades and facial hair fads, but oozes almost as much style and flair as one of Butch's coveted cover drives. Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
In the second Ultimate XI episode of the series, comedian and Irish Londoner Carl Donnelly takes us through his all-time favourite Spurs eleven. From stoic Norwegian goalkeepers through to sexy attacking midfielders and finishing on lazy centre forwards, we discuss Spurs being 'Spursy', vegan chicken kievs and everyone's favourite football-hating footballer. Plus, find out why Carl is refusing to watch the 'All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur' documentary on Amazon. Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)
Welcome to Ultimate XI, a podcast that gets special guest football fans to pick their favourite players for the team they support. First up is comic and Arsenal Fan, Darius Davies. Like funny cat videos and pornography, passionate rants from disgruntled Arsenal fans make up an overwhelming majority of content on the internet, and this episode with the charismatic cockney comedian is another beauty to add to the oeuvre. As well as talking us through his powerful and poised Ultimate Arsenal XI, including some of the greatest Premier League players of all time from the halcyon Highbury days where success seemed eternal, Darius vents engagingly on his antipathy towards the current Arsenal team and football in general. Less an entertainment podcast and more a therapy session with little to no breakthroughs, give it a listen and find out which Arsenal idol Darius blames for "15 years of mediocrity". Get in touch with the podcast - Email: ultimatexipodcast@gmail.com. Show twitter: @Ultimate_XI. Host twitter @Beng_Miller. (Music by Wataboi from Pixabay)