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It's the series finale! We look ahead to Ireland/Austria with Austrian football journalist Alexander Stretcha, and we also look back at the Christmas 1994 edition of Manchester United's official magazine just....because. Thanks to Ladbrokes for sponsoring, thanks to each of our guests throughout the season, and above all, thanks to you for listening! @gcooney93, @GavanCasey, and @Mikeyt086.
Cracking episode for you this week: Mikey caught up with David Meyler to talk FIFA, Roy Keane, and Ireland. We look ahead to Ireland/Wales, hear from John Hartson on said game, and Gavan Casey is back with news of how he woke up on a New York City porch. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93, @Mikeyt086. Or email thegaffer@balls.ie.
This week we are joined by West Brom's Irish kitman, Aidan 'Jacko' Smyth to get an insight into what his job is like. He tells us of how Darren Fletcher's a big Mayo fan, and we unveil the mystery of Tony Pulis' Baseball Cap. We also debate the Pogba condundrum, and pay homage to Graeme Souness' unfiltered punditry. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @gcooney93, @Mikeyt086 or email thegaffer@balls.ie.
On this week's podcast, we are going through some of the most Irish clubs in England: the predecessors to Preston North End. On that theme, we are joined by Stephen Hunt to reflect on what that was like at Reading and Wolves, before we ended up asking him throwing the names of random former teammates at him. And on that theme, we hosted The BallBag Live on Facebook, which can be enjoyed here, along with our Ladbrokes Bet of the Week. If you want to get involved, tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey,@gcooney93. Or email us, thegaffer@balls.ie. We're on Instagram and Snapchat too: ballsdotie. (This is the Simon Cox story that's mentioned on the pod by the way.
It's a Chris Kamara special on this week's show: he was with us in the Old Storehouse in Dublin last night, and we recorded the full on-stage chat. Listen to Kammy tell some cracking stories of how Jeff Stelling was almost the first England fan arrested and deported from Japan in 2002, how he chased down a thief in Rio, and how he accidentally pissed off Alex Ferguson. We also have Pundit Watch, ft Garth Crooks talking through his hoop and Roy Keane dropping truths, and our Ladbrokes Bet Of The Week. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @gcooney93, @GavanCasey. Or email us: thegaffer@balls.ie.
Episode 26 features a studio interview with Richie Sadlier, who talks to us about Brian Kerr, being faced down by an angry Steve Staunton in Coppers, that infamous masturbation game in Nigeria, and why football is full of idiots. We also talk about pundits' mishandling of Hector Bellerin being knocked out cold, and we have our Ladbrokes Bet of the Week. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, or whatever the hell you want to @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey or @gcooney93. The outro song, by the way, is by an Arsenal fan called Uncle Ed, and he's titled it "A DISS TRACK TO THE WHOLE OF ARSENAL"
Today we talk to Ronan Kavanagh, an Irish sports scientist working with Burnley and the Welsh national team. We talk to him about his job, life at Turf Moor, Gareth Bale and what it feels like to be plotting the defeat of Ireland. We have our own ideas of how to improve the World Cup, and deconstruct Paul Merson's utter nonsense on Soccer Saturday. We also have your Ladbrokes Bet of the Week, and we dip into the BallBag. Get in touch: tweet @ballsdote, @Mikeyt086, @gcooney93 using #TheBallBag, or we're on Snapchat and Instagram @ballsdotie. Email thegaffer@balls.ie.
It's a new year, but it's the same old story for Gavin Cooney as internet commenters find fault with his writing. His story on the Irish county with the best 5 A Side team (link below) claimed Waterford would be the weakest, and former Irish international Stephen Hunt tweeted his displeasure. Stephen was happy to argue his cause on air, so we were delighted to have him on. He also spoke about referee Mike Dean, whom he calls the most arrogant man he has ever met on a football pitch. Elsewhere, we cast our eye over the Congested Punditry Period, with Chris Sutton playing a starring role. We have our Ladbrokes Bet of the Week, and we answer your questions, including the Worst Bald Manager in the Premier League and the best/worst Christmas Cracker jokes we saw over Christmas. Get in touch: Twitter: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey and @gcooney93. Or send us a snap/comment on Snapchat and Instagram: both are @ballsdotie Email: thegaffer@balls.ie. https://www.balls.ie/football/irish-internationals-from-each-county/355744
To celebrate our surviving the bloodbath that was 2016, we look back at our favourite moments, which we pretty much all agreed on was Robbie Brady's winner against Italy. We remember where we were, but where were you? Let us know using #TheBallBag on twitter or Instagram, snapping us @ ballsdotie or by emailing thegaffer@balls.ie. Elsewhere, we interview broadcaster Colin Murray, who talks of why he left Match of the Day 2, how he didn't fit sports TV, and how he angered Kenny Dalglish by talking about his daughter on air. Plus we have your Bet of the Week and we answer your questions. Get in touch, tweet #TheBallBag to @Mikeyt086, @gcooney93, @GavanCasey, @MarkFarrelly131. We're also on Instagram and Snapchat, both ballsdotie. We'll be back on January 4th, so happy Christmas to you all, and thanks for listening!
Episode 19 of the football pod features an exclusive chat with Big Ron Atkinson, on his career in football, his love of Paul McGrath, and the incident that cost him his punditry career. Pundit Watch gets top billing on a week of anarchy, and we try our best to put on a *slightly* less farcical quiz than we put on last week. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey. @gcooney93
It's Cork Week on Balls.ie, so episode 18 of the football show has indulged Cork's own Gavan Casey. He speaks with fellow Corkman Tony O'Donoghue about his career in Irish football, his relationship with Martin O'Neill, and what it was like managing a band. Gavan also selects his greatest ever Cork XI. Along with all of that, we have potentially the strangest ever Premier League quiz ever, in which we ponder which manager is most likely to be a prison security guard whose violent side is tempered by a love for watercolours. Plus we have your Bet of the Week with Ladbrokes, after making you rich last week. Get in touch: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, or tweet anything to @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey and @gcooney93.
We're delighted to be joined by former Irish international Graham Barrett, who has a few choice words on the future of Irish football. We also discuss the Return of Randolph to the Premier League, and mourn a sad, ladder-falling departure from Sky Sports News. Get in touch with us by tweeting #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93.
Episode 16 of the Balls.ie Football Show in association with Ladbrokes. We speak to Colin Young, Jack Charlton's official biographer, for an insight into the man and hear about how his politics may have prevented him from being appointed England manager. We also argue over an age-old question: was it called World Cup, Wembley, Heads & Volleys? We also have our Bet of the Week, fantasy anguish and we ask: does Graeme Souness hate Tommy Martin? Get in touch: Tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @MarkFarrelly101, @gcooney93.
Brought to you by Ladbrokes, this week's episode has it out with Paul Abbandonato of Wales Online over their Welsh-centric combined Irish/Welsh XI. We also have an exclusive team-talk from Sean Dyche (kind of) and hear of how Phil Babb forearm chopped Cristiano Ronaldo. We also reflect on Ireland/Austria, look ahead to the Premier League this weekend and have the usual bad fantasy advice. Get in contact: tweet #TheBallBag to @ballsdotie, @GavanCasey, @Mikeyt086 or @gcooney93.
Another bumper show: Gianluca Vialli talks to Donny Mahoney from the Web Summit in Lisbon, and we talk to Austrian football journalist Alexander Strecha to get the lowdown on Austria ahead of the crucial World Cup Qualifier. Elsewhere, we look back at big wins for Chelsea and Liverpool and ask, which is the greatest Premier League performance of all time? Get in touch: tweet @ballsdotie, @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93 or use the #BallBag.
It's our biggest episode yet, featuring a brilliant chat with League of Ireland legend Eamon Zayed, who is currently up for the MVP award in the NASL, along with one Joe Cole. He also talks of how football differs between Libya, the US, Ireland and Iran, while he talks us through what it's like to make your debut as a sub against your local rivals and score a hat-trick from 2-0 down. Elsewhere, we look ahead to the North London Derby, Keith Andrews love in Pundit Watch, Danny Dyer and a depraved Jimmy Bullard story make up Weird Stuff from the Internet, and Mark Farrelly eats a banana while delivering Fantasy advice. Follow us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93, @MarkFarrelly131.
Episode 12 of the show talks of Chris Sutton, Ray Hudson and the difficult art of the co-commentator, and we also discuss the Premier League character who we would least like to be stuck in a lift with. Mark Farrelly steps in to play the much-needed role of Fantasy Guru. Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93, @MarkFarrelly131.
We talk to Steve Barron, the director of cult classic Mike Bassett: England Manager on the podcast today, a man who has also directed some of the most famous music videosever, including Take on Me by A-Ha. We chat about what's happening with the sequel, plus ask how they got Pele involved in the movie, and what it's like going to watch football with Bryan Adams. Also, we look at the farcical hype of RED MONDAY and fantasy returns. Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93, @MarkFarrelly131.
We're delighted to have Irish international Stephen Ward on the podcast this week, as he talks about his own resurgence in form, life at Burnley under Sean Dyche, and the biggest League of Ireland fan in the Irish squad. We also review Cork/Dundalk, and we preview Liverpool v Man United with a fairly farcical debate. Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93, @MarkFarrelly131.
It's episode 9 of the Football Show, as Mikey Traynor returns to tell us what it is like to represent Ireland at FIFA. Elsewhere, Weird Stuff from the Internet features an explanation as to why Diego Costa is so like...Diego Costa, and Mikey fears for the safety of West Ham. Also, we have a rude podcast gatecrasher. Get in touch with us using the #BallBag on twitter, or find us: @gcooney93, @GavanCasey, @Mikeyt086.
We had a brand new co-host this week in Irish international Stephen Elliot, who told some cracking stories of Roy Keane's humour behind the scenes at Sunderland, Brian Kerr's inspirational team-talks, Dwight Yorke's white Lamborghini and Nyron 'Nugsy' Nosworthy. Steve McClaren's Weird Stuff from the Internet has been taken over by Sad Sam Allardyce, (the artist formerly known as Big Sam). Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcooney93. Also, leave us a review and Gav Casey might just sort you out with some Club Rockshandy.
Kevin Doyle is this week's guest, and he talks to us about life in Colorado, along with how he found out he had missed out on Euro 2016, the truth behind those Sean St Ledger/Taylor Swift stories, and how a French teammate greeted him 'Story Horse'. Elsewhere, Manchester United has sprung more leaks than, er, Manchester United's defence, so we discuss what next for Mou. Also, we have news of NASA's stinging criticism of Wayne Rooney (kind of). Steve McClaren's Weird Stuff From The Internet features an incredible story about Shane Long and his dog, while fantasy returns with an exultant Gavan Casey. Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey and @gcooney93.
In this weeks show, we're joined by comedian and host of An Irishman Abroad Jarlath Regan, to talk about how Steven Gerrard should have been sold after Istanbul, pinpointing Liverpool's decline and his impression of Eamon Dunphy. Elsewhere, Pundit Watch returns with a Dunphy classic, and fantasy returns with Gavan Casey in a gloomy mood. Follow us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey, @gcconey93
Episode 5 of the football show features former Irish international Clinton Morrison on whether Ireland's point in Serbia was a good one, and he also recalls other major occasions Ireland surrendered leads: including one game with a certain Dudu Aouate. The lads discuss Ireland's draw with Serbia, Pundit Watch features a bizarre moment on ITV and it's panic stations at Fantasy Football: Wildcards are tossed around like helmets after a war. Find us on twitter: @Mikeyt086, @GavanCasey. @gcooney93.
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