It’s the final episode of the series and Sachin is very much going out with a bang given he’s joined by brilliant author, scriptwriter and podcaster John O’Farrell for a chat about Fulham.  John is at his engaging best as he reflects on following a club that boasts many well-known supporters. In part that is down to Fulham’s rather nice location but that’s not the case as far as John is concerned, as he explains via one of the most unique and interesting origin stories in FANS...

Hallo alle.  Yes, that's right, it's time for Sachin to type a greeting into Google Translate and copy and paste the German version into these episode notes as a way of introducing his chat with the award-winning author and journalist Uli Hesse about being a Borussia Dortmund fan. Uli is a hugely respected and revered voice on German football and from his kitchen in Berlin he speaks with great authority and passion about Dortmund, the club he was pretty much destined to support. Location...

Reading Football Club. Discuss. It’s not the easiest of tasks given their lack of notable history and success. But do not fear because the brilliant comedian Anthony Richardson is here to give the lowdown on life as a Royal. Anthony is best know for being one half of The Exploding Heads, the internet-based comedy act he and the equally brilliant Mark Davison launched a decade ago and which has brought us such masterpieces as Bohemian Rhapsody with Footballers and Colin from Portsmouth....

After a bit of a mid-season break FANS is back, and what a return it is as Sachin is joined by brilliant Talksport journalist Natasha Everitt for a chat about Charlton Athletic and the excellent Her Game Too campaign. Quite simply, Natasha was born to support Charlton, which she explains via possibly the greatest origin story in FANS history. It’s a genuine love affair and there is no doubting Natasha’s love for a club that has experienced incredible highs and lows during her 20 years or so...

The Asian fan experience: it’s not something much is known about or which is often spoke about but, for obvious reasons, is close to Sachin’s heart, and this episode is a chance for him to give it some much-needed attention with the help of the brilliant Sanjay Bhandari. Sanjay is chair of English football’s anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out and a man who absolutely loves the sport he has a hand in shaping. The boy from Wolverhampton who, as he outlines, was destined to follow...

It was inevitable Sachin would do another episode on Liverpool and here it is, and yet again he is joined by an excellent Red to talk about the Reds. First it was Kevin Sampson; now James Pearce. James has been a much trusted and respected voice on Liverpool for more than a decade now, first in his role as the Echo's LFC reporter and, since 2019, as The Athletic's man at Anfield. It has been, and remains, a dream existence for the boy from Bath who grew up wanting to watch Merseyside's...

And it’s LIVE! Yes, that’s right, it’s a rare face-to-face episode of FANS as Sachin is joined by comedian Elliot Steel at the Westow House Pub & Hotel in south London for a chat about Crystal Palace. Westow House makes for an excellent setting for what proves to be an excellent chat about the Eagles - a club located not far from where Sachin and Elliot are meeting and who Elliot supports in large part because his dad does. His dad, in case you don't know, is the fellow, and brilliant,...

It’s back! Yes, that’s right, the start of a new series of FANS is here, and what a start it is as Sachin is joined by the brilliant BBC commentator Steve Wilson for a chat about Tranmere Rovers. Steve is in typically articulate and engaging form as he discusses the club he was born to support having grown up in the shadow of Prenton Park – Tranmere’s ground and, as Steve makes clear, one that is NOT in Liverpool. His first trip there was in January 1975 and there are memories of the...

It’s the final episode of the series and Sachin is well and truly going out with a bang given he’s joined for a chat about Brentford by the brilliant broadcaster and podcaster, Natalie Sawyer. Natalie is as engaging as she is eloquent and those traits are fully on show as she talks about the club she’s adored ever since a childhood trip to Brentford’s old ground, Griffin Park, in 1987. There’s a lovely story about what happened beforehand involving her brother and a group of Bristol Rovers...

Trophies, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing. Well, not quite, but they’re certainly not the be-all and end-all of being a Tottenham fan as far as Leon Mann is concerned. Leon is a broadcaster, film maker, campaigner and, as Sachin knows from personal experience, a truly lovely person, and he speaks with typical intelligence and warmth about his 30-plus years supporting Spurs. It’s not been easy given the club’s relative lack of success but, overall, Leon has loved following the...

Reply. Retweet. Like. Mute. Block. Yes, that’s right, it’s time to talk Twitter.  It’s the social media platform most people cannot stand but are also addicted to, with Sachin very much in that camp. He loves/hates Twitter and is joined by two cracking guests to discuss this most twisted of online relationships  - podcaster Laura Kirk and deputy editor of Arseblog News, Andrew Allen. Laura and Andrew speak with great wit and honesty about how they interact with Twitter and why, like Sachin,...

Middlesbrough may not feel like a club that has a rich and interesting history but it absolutely does, and few people have a better grasp of that than the Football Association’s former director of communications, Adrian Bevington. After a quick chat about Sven-Göran Eriksson (naturally), Adrian speaks with clarity and passion about what it’s been like to support Middlesbrough, his hometown club, for over 45 years, a period of great highs, great lows and pretty much everything in between,...

This episode is brought to you by Sergio Georgini. Yes, that’s right, it’s time to talk about the Swindon (Town) lot. Sachin is joined by sports writer and funny man on Twitter, Declan Taylor, for a discussion about a club that is in perpetual crisis. Or at least that’s been the case for the 25 years or so Declan has supported Swindon and he does a brilliant job of articulating the mental and emotional torture that comes with being a Robin. Regular financial trouble, regular relegations,...

Stick on your best pair of jeans, have a bevvie and get your rocks off to this banger of an episode as Sachin is joined by Reverend and the Makers frontman, Jon McClure, for a chat about Sheffield Wednesday. What a band Reverend and the Makers are and what a musician Jon is – a high-energy performer who has written some of the best British tunes of the past 20 years, including Heavyweight Champion of the World, Open Your Window and Sex with the Ex. He’s got it all and gives it his all as he...

It's a case of friends reunited for this episode as Sachin is joined by his pal – and brilliant podcaster – Ash Rose for a chat about Queens Park Rangers.  Ash is host of the 'original' 90s football podcast, Alive and Kicking, and, as such, it's no surprise this episode opens with a discussion about the decade when football was at its best. Well, that's certainly what Sachin and Ash reckon and neither are shy in explaining why. Great characters, great players ... Euro 96; the lads reminisce...

It’s back! Yes, that’s right, the start of a new series of FANS is here, and what a start it is as Sachin is joined by BBC journalist Neil Henderson to talk all things Manchester City. Neil is best known for being part of a team of BBC journalists who tweet the front and back pages of the national newspapers every evening and, perhaps not surprisingly, Sachin is keen to know how this came about. Neil does an excellent job of explaining before going on to speak with passion about why he...

It's the final episode of the series and Sachin is well and truly going out with a bang given he is joined by two brilliant podcasters to talk US football fandom; host of the Arsenal Vision podcast, Elliot Smith, and contributor - and host - of the Blue Room podcast, Rob Vera. Elliot and Rob are in typically fascinating, forthright and funny form as they discuss what it's like to be a fans of English football from the other side of the Atlantic. The discussion starts in regards to the...

It’s a very different and very important episode of FANS as Sachin is joined by Football Supporters’ Association caseworker Amanda Jacks for a discussion about the treatment of match-going fans by police and stewards. This is a subject Sachin has wanted to cover for a while and he has done so with the absolutely ideal person given this has been Amanda’s area of expertise, and passion, for more than a decade. And following a quick chat about hair (yes, you read right) she provides clear and...

What’s it like to support a club that has experienced the highs of league titles and European glory as well as the lows of relegation and 9-0 tonkings by Manchester United? To find out you’d need to ask an Ipswich Town fan, and there are few more engaging and entertaining than comedian and writer, Tony Cowards. Tony’s love for Ipswich was sparked in the 1970s and he’s pretty much seen it all since then, most notably the great team under Bobby Robson that clinched the Uefa Cup in 1981 and...

It's the episode Sachin has been dreading but knew he'd eventually have to do - yes, that's right, it's time for a full-on chat about Manchester United. Fortunately for this podcast's Liverpool-supporting host, he is joined by a wonderful guest to do just that - TalkSport presenter Andy Goldstein. Andy is at his warm and funny best as he reflects on following the club that's won the lot and then some, a love affair that started for him in the early 1980s when United weren't actually that...

It's a special episode of FANS as Sachin is joined by TWO guests to talk about Sunderland, and really they're a lot more than that - father and daughter and key figures in one of the greatest periods in the club's history. Well, one of them is ... Malcolm Crosby's story is a brilliant one - the lifelong Sunderland supporter who suddenly found himself in charge of his boyhood club and, against the odds and expectations, led them to the 1992 FA Cup final. They lost to Liverpool but did...

Given the drama and success that has come to define Chelsea in recent decades it was inevitable Sachin would dedicate an episode to the club, and here it is - a chat about the Blues with that most brilliant of guests, David Baddiel.   David, of course, is the man who alongside Frank Skinner played a big part in the 90s being such an amazing decade, first with Fantasy Football and then with Three Lions, and Sachin goes into full giddy-teenager mode as he asks David about that, and...

Few clubs have gone through as much as Leeds United have in the past 30 years. From the extreme highs of winning the title and becoming a European force to the devastating lows of financial ruin and multiple relegations; it's been quite the ride for their supporters, one of whom is award-winning audio producer Ed Morrish.  Ed speaks with great wit and warmth about what it's been like to follow Leeds since the early 90s, making clear his admiration for the team of champions Howard Wilkinson...

Welcome to the first episode of a brand new series of FANS, and what a return it is as Sachin is joined by the magnificent Miles Jacobson to talk all things Watford. Miles, of course, is the man behind Football Manager and there is plenty of chat about the game that defined a generation - great stories as well as insight into the much-needed escapism and solace FM has provided people during this most unsettling and troubling of times.  It's then onto Watford, the club Miles fell in love...