Good day! Please have a think about trying our print magazine, via nutmegmagazine.co.uk In this War of the Roses special, Dundee United’s ex-Motherwell Lancastrian Liam Grimshaw joins Yorkshireman and Nutmeg magazine editor Daniel Gray for a conversational meander from his youth days at Manchester United to Tannadice times now. On the way, there is talk of Liam’s writing career, cricket, Scotland’s best chippies, a Burnley delicacy, his Cappielow admiration and what these two Englishmen love...

Hello! Please have a think about trying our print magazine, via nutmegmagazine.co.uk In this honest and emotional conversation, two footballers – Andy Munro and Kerr Fraser – and one manager – Greig McDonald – discuss mental health struggles within football, and how the game deals with them. They are joined by Libby Emmerson from the Back Onside charity and Saumya Khullar from Oriam, Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre. Together, they run a programme for footballers facing mental health...

Best known for his starring role in Taggart, the actor Colin McCredie is a diehard St Johnstone supporter. Here, he discusses Saints’ astounding cup winning season with Nutmeg editor Daniel Gray. Before that, Colin tells us of life as one of the 25th Perthshire Cubs’ star players, flying coins behind the Muirton Park goal and a rammy between John Lambie and Denzil from Only Fools and Horses. Escapism as good as any drama. Support the showCome on over to our revamped website and give our...

From Joy Division to the delight of a crisp one-two, here is part two of our engrossing chat with the Rangers WFC midfielder, Tessel Middag. This time, Tessel talks us through her transfer to Manchester City and then swapping Corrie for Eastenders with a move to West Ham United. There is World Cup jubilation and ACL devastation (twice), a discussion of the need for trade unions in football and a fascinating account of Tuscan life in lockdown following Tessel’s move to Fiorentina. Plus, first...

Rangers WFC midfielder Tessel Middag began her career with Den Haag, then played for her childhood heroes Ajax, before moving on to Manchester City, West Ham United and Fiorentina, representing the Netherlands national team 44 times along the way.  In the first half of this fascinating, entertaining chat with Daniel Gray, Tessel talks us through the street games and pavement bounces of her youth, playing in boys’ teams until the age of 18 and her  pride in representing the very first Ajax...

Dusting down the My Favourite Year feature like a pair of old trousers that just about still fit, Daniel Gray is joined by BBC journalist Giancarlo Rinaldi who nominates Queen of the South’s 2012/13 season. The pair discuss Scots-Italian life, Giancarlo’s 1990s Italian football fanzine, football and family and the beauty of Palmerston Park before meandering their way through Queens’ sublime championship-winning year. A joyous portion of chitchat. Please give our beautiful print magazine a...

In this special episode of the Nutmeg podcast, we go behind the scenes with our sponsor, Oriam – Scotland’s Sports Performance Centre, and hear about their football scholarships, offered in conjunction with Heriot Watt University. As part of that programme, as you’ll hear, students earn their degree while pursuing footballing excellence in a set-up that replicates a modern football club. Those players feed into the squad of Heriot Watt University FC, members of the East of Scotland League. A...

Michael Devlin and his former Aberdeen team-mate – and ex-Watford man – Tommie Hoban take us inside footballers’ lives again. The pair talk about Tommie’s terrifying call in which he told the Crewe Alexandra manager that he was quitting the game aged 27 and what happened next. They discuss feeling like the elephant in the room, the problems of being an over-thinker and putting the hours of spare time footballers have to good use.  Never read Nutmeg magazine? We have offers on back issues and...

Michael Devlin updates Daniel Gray on his move to Fleetwood and hitting a maximum high before a crushing low in the space of a few days. Then, Michael’s former Aberdeen team-mate Tommie Hoban joins him again - Michael felt there was still more to discuss about Tommie’s decision to suddenly quit the game aged 27, and other revealing topics about the sheer fragility of being a footballer.  Never read Nutmeg magazine? We have offers on back issues and subscriptions. See...

In the second part of this fascinating conversation, Clyde FC footballing brothers Peter and Raymond Grant chat with their Dad, also Peter, who played hundreds of games for Celtic and Norwich among others before a top flight coaching career. They are joined by Nutmeg’s Daniel Gray.  This time, the three discuss the nomadic life of a football family, worrying about each other from the sidelines and the wonder of watching Premier League training sessions as children.  Never read Nutmeg...

Brothers Peter and Raymond Grant both play for Clyde. Their Dad, also Peter, played hundreds of games for Celtic and Norwich among others before a stellar coaching career. Here, in the first part of a unique, fascinating chat, the three tell Nutmeg’s Daniel Gray their story. There is conversation about best atmospheres played in and the “buzzing" sound that Old Firm noise becomes from the pitch. They talk too of coaching instructions from the sidelines, including speculation over what is...

Aged 27, former Watford defender Tommie Hoban suddenly quit football. In the second part of this latest Player Take Over episode of the podcast, Tommie chats with his former Aberdeen teammate Michael Devlin about the mental damage of long-term injuries.  The centre-half pairing also talk about the way injury changes a player’s game, its effects on a footballer’s homelife and how not playing can lead to an identity crisis. Tommie discusses his time at Blackburn Rovers, his spell with Aberdeen...

Aged 27, former Watford defender Tommie Hoban suddenly quit football. In this latest Player Take Over episode of the podcast, his former Aberdeen teammate Michael Devlin, and Nutmeg’s Daniel Gray, ask him about a childhood spent with Arsenal, non-league struggles, establishing himself at Vicarage Road and his early attitude to injuries.  They talk too of the pressures placed on promising teenager footballers, a debut asthma attack, squad initiation songs and signing yourself on Football...

What does it feel like when a footballer is suddenly told he is no longer wanted? In the Player Take Over this time, Clyde’s ex-Falkirk defender Peter Grant talks Daniel Gray through that exact scenario, played out for him at the beginning of this summer when he was released by Queen’s Park.  In a raw, honest and reflective conversation, Peter discusses the impact of that decision, the dilemma over whether to give up on full-time football and the constant uncertainty of a career in the game....

Bedtimes and boxer shorts, superstitions and the same pasta sauce… In the Player Take Over this time, Daniel Gray meets Clyde’s ex-Falkirk and Queen’s Park defender Peter Grant to talk Routines and Rituals.  In this breezy but informative conversation, the two discuss pre-match food from a footballer and fan viewpoint, the things players and supporters eat and wear to make their teams win and Don Revie’s fear of ornamental elephants. Plus, coffee confusion, cans in Starbuck’s and biscuit...

What does it feel like to suffer fan abuse as a footballer? What are the effects on mental health of long term player injuries? How does it feel to be called a 'wage thief'? In this new series format, presenter Daniel Gray is joined by a number of footballers and football types to discuss what matters to them in an honest and open Nutmeg fashion. This is the Player Take Over. For the first two episodes, Scotland cap Michael Devlin is our guest, and after that we’ll be bringing in...

The stadium has had a fresh link of paint, the fixtures are out and we are back. In this new series format, presenter Daniel Gray is joined by a number of footballers and football types to discuss what matters to them in an honest and open Nutmeg fashion. This is the Player Take Over. For the first two episodes, Scotland cap Michael Devlin is our guest, and after that we’ll be bringing in colleagues of his to go inside the game. In this ‘getting to know you’ introductory podcast, Dan and...

Opening our new strand of podcast documentaries, Daniel Gray tells the incredible tale of the Basque refugee children exiled to Britain during the Spanish Civil War who became professional footballers. Theirs is a compelling, life-affirming story of heartbreak, horror and heroism, and a journey from blitzkrieg to the Bernabeu via Ibrox, Guernica, Alf Ramsey and László Kubala.  Never read Nutmeg magazine? We have offers on back issues and subscriptions. See...

Open those Scampi Fries and sup that pint of mild, it’s our first visit to the Nutmeg Arms, a series of podcast chats in pubs between Daniel Gray, Alan Pattullo and a footballing figure. This time, the pair were joined by Pat Nevin for a blether about his book The Accidental Footballer, and much besides, from Motherwell to Morrissey.  Never read Nutmeg magazine? We have offers on back issues and subscriptions. See https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/shop Please help us make this podcast by...

Pour yourself a pint of prosecco and fill that bowl with Monster Munch: it’s the first ever episode of the Nutmeg Book Club. Host Daniel Gray is joined by acclaimed author Michael Calvin for a chat about his newest work, Whose Game Is It Anyway?  Expect a fascinating insight into the meaning of football, Calvin’s journalism career from The Watford Observer to broadsheet travels, the writing process and the football manager who lived on fish and chips. Never read Nutmeg magazine? We have...

Former Dundee United midfielder and current Cowdenbeath assistant manager Craig Easton joins Daniel Gray for a wide-ranging chat about the imminent fixture pile-up, his career in Scotland and England, the lure of Dundonian nightspots and the joy of animals entering the pitch. Craig talks also of his writing career, playing for the McLeans of Tannadice, Britpop, the moments when pre-match nerves truly hit, favourite old grounds, referees falling over and much more. An entertaining chat as...

What was Elton John’s view on Stephen Glass? How does Rod Stewart keep up to date with East Fife scorelines? Those vital questions and so much more are covered in this genial conversation between Daniel Gray and Sun writer Ally Ross, BBC man Colin Paterson and ex-Smash Hits editor and Daily Record columnist John McKie. In this mazy dribble of an episode, the trio talk about their Tartan Army travels across the world, including euphoric dejection in Kazakhstan, the importance of talcum powder...

In the fourth edition of our occasional series My Favourite Year, journalist and broadcaster Paul English joins Daniel Gray for an entertaining gallivant through Celtic’s 1987/88 double-winning season. Our battered old football time machine lands them in a Clydebank car park in the summer of 1987 where they stumble upon Billy McNeill agreeing to become Celts’ boss for a second spell. Then, it’s off for a canter through a magnificent season via a Chris Morris shrine, the beauty of player...

Daniel Gray is joined by former Scotland international Don Masson, the man who infamously missed a penalty at Argentina ’78. The pair discuss Don’s early days in Banchory and the spiritualist who forecast his career, his move to Middlesbrough and his playing days at Boro, Notts County and QPR. He talks about a crucial penalty he did score – the one that helped Scotland to the World Cup – and the chaos surrounding the Argentinian campaign. And of course, Don reveals his feelings about THAT...