“I came in from the cold Tyneside rain and shut the door behind me. In over 35 years as both a manager and player a lot of things have changed, but some have remained constant. For example, I’ve always struggled to leave football at the door.
Whether it’s coming home from a game on a Saturday, or a weekday training session, switching off has never been easy. However, in the last couple of years I’ve discovered the world of podcasts...
Named after Apple’s eponymous iPod, podcasts really rose to prominence as a form of media consumption in the late 2000s. The iPod was a revelation when it was released in 2001, decimating rival’s offerings like the Sony MiniDisc. Taking advantage of the increased proliferation of fast broadband internet connections in homes, the iPod allowed people to download relatively big mp3 files quickly, and load them onto the iPod’s large capacity built in storage drive to listen to when it suited them. On the bus, at the gym or, like me, at home in the study, the iPod changed everything.
The lack of reliance on traditional broadcast infrastructure, the rise of high-speed 3rd generation cellular networks, and the introduction of the smartphone, meant that even very niche subjects could continue to find an audience. They say that today’s smartphones have more computing power than the rocket that took men to the moon. I’m no technology expert... but if that’s enough power for the brave men of NASA, then it’s enough for me!
My favourite podcast is ‘Quickly Kevin, Will He Score?’. This irreverent look back at 90’s soccer reminds me of a very special time in my life and allows me to escape the pressures of modern management... even if just for 60 minutes.
Things are very different now, but following my injury time headed winner in the 1990 World Cup semi final against West Germany, I had the world at my feet. I could leave any nightclub with a trio of beautiful blondes on my arms, I had a purring Jaguar XJ8 in the driveway, and I was recognised everywhere I went from the villages of Brazil to the suburbs of Mulcaster.
Listening to the tales of former opponents like Matt Le Tissier, Paul Merson and team mates like Stuart Pearce and Gary Neville is the perfect way to unwind after a long day with the Longstaffs. I give it five stars.”
Davros876 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
11/21/19