The doctor will see you now

0:00It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble! Fulham squeezed through him. Brendan Rodgers has upset the boys again. It's Wednesday, 29th of October. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. And I'm Luke Moore.

0:24Hello, everybody. It's Wednesday. And I want to start by saying thanks to friend of the Ramble, Rob Hills, for giving us that intro line. Big Rob's obviously a fan of Akka-daka. as the Aussies affectionately call them. They call Guns N' Roses the Gunners as well, don't they? Do they? The Gunners. What do they call the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium, Jim? Arsenal. Ah. If you want to submit an intro line for a future episode, then become a friend of the Ramble. Sign up for just five bucks a month. You'll also get an extended edition of today's Ramble. And if you're not a friend of the Ramble, stick around to the end of today's episode where we'll have a little clip from a recent Ramble and cut to wet your appetite.

1:00A little Easter egg. We're like Avengers, Luke. Yeah, we are a bit. It's patreon.com forward slash football ramble, isn't it, Marcus? That's how you get involved. And a little peek behind the curtain even further, if you may. Oh, not that far. A little insight into how the sausage is occasionally made. A fairly robust discussion before today's recording about how much Michael Jackson we can talk about in Ramble Uncut later. So see if Marcus gets his way against producer Rory's wish. Quite firm wishes, actually. What a closed-minded individual our producer is. I thought that. Why are they teaching the schools these days, Marcus?

1:30That's what I want to know. I want to know it all. But we don't have time. We're going to go to the Carabao Cup where Wickham Wanderers drew one all with Fulham and then lost 5-4 on penalties. Marcus, I understand that Fulham really need this. It's been a bit of a disappointing start to the season. But I think even you would have to admit you've been enemies of football there. Easy. Have you ever been to Adams Park? No, I haven't. It's up there in the more moderately depressing environs to watch a football league game. Really? Yeah. Oh. It's not quite the Medeski, or whatever they call that now.

2:03You hate Reading Football Club, don't you? No, I don't like the Medeski Stadium. Do you like their nickname, the Royals? No. Okay. Not really. All right. But Adams Park is a fairly painful walk through a quite dilapidated industrial estate. Right. To get there, and it's, yeah. We need to get it going again. When you say a painful walk, are there, like, bear traps everywhere? No, no. Potholes? That's a good question. Are they painful for the soul, are you suggesting? Yeah, more existentially painful, philosophically painful. I told you before, formerly of this parish our friend Chris oh yes he's a Wickham Wanderers fan and obviously I'm a Portsmouth fan and when they were in the same division together we used to go to that game at Adams Park every year and it would be the death of football derby it would almost always be nil-nil and shit and cold quite the opposite to Fulham of course which is a beautiful walk up from one side of course the other side is well actually both a lovely walk by the tent they could not be more different Marcus no and I really mean that and but yeah they were so joined at the hip result-wise for a long time during this football match.

3:03Can I just potentially just chuck a slight fly on the ointment to read the Fulham Craven Cottage walk and say that for my tastes from Hammersmith Station, it's a touch too long. Yes. It's a touch too long. Putney Bridge is the... It's one of those walks where you think that's a nice walk but it goes on probably five minutes too long. Yeah, I'd agree with you. I think if you're going to go and watch Fulham play and you're thinking, do I... Go the other way. Yeah, go to Putney Bridge tube station because you get to walk over the lovely old bridge and then it's... I agree with you but ironically Hammersmith Bridge is a better bridge it is but you wouldn't really walk near Hammersmith Bridge you wouldn't have to go over it also Hammersmith Bridge if anyone is a fan of bridges and all that kind of stuff beautiful old bridge it's an absolute disgrace yeah it's been closed for a long time it's been closed a long time but anyway enough of the West London traffic news come on Jim for fuck's sake Fulham's all getting a bit next door here well let's bring it back to this door Jim Fulham yes 5-4 on penalties they won And Benjamin Lecomte was the hero, the Fulham sub-keeper, who saved a number of penalties.

4:04And what about that penalty shootout, Jim? Never in doubt for Fulham. It's rare that you see the first and last missed in a shootout. There was some kind of enjoyable symmetry there. But it's just one of those ones, isn't it? You know that Wiccan might as well just miss on purpose. It's going to be the bigger team that goes through. It's so often the case. Obviously, Grimsby might have something to say about that. But yeah, I'm sure you felt very differently about it. but well I I thought when looking at it I thought I know Leno I would because Lecomte is not the number one keeper for some reason you therefore think that translates to penalties which evidently it didn't because he very much played his part he was the hero ultimately I thought who are the takers here I was like Jimenez is the taker and he's off the pitch I thought Iwobi will probably have one I thought Sessegnon would have one other than that I was thinking who's in there but when they missed the first one Wickham I thought okay it should be quite comfortable and then when Cessna misses suddenly you go oh no well it was so crucial that Lecomte saved those penalties for Fulham because if they score suddenly the whole thing is mad and it went to sudden death anyway and it stayed there for a little bit I mean it was such an extraordinary ending to the shooter not very sudden the death no exactly slow death they should really call it that it's something you apply afterwards isn't it yeah it is I did love Issa Diop because when Lecomte saves his third makes his third save in a row the first one he's like right that's good come on right let's finish the job here second one he's like right come on there we go the third one he actually gets up and he does almost like the calm down I shouldn't have to be doing that he's like right calm down now now's the chance third time lucky if you had anything about him at all he would have done a Ricciardo taking his gloves off and taking it that would have been lovely but it's a deal the way he steps up the look in his eye was like this is getting finished now hardly took a run up and just smashed it in the top.

5:59If I have to take your hand off to get this in, I'm happy to do that. Well, it was like, if he gets it slightly wrong, it ends up in the, you know, in the park behind the stadium. Whereas if he gets it right, it's one of the best penalties you'll ever see. And are there enough goalkeepers named after a cheese? I don't think so. No. And I don't, I wonder if there can be. Comté is one of the best cheese as well. Comté is probably, possibly my favourite cheese. I can't think of how it tastes, if I'm honest. Very nice. Very strong. But if you're going to go goalkeepers and cheese Paul Cheddar's my man don't google him I couldn't think of any other puns no I've been trying to our listeners would better help us out they'll inundate us I'm sure I mean son of the manager LeBrie nice yeah that works Reggie LeBrie if you like yeah well I mean look you've got to take your hat off to Wickham though Luke because yeah I mean the former former Fulham a lot of former Fulham players scoring last night Carl Valio got one for Brentford he did Rhys Nelson technically former Fulham player.

6:57Made Maynot look quite bad, that, the Brentford team. Yeah, it did. We'll get into that in a minute. But Colin Woodrow, who came through at Fulham, I believe, didn't he? And has found his way to Wiccan Wanderers. Great finish as well. Proper rifle of a shot. Wow, they snatched, they kind of caught him cold. Yeah, they did. Didn't they? And you thought, oh God, Fulham had been in bad form. They, as we always say on this show, to probably quite a tedious level, that teams of the profile of Fulham should be looking at the Caravan and saying, get that in my belly. Yeah. And going down early, away from home on a kind of inconvenient, if you like, night.

7:29Yeah. Talk about the wind. How bad was the wind? Well, it's very exposed up there. From memory, Adams Park is also kind of halfway up a hill as well. Is it? So it's quite exposed. It's not conducive for a football pitch, is it? I would have thought so, no. It should be outlawed, really. It should be like in Bolivia. They have to play off the hill. Wickham's very much the Bolivia of the Chilton. Yeah, absolutely. But I also really enjoyed actually watching Kevin play. Yes. Because he's obviously a cut above Wickham to be fair to them he looked so fast like a plan fast forward end product possibly still a problem but very very lively and also I thought Josh King was really good I mean he looks like he's got a really really bright future that goal he scored was a beauty Zach Latan Ibrahimovic should have been his second of the season but he's actually his first isn't it one of the poorest cynical fouls I would have seen on the half way on this season as well oh yeah did you see that it's quite high I thought I don't know if the referee's going to make a decision here yeah there was a moment where I thought yeah it was it was it was absolutely unnecessary because he's so much quicker because he's hooked it around and maybe did a at the very least a far less robust foul but yeah King and Kevin stand out King Kevin stand out players Fulham will be absolutely delighted to squeeze through absolutely delighted what I love about Josh King and I think that some people are getting to know him a little bit more obviously he's still very very young 18 years old good for him to get his first official goal but you saw it towards the end of the game where he had a chance two or three minutes towards the end.

8:55He's so good on the turn at beating a player. And he's lovely kind of 360 degrees where he can just swivel and go. He's just quick, so quick. Yeah, and he's very, very, he's got that intelligence as well. Low center of gravity as well. Yeah, it's only going to grow. But this game here is kind of Fulham in a nutshell in that you've mentioned those players. There's a little bit of flair there. There's a bit of pace. There's a bit of something that gets you going, oh, that's quite nice on the eye. and yet they only score the solitary goal against a League One side. Not a particularly brilliant League One side either.

9:30And Fulham are going to have to find ways to actually score goals and win football matches. I think we said, didn't we, that only the bottom three in the Premier League have not scored as many goals as Fulham this season. They've only got, what, nine goals, is it, in nine games? Very, very poor start. And, I mean, Marcus Silva, when they won the game, he was, maybe it's a Portuguese thing, like with Amarim, it was just like, yeah, whatever win or lose I'm still going I don't mean this in a disrespectful way but he's visibly angry it's an inconvenient game in the first place in one sense but it's another sense a bloody lovely draw I mean you know you avoided so many Premier League sides you know and let's be honest Fulham will be hoping to draw more League One opposition in the quarterfinal let's not be silly here he's surely annoyed at the performance though well he's annoyed at the performance but I think he's just annoyed in general I get the impression now he often cuts that kind of figure but the way Fulham have been this season I think they've got some injuries I understand that and he can only do so much but it is that cutting edge they've also had like that run of four Premier League games they've lost in a row some tricky ones three tough away games Newcastle, Bournemouth and Villa away that's hard yeah it is and obviously Arsenal Arsenal at home as I've banged on a map repeated they were really good in that game there's clearly a lot there but obviously as you say it's the end product isn't it do you think in trying to get more out of Adama Traore he has somehow accidentally made the whole team more like Adama Troré.

10:56But I think he's made Adama Troré a little bit more effective in that you could see some of the crosses he's putting in and the balls which you'd want Jimenez to eat up. I think if Munez was there maybe that little bit younger and sharper. But I think with Fulham... He also made some changes. Yeah, but I think they've got Wolves at home in the league next. Then they've got... Is it Everton away? Then Sunderland at home and then spurs away, I think, are the next four fixtures. You know, you've got some tricky games and obviously every game is difficult, but a chance to get some points and some wins.

11:30Wolves at home is like... I mean, they were beaten quite handily by Wolves last season, weren't they? At Craven Cottage, yeah. Still got bad memories of that. It's funny how that run of fixtures actually looked quite difficult based on Fulham's form now, doesn't it? And Sunderland's. Yeah. Specifically in West London. Yeah, absolutely. But look, Wicked Wanderers all be I mean the manager did say if you're going to lose a game lose it like that and I think that on one hand they're gutted but on another hand you know you can't really go much further against the Premier League opposition and when you see the advertising boards with Boogie Bingo you know it shows you the differences in the leagues and also the areas I don't think in the area of Fulham you're going to get Boogie Bingo selling out does Bingo not have enough dancing does dancing not have enough prizes we've got the thing for you.

12:20Two good questions. I think it would absolutely be totally the kind of thing that would happen in West London. I think you find that maybe people in Fulham might be a bit too snooty for that and that's to their detriment. Bougie bingo instead? Now you're talking. Well, I saw the advert for boogie bingo and I thought, I'm on the show with Jim tomorrow and I think it'll be right up his street so I did a little bit of further research. Boogie bingo, Jim, as you've no doubt probably guessed, is giving the guests a chance to combine bingo and disco on a fantastic evening of entertainment, food and drink with prizes to be won as you correctly identified.

12:50Now the music theme bingo game comes with a professional DJ. Excellent. Opportunity to dance the night away, Jim. Is that interesting to you? I'm terrible at dancing. Did you dance the night away though? Do you know what? I went to some bingo thing recently. Not that long ago. It was like some old mates from home we met up. We left it to one of the guys to organise. And we went to, he took us to this bingo thing, which there was a touch of, not on how the evening went, obviously, but in terms of the way it was, the lights everything it felt a little bit squid gamey but it was one of those things where we're going to make it like cool and like stag do's and hen parties can come here but ultimately you are playing bingo I can absolutely see a squid game style bingo thing in West London for like the really wealthy people indeed but this was central London I stress and nobody died to my knowledge Adams Park Boogie Bingo is£25 per person so it includes a free drink and a basket meal and you can buy a table of ten for just£200 that's not bad That's not too shabby, is it?

13:49Yeah. Jimmy, do you reckon you could assemble a group of 10 to save a£50 on the air? We're not included, Jim. I'm definitely not going. Let me get back to you on that. Yeah. It's tricky. It would be tricky to get that. I think I would be... Yeah, I'd be messaging a lot of people out of the blue who might think I've been hacked. Or having a meltdown. Like a total breakdown. Yeah. Fair enough. West London are going to be well represented in the quarterfinal of the Carabao Cup because Brentford steamed past Grimsby. in Grimsby, of course, 5-0. As you say, look, that result does reflect incredibly badly on Manchester United, but...

14:23Two are good now, though, so it doesn't matter. But I was going to say, I still think there's an element of a Grimsby hangover from Manchester United, because if you look at the points they've got, look at some of the results they've had this season, they are better than that. But anyway, enough of Man United. Brentford have gone through, 5-0, easy peasy, and it was really, for certainly a period of the game, all about the Arsenal man, Rhys Nelson, Jim. Nice to see him scoring and assisting and having a lovely old time. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know this from having seen him on loan at Fulham last season.

14:50If you can get him on the pitch, he can contribute. He's a really direct player and he causes fullbacks problems. So much of, you know, the kind of, so many rather of the setbacks he's faced have been down to fitness. So it's nice to see him kind of get on the pitch because he's not featured much for Brentford, has he? And I think he's going to be a really useful option for them this season. And, you know, he's possibly played himself into a start there. I was, I thought because Fulham were interested in him. and there was talk about, as you say, the fitness, the injuries because he got a terrible injury last season when he was on loan at Fulham and I thought they might go for him but fair enough, you know, Brentford are in there.

15:23You look at the Brentford side, there were concerns about, you know, where would the goals come from or a bit of creativity and well, you stick him in there and other ex-Fulham player, Fabio Calvalli, these guys who have not been playing that much, Calvalli's often off the bench, you know, give them a chance among the goals last night, Lewis Potter as well and so on. Some saying, are they a crafty outside bet, Luke, for the Carabao Cup? Well, I think Keith Andrews deserves as much credit as you can give a manager after nine games of a season, right? So this is a long way to go. Particularly when he's had quite a lot of criticism coming his way as well.

15:56Yeah, well, more on that much later. But I think the sheer amount of goals they lost over the summer is possibly unprecedented. It was something like 60 % of their Premier League goals last season they lost losing players. So for him to better come in there in his first job and do so well so quickly, I think is a real testament to how quickly the players have taken on board his ideas. That they should be knocking over Grimsby with respect. Grimsby are a League Two side. Started the season fairly well, but there's several leagues quite literally below where Brentford are. But Brentford, they might be building up ahead of steam.

16:30The only thing I'd say is that they do concede quite a lot of goals, Brentford. They've not kind of answered those questions just yet. Well, to put that in context, I mean, they've conceded as many as Liverpool have in the Premier League. There you go. Shows you. Too many. It's not where you want to be, is it? No. You lie down with dogs, you get fleas. The reality is, though, that they made a lot of changes and exactly what you want to see from players who are perhaps on the fringes of your squad not starting games, coming in and being excited to start, not moaning about having to take a trip up to Grimsby in midweek, but actually really applying themselves and doing really well.

17:06It was really good to see. They were much, much better than Grimsby as the scoreline suggests and everyone basically filled their boots which is what you want so I've been super impressed with Keith Andrews I have to put Karls on the table here and say at the start of the season I thought they'd really struggle I thought it just had all the hallmarks of something that would be too big a job for someone who's not managed before and has got so little experience and I thought they were candidates for relegation I don't think that now by any means although it's very early days still but last night from what I saw I actually watched the majority of the Cardiff-Wrexham game.

17:41So I didn't see the majority of this, but I saw the goals and the goals looked great. Yeah, perfect evening for them. And of course, Groomsby Town manager David Artel said before the game that beating Brentford would have been a bigger giant killing than knocking out Manchester United. But that's just not true, is it? No. You can, I mean, well, he said everyone agrees that Manchester United are still finding their way, but Brentford are not that team. Brentford are a well-established team. So last season, Brentford lost their manager, their greatest manager in the modern era. Their two top scorers, their goalkeeper, and their captain.

18:06Yeah. I mean... But they're established, don't they? Apparently so. But what I do admire about this is he's finding a way, another more creative way of having a pop at United. Because he's thinking, this could be my last opportunity to do this. Yeah, exactly. Oh, you've got to talk big. If you're playing against Premier League opposition, you've got to talk big. It's like he's almost saying, oh yeah, we played them earlier in the season. Yeah. Oh yeah, they weren't that good. I'm not impressed with them, no. Yeah, we've been in a Premier League side before. We've been in a Championship side before, so we know what's happening.

18:30And of course, Luke, you mentioned there, there was the two Welsh teams fought it out in the Battle of South Wales versus North Wales. And of course, it was the league one side, Cardiff City, that went through against Wrexham. They made fairly hard work of it in the end. Yes, they did. But the first half, they were miles better. Were you surprised how much better Cardiff were? I was. I was, yeah. I was. I was. I was. Because obviously, Wrexham have been on the up and up. Everyone knows their story. They're the championship side in a higher league. Cardiff probably should have been three and a half at halftime?

19:05Should have been done at halftime. And then what happens as soon as they turn around after the half, Kiefer Moore scores. When he came on, you're just thinking to yourself, I know he's one of the more recognisable players for fans of other clubs. But yeah, when he powers that header and you kind of go, okay, there we go. This will be nice for the documentary. But kind of had other ideas. Oh, I wonder what kind of joke Rob McElhenney's going to make about that header. Exactly, yeah. but they didn't win it no they didn't Cardiff were able to turn it around and look from what I saw Cardiff deserved to win it so good on them a lot of people obviously saying oh it's a big derby game it kind of is and it isn't in the same way I think a lot of people wanted to talk about it did you feel it was was it as feisty as you wanted it to be did it lack a bit of feist I mean I think there was only like three yellow cars in the whole game Rex didn't get a single book in which again you're against because if you lose the game and you've not shown a bit of fire.

20:04No, you get hammered, I think. I think people find that opinion of yours. I'd smash somebody just to make me feel better. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. But people find that opinion of yours interesting, speaking on behalf of the listeners here, because I think they think of you as a really, really nice man, which I don't agree with, but they will say that. Why do you agree with that? We haven't got time. Uncut. We'll do that in uncut. I think this is an example of the mask slipping, isn't it? Yeah, exactly. Again, again. No, I'm opening. I'm open to the chat. It slips every five minutes. No one fucking notices there.

20:28What are you talking about? But anyway, the point being that people would say that you were almost like a Gary Lineker type character. You wouldn't want to get a book and you want people to kick people. But you're saying if you are getting battered, just go mad. No, no, no. Let all your spite out. It's not quite what I said. Horrible little bitter man that you are.

20:47What I was suggesting is, is if you're getting hammered and you're completely overrun, then to try and break up the play, the odd professional foul here. I'm not saying break someone's legs. so it's not nasty it's more of a tactical type of thing is what I'm saying to seed territory you know I hate seeding territory that's how it starts though Mark it's a little professional foul here all of a sudden you've got a taste for it yeah well and that's the manager's job to kind of manage it I suppose but anyway yeah not as many bookings as maybe some people thought but Cardiff March on and fair play to them I mean being a league one side you know a cut payday is always good and we know the Carabao pays out doesn't it they've got probably about 25 grand for that win or something.

21:28Listen, you can't turn your nose up at it. Not in this economy. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that was one of the... I think when Grimsby beat Manchester United, didn't they get something like nine grand to go through? It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Amazing. Yeah, because if you win it, it's like 150 grand or something. Wasn't it 100? It's like scratch card money. I think inflation... Scratch card money. I think inflation has finally got to the Carabao Cup pot. No wonder Carabao are sponsoring it. If that's all you've got to pay out for it. Well, indeed, yeah. It's 100 grand. Oh, it's just 100 grand.

21:57It's still 100 grand. Oh, sorry. 50 grand for the runners-up. Ah. They should do the honourable thing, shouldn't they? But you do want to have a little bit of respect because the trophy itself is worth an estimated£20 ,000. So you've got that bit of a lovely deal. You've got the option to sell it. Move it on, yeah. What have you filled it with Carabao? Is it£20 ,000 and£10 ,000? Three quid. I'd love to know if that's Carabao deciding that prize money. Because Carabao, I think, by the time they finish their sponsorship with the League Cup, they would have done it for 10 years. Before that, it was Capital One.

22:38That's right. The credit card that supports the supporters, of course. Yeah. I wonder how much money they would pay. Why are you doing that? That's not their tag anymore. Oh, is it? No, they'll be annoyed at that. They do support the supporters, though, don't they? How much money were Rumble O's chucking at it? That's what I want to know. What about the milk? Because the milk marketing board, the milk cup Rumbelows remember there's a lot of that stuff that does the rounds on kind of nostalgia Instagram where man of the match players in the league cup are getting like a massive TV for Rumbelows or a massive bottle of champagne but not for Rumbelows I see what you mean electrical goods mostly so I'm thinking of Premier League man of the match have I made this up or when it was the Carling Cup didn't they used to present the player of the match with a champagne bottle full of Carling it was certainly Carling branded I hope it was full of Carling that would be great you can't be giving them a six-pack?

23:25No, no. It would be quite funny though. No, absolutely not. All right, okay. Coming up after this, Brother Brendi leaves Celtic.

23:50Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. That was late Norrent fans chanting to a studio who turned up to their match against Lincoln City wearing white football boots. He got his boots for his birthday. It's really interesting footage. Have you seen it? Yeah. It's funny because he seems to be taking it quite badly, but the other stewards around him think it's hilarious, like nudging him and stuff. Just because it was relentless. Yeah. They come up with about five or six different chants for him. Yeah. I mean, when you've got however many fans singing that, you've just got to take on a team.

24:16Yeah, and also they're not like slagging off your family or something. No, exactly. They're just saying, like, you've got your boots for your birthday, which he may well have done. He may have done that. Or maybe he was disappointed that's all he got. I would also tentatively venture that if you turn up for work... Yeah. No, I can understand if he's on the pitch. No, I get that. And you can't be... I'm going to cover that. But white boots. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You turn up with a high-vis jacket on, black trousers, and I understand you've got to wear some kind of studded footwear in case you have to chase a pitching vader.

24:40I get that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bright white boots is a poor choice. Yeah. I mean, you're going to get pelters for that, and rightly so, I think. That's a character-building experience for him, and I think he should accept it. Apparently, he wears size 13 boots, though. How do you know that? Because I just did a little bit of reading around this. Has he got an enormous chopper in your assuming? I'm going to assume he does. But yeah, I mean, that's presumably quite hard to shop for, right? That was his excuse. I'm sure you can get non-white football boots in size 13, but that was the reason he gave.

25:07Yeah, okay. He just needs to take it on the chin. I think he just needs to accept it. I think the more you can explain it away, the more stupid it gets. Punching someone in the face. You've got to take it on the chin. Fine. You've done it now. I've got no choice. Oh dear. Right, Brendan Rodgers had to take a lot on the chin, hasn't he? Brother Brendan. This week, he resigned from his position as Celtic manager following back-to-back defeats in the Scottish Premiership. I mean, ultimately, the magnificent Gorgie Boy saw him off. Yeah. But Celtic's largest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, Great name.

25:39Yeah. Dermot Desmond. And what a moustache. D squared with a moustache. Brilliant. What a moustache. Can I just say, I think if you are a Scottish Premiership club and you see off an old firm manager, you should get a point for that. Extra point. I agree with you. Yeah, I wouldn't disagree with that. Yeah, well, he, let's say, took the opportunity to go to war with old Brendan. Now, Dermot Desmond is very much a man behind the scenes at Celtic. Yeah, it's very rare for him to pipe up. He's gone full Vince McMahon now, hasn't he? That's great. I mean, this shows you how incredibly angry and upset he was at this whole thing.

26:14Yeah. Because, as you say, much has been made of this. He's very much behind the scenes. the man controlling things from behind the scenes barely do you hear a peep out of the man from over the years but an incredibly influential well the largest shareholder at the club so need I say more could Jim and I perhaps tempt you go on to do a couple of these quotes from the aforementioned Dermot Desmond perhaps in the style of the late Craig Brown I I there I don't know how many Scottish football fans will know what I'm talking about here but that would make the great man Craig Brown turn in his grave I know it would that's why I'm saying it that's why I'm saying it answer phone messages aside again whoever gets that reverence I wouldn't do that to Craig Dermot Dermot as Jim's rightly said he's gone full Vince McMahon because it's not just that he's come out of the shadows and delivered a statement clearly because he was so angry but the statement itself some of the wording is sensational have you ever seen anything like this before not from a chairman I don't think you must we must have I don't You've got your Gigi Bacali ludicrous types.

27:20That's what I mean. On this island, have you ever? Maybe there's an obvious one I'm missing, but my goodness, it's a very, very rare thing because he said Rogers' words and actions were divisive, misleading, and self-serving. He said they have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the board. He also said what has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual's desire for self-preservation at the expense of others. My goodness, it is a visceral takedown. Very pointed. Desmond also said, didn't he, that board members, family members and stuff have been getting abuse.

27:56So I think this is clearly coming from an emotional place. And the fact is, though, that he's come out and said this. When you're reading it, because Rodgers himself, I mean, he was on the BBC very recently saying, oh, well, you know, if I was to manage another Premier League side, it would be like a holiday compared to managing Celtic. because of the expectation to win every time and so on. And we know what the quotes he made, that quote about, you're giving the keys to the Honda Civic, you can't drive it like a Ferrari. He's been moaning a lot in public. He's been distancing himself from his own results.

28:29It's a little bit, in a more extrapolation, it's a little bit Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, the way he was coming out with some stuff, and you're thinking, blimey, Nuno, careful how you go there. And Rodgers has been saying this about the transfer policy, about not signing certain players. My take on it would be that Rodgers wanted Celtic to kind of get back to where they were when he first took over. Because if you remember that spell, it was unbelievably good when he took in there. They were not bad in Europe as well. They were pretty decent there. They played beautiful football and they won everything.

28:59And this time round, clearly that's not quite the case. And I think he's almost saying, come on, let's be like a top Premier League side. Well, of course, that's just not going to happen because they're not in a Premier League. They are where they are. So he's kind of, I think he's, when they talk about his self-preservation and his self-serving attitude, maybe the suggestions, but they are not suggestions, they're allegations there almost, of him saying, I want to be seen as doing this for Celtic and we're going far in Europe and so on. The reality is it's very difficult, even for Celtic, to get to where he was wanting.

29:36But I think it goes beyond that though, because I think if you look at the report on the BBC website, I forget who wrote it, so forgive me, but there was a suggestion there that it goes, that is the case, but it also goes beyond that to the point, and this may speak to Desmond's anger, there were people at the club who felt like Rodgers was essentially trying to manoeuvre his way out of the club. Yeah, martyr himself almost. But cause himself to be removed because that's the only way that people could kind of understand the behaviour. Desmond come out and said some of the stuff that Rodgers has said about transfer targets, players all the rest of it it's just not true it's like nothing's happened in the way that Brendan Rodgers is saying it's happened so it seems quite odd the behaviour he is exhibiting but I think it's not massively surprising because Brendan Rodgers has always had a bit of that about him I think well the way he left last time yeah the fans there were very very unhappy because again they were what he was was doing at the club the first spell he had there was incredibly good and people might say well the Celtic are expected No, no, no.

30:43The way they won those trophies and the way they did it in his first ball was impressive. It doesn't matter who you... It was impressive. When he left, it was very much, oh, there's a decent Premier League job, right, I'm off, see you later. And they felt like, well, hang on. A little bit like the Rangers fans when Gerrard left. And some would say, oh, come on, Celtic fans, get over yourselves. Because, you know, at the time, the Leicester City job was a decent job and a good Premier League side who, you know, had ambitions. He won the FA Cup there, right? Yeah, exactly, yeah. and others would say well the way he left was piss poor when he goes back there it took a while to smooth the relations over with the fans again because they were like well hang on a minute you can't just come back here the way you kind of left and maybe he was trying to martyr himself trying to get himself in a position where he kind of goes well what can I do here so when he leaves some of the fans would be more on his side my guess and it is a pure guess that maybe the fan base I don't know they may well have changed their minds in the last couple of years there will undoubtedly be sections of Celtic supporters that will be looking at Rodgers going bloody hell mate never come back here again and maybe one or two have a little bit more sympathy with the situation but I don't think he ultimately will be welcomed back at Celtic Park any time soon if ever again but I find Desmond's the quotes and if you haven't seen the full thing please do because it's explosive it really is and for a guy who stays in the background Jim he must have been so upset with what was going on to do that that in itself to me almost lends a bit of crazy.

32:11I don't know much about Dermot Desmond, to be honest. I don't know what type of, you know, people might say, well, he's no angel himself. He probably isn't. We don't hear from him, do we, generally? Not personally, no. Yeah, it's absolutely spectacular, doesn't it? And it smacks of kind of trying to essentially just assure the fans that actually this isn't a complete circus behind the scenes. and it is just it's all very unedifying isn't it for everybody involved really must be an extremely frustrating time as a Celtic fan potentially reassuring that you know actually they are going after the transfer targets that they all agreed and what not but it's a it's a pivotal time really it's absolutely fantastic news for Derek McInnes and the Gorgie boys though I mean Rangers and Celtic probably in the same season yeah come on if this was happening in March you might think okay great but now there's enough time to cause correct for both of them really.

33:09Well, so what do you think? Yeah, it depends. But what do you think of Desmond and Coe's decision to immediately get old Martin O 'Neill back in there? I think that it's a great opportunity for Martin O 'Neill to have a sort of late career success. And let's be honest, as much as we all want Hearts to come on and do it, that is probably what's going to happen. I know it's an interim thing at the moment. Very much so. Yeah, well, Martin O 'Neill, who appeared on the radio just hours before being offered the job, said for Scottish football, for Hearts to win the league it would be amazing. So are you suggesting Marcus that he's gone into Celtic to guarantee that happening?

33:44If they're going to bring it down from the inside. I can't want that to happen enough but I think whatever happens it's a win for Martin O 'Neill. Yeah, I mean my feeling on Martin O 'Neill would be that there's been several instances over the last six months or so I've seen him on TV where I think he's completely lost the plot. Yeah, but he was always a bit mad. He was but in a way that was backed up by him actually being quite good. Yeah, okay. And it kind of from memory it kind of went started to go a bit wrong from Aston Villa when he spent loads and loads of money and he hasn't done hasn't worked in football in that way 2019 was his last job at Nottingham Forest but I just think for Harz it's fantastic they haven't won the league since what 1960 so like that 1960 yeah it's a long old time like it is all good I mean it depends what kind of effect Martin O 'Neill has but I mean looking at it I mean 2019 he had a short stint at Nottingham Forest before that he was island manager and it's important to note on the Nottingham Forest thing everyone had really high hopes about that because he had an amazing load of experience he was a legend at that oh yeah right intrinsically linked to Brian Clough in a way that Sean Dyche would love to be and it went wrong it just went wrong and that's the last time we've seen him as a manager he's basically been full time Keith Andrews hater since then and actually if he's the first if he's in post at one of the old firm clubs in the first season for 40 years where they don't win it that's massive for Andrews what a year for Andrews absolutely and it's miraculous and obviously keeps Brentford in the Premier League and his chief hater is angry about it and fucks up at Celtic it'd be incredible I mean obviously we are now team Andrews aren't we because as we know from the relationship O 'Neal and Andrews have you simply cannot criticise Martin O 'Neal or he will hate you yeah that's true just by talking about this we are team Andrews we've not made that clear and by the way if you may think well you know they obviously knew Brendan Rodgers.

35:36It wasn't a huge surprise in one sense that he finished as Celtic manager. It was the statement and how it kind of went down. And you think, well, okay, surely a club of that size and magnitude would have been seeking out potential replacements. And O 'Neal is very much on an interim basis. He said himself, you know, I'm just keeping the seat warm for whoever wants to kind of take the job. So O 'Neal is under no illusion. But, you know, sometimes we might give clubs too much credit in their future planning because O 'Neill seemed rather surprised that he got the offer. He said, I took a gasp of breath and thought, is this real or surreal?

36:15It's difficult really to turn down somebody who gave you the job in the first place when he had some really great options away back 25 years ago. From that viewpoint, maybe by the time that I pulled myself off the floor, I probably thought maybe I should do it. Now again, an eccentric guy. But yeah, I suppose you look at all this, surely, surely the league flag will be coming back to Timecastle. I also loved the one thing that would be an amazing like postscript to this whole story would be like this time tomorrow Brendan Rodgers walks into a lovely plum job that was his plan all along like Kaiser Soze getting rid of his limp out of the police station that would be so funny he props up Man United or something yeah we wouldn't be Man United they're going places true yeah what are those places potentially Europa Conference League yeah could be although it depends who wins the Carabao baby steps isn't it Europa League more likely Well, I tell you what though, saying if we can just very, very briefly, Paul Tisdale is heading up the search for Celtic's next permanent manager.

37:12He refers to himself as the football doctor. Yeah. Hasn't had a job in a little while, but he kind of... He has got a job, he's a football doctor. Sorry. He didn't spend six years at football medical school, Marcus, to be treated like that. That's poor. You believe that, Jim? I just thought he was local. He's a football doctor, mate. Yeah. Sounds a lot like a physio, doesn't it? But it's not that. Do you know what it sounds to me? Like he's pumping up footballs. well at Tisdale of course we remember him as Exeter well very dapper very dapper man very well dressed manager of Exeter City long time long time manager of Exeter City is he sort of the always like a cloth cap the Pete Donaldson of the football manager sort of well I've never seen Donaldson weirdly enough I've never seen Donaldson in a cravat which Tisdale did used to wear quite a lot yes but yeah I think I know what you mean same energy yeah yeah it was at Exeter City for a while MK Don's brief spell there Bristol Rovers and Stevenage and that was in 2022 when he left Stephen.

38:04He was at Exeter for a long time, Marcus. A very long time. At one point, he was the longest serving football league manager, I believe. He's essentially got this job, as you say, trying to help Celtic find their next permanent manager. And that's broadly quite interesting. But the article about him in the Scottish Sun is filled with what I can only describe as the most tepid quotes from him about how good he is. It sounds absolutely insufferable to me. What it sounds like is he's basically just bought a computer. Yeah. He loves the data. Yeah. It's like reading a chat GPT riddled bio on LinkedIn.

38:42Yeah. But it's worse than that as well. Because at some point he says, I've got this algorithm I developed 10 years ago. People were hating on me, telling me it was too basic. This sounds quite familiar actually. Yeah, exactly. Apart from I'm not even there as well dressed. And then he tries to justify his algorithm and his data set by saying, let's look at moments there's 12 shots in every game four hit the target one and a half of those go in the net is it a quantity thing or a frequency thing or a bit of both he's never faced Arsenal has he doesn't make any sense no doesn't make any sense at all there's another one about like one team has possession one team doesn't who's in control actually it's a bit of both yeah is that really insight yeah listen to this though this is a good bit of insight possibly straight from the data if the team has a high line you play behind them if they drop off you play in front of them there you are and that goes for warfare as well Martin O 'Neill permanently it is then do you know what I was going to say with Tisdale it wouldn't shock me if he fancied it he does it all his day he comes and goes seems like the right man for the job is right here also can't argue with those numbers he'll just type those numbers in by the way Martin if you hate Keith Andrews on the basis that he's just a set piece coach you're going to fucking hate Paul Tisdale Martin O 'Neill did about 5 minutes from how much he ate's XG on the TV the other day.

40:03He's not going to like a bloke coming in with a cravat talking about fucking data sets. Well, I'll tell you something though. So with, you know, brother Brendi Rogers having gone back there, obviously it didn't work out. Martin O 'Neill going back there as well. Big Ange. Could be. Yeah. That would be a disaster for Hearts if Ange went there. Because you're looking at me as if to say, have you not seen what's been going on? I just think that he would get them going again. Yeah, of course he would. I mean, I'm not sure about that. Although that said, I mean, the squad is in a much worse place than it was when he was, you know, in his Celtic heyday.

40:36So, you know. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is the bookies' current favourite to take over permanently. Yeah. I mean, that would be an interesting appointment. You'd have to say. Do you think that would be a good move for McKenna, though? I've got my doubts about that, really. I think there's an element to that where... Because basically, Ipswich have found the transition back to the Championship quite hard. They've been quite inconsistent. They're mid-table in the Championship at the moment. And there's an element to it. If you're a young up-and-coming manager, I can see the attraction of it because, of course, they're a massive club.

41:08And the scrutiny, the pressure, the spotlight, European football as well. It's a load of kind of stuff that if you do have designs on being a truly top manager at Premier League level, La Liga level, whatever, that's a good... I mean, it sounds disrespectful to Celtic. I suppose it kind of is in a way. I don't mean it to be, but it's a kind of good road test for you. But at the same time, I think, you can also get a bit forgotten about and people can be very snobby about your achievements in Scotland. Happened with Steven Gerrard. You would say that it probably got him the Aston Villa job, but then he piled in totally.

41:41Where is he now, you know? Bahrain. Is he in Bahrain still? Yeah, he was living in Bahrain. Yeah, but he left the Saudi club so he didn't get relegated, didn't he? Yeah, but he doesn't want to go home soon because of the old money situation. True. Okay. He's doing fine then, isn't he? Yeah. Ignore that analogy then. He's having a lot of fun. I know. I tell bars with presumably Peter Reed. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, I think what you said was correct. Well, look. Because with Kenner, I think more specifically, there's an element to it where he's taken Ipswich perhaps as far as he can. He got him to the Premier League, couldn't keep him in it, stayed on.

42:11To Ipswich's credit, they kept him in the job and now they're probably not going to be promoted this season. I wouldn't have thought. There's too many other strong candidates. So then where does he go, you know? Let's turn our attention to another Scottish side, Aberdeen, whose new sporting director once stole a penguin. Lutz Fannenspiel is their new sporting director, of course. He's quite the character. I'm sure a number of you will be familiar with him, and if you're not, you have been in recent days with a lot of articles being written about him. During his time playing in New Zealand, he once kidnapped a penguin and kept it in his bath.

42:46The club president told him to send it back or risk being deported. The thing about this, right, is that we've all heard that story before, right, and I'm sure lots of people listening have as well, because he played for so many clubs in his career. he essentially used football as a way to just see the world, didn't he? Yeah, because he turned down Bayern Munich very early. He said he didn't plan for that to happen. It just kind of panned out that way. Sure, but regardless of the intention of it, that is, as you say, what ended up happening. So, I mean, he played for possibly like double-digit numbers of clubs after this happened and has been sporting director at places, certain places he's managed a lot as well.

43:19Every time he takes a job, this story must come up. It must do. I think he loves it, though. He must have a one-man show's worth of material about this penguin We're just ready to go off the bat now from talking about this in the media so much. So I met Luke's fan of Steel. I spent a bit of time with him in Dusseldorf. He's obviously a friend of Andy's. Not sure how. Possibly they did some back-to-back drum bass sets together back in the 90s. And he's definitely a very eccentric character, but he is actually a sporting director. When I saw him at Fortuna Dusseldorf, he was, I think, in the second year of a two-year stint there.

43:53but he's unquestionably a real entertainer I remember at the time thinking he's spending quite a lot of time here in the build up to a game telling us stories about his travels and all the rest of it so I think he's just a bit of a kind of he loves it yeah he's a bit of a kind of raconteur type character really and also can I just divert from the joviality around the penguin I think that's a really horrible thing to do well indeed I think it did seem quite troubling I mean not as troubling perhaps as him spending quite a bit of time in a Singaporean jail I mean he was quite big out there he modelled for was it Armani he was playing for a team out there he had his own chat show or his own show or something but he was accused of match fixing because they said he was playing too well which is apparently what the judge said that his level of performance became sort of unrealistic compared to his usual one but in a positive way that's a great compliment which would keep you warm at night in a Singaporean jail I would have thought your club increased your wages and you responded by playing well that's a bright hang on but anyway he was released due to a lack of evidence but he was in the jail for quite some time something like 101 days isn't it which is horrendous he's had some career he's played in every single FIFA confederation he's the only player to do it isn't he I'd have thought so he finished playing a Namibian team called Ramblers now he goes which was also the coach so we'll always be welcome here but make sure you leave our penguins alone now coming up after this Fizzer is going for MLS glory

45:28Gentlemen, before we talk about tonight's Carabao Cup matches, mention for Sheffield Wednesday, of course, went into administration last week there, just in dire straits, but it was such an odd but understandable situation where Chancery, the owner, incredibly unpopular for many, many, many good reasons, puts them into administration. or they go into administration they had no other choice of course and the fans almost celebrated that because therefore he has to be removed from the club worth it yeah indeed feels like short term pain for long term gain right because all they've been focused on and rightly so is getting him out of the club right the football's almost become second year literally getting his name out of the stand is worth it yeah they yes that's right there were some fans wasn't there that were removing the letters spelling his name on the north stand which apparently over 100 ,000 people watched the live stream of how it happened.

46:25It is outrageous that he put his name in the seat in the stand. The ego of some of these people is astonishing to me. If you are going to be that much of a sort of... It's scandalous. It's absolutely scandalous. Yeah. If you're going to be that much of a kind of show off and you're going to have such a sort of vanity project like that, you've got to be good. Surely you have to be good. I think also, if you are the person who's deciding whether that happens or not and you're putting your own name in it, you're doing it for the wrong reasons anyway, let alone the money thing. look I would say as well in this don't let it be forgotten the really important and supportive role that my football club Portsmouth have played in this they're very charitable by a 2-0 home defeat against them a few weeks ago come to Fratton Park we rely on our home form it's really important that we win our games at home because we are dreadful away it's not been that bad this season but generally yeah roll over have your belly tickled to an absolutely dire straits Sheffield Wednesday they've won one in 12 Sheffield Wednesday and it was that game there you go you're welcome yeah I mean Wednesday are you know they're minus six points because they've had a deduction and so on they're almost certainly going to be relegated but one thing you would say about the Sheffield Wednesday fans I mean they they didn't go to a lot of the games recently to stay away from them whereas now since that game you had what 27 ,000 I think turned up last week which is their biggest gate of the season so far and with buying the tickets and the merch since Friday they've raised roughly half a million quid which is incredible it shows you again what you know what happens when everybody can club together.

47:52The administrator said that they've had four or five serious bidders for the club. But I think due to the rules, they need to market the club for a 28-day period. That's right. Yeah, because, you know, the chance here can't say, all right, I've sold it to my brother. No. The administration itself is always pensioned as 12 months, but that can be shortened. But in terms of getting a new owner, they have to let it out there for a certain amount of time, yeah. Yeah. So they said they've had, the guy doing the spokesperson for the administrator said, yeah, you do get a lot of people coming around and showing interest.

48:24And I thought, yeah, I can imagine you do. Like some up to time waiters. He said they've had four or five serious bidders. So then they've got to go through the fit and proper person's test. So he said, was it end of November? I think he probably would say in a bit of the timeline that would make sense. But you'll find out who the likely ones are. But it's an amazing opportunity for someone. Well, it is. Well, have you heard that Mike Ashley is said to be interested? Well, this is it, Jim. You will get all this kind of stuff. They're going to have to go through it properly. Sadly, though, the way that football clubs and the whole system works is if someone like Ashley does come along with the right amount of money and so on and so forth, they are going to be a serious bidder.

49:03And the fans will, again, have to club together and make their own kind of form one voice and make their thoughts felt about that. But one thing which was quite amusing in Among All This Crap was that they are set to auction off two golden elephant statues that Chan Ciri installed at Hillsborough. Who's going to buy them? The thing about that, though, is they're supposed to bring good luck, but they were around for a period of incredibly bad luck. I don't believe in curses. I also don't want that anywhere near my flat. Do you know what I mean? As you say, who is going to buy that? So they were supposed to bring good luck, and then they coincided with a massive period of bad luck.

49:38But the person who installed them was the broken charge of the luck, effectively, wasn't he? Maybe it's not on the elephants. I don't think it is. I think they're also victims in this take your elephants and luck off not you Lutz leave those where they are yeah he's just put them in his bath oh dear right well tonight in the Carabao Cup Liverpool host Crystal Palace here they are again so I'll tell you what who are the favourites for this it's bad playing loads of games when you keep losing them isn't it that's what I learnt from this Palace you know what to do get up them get the balls in the channels they don't like it yeah Arnie's slot as you guys said I think on Monday seems to be quite upset that teams are developing ways to play against Liverpool that's uncomfortable for them you're champions in England is he just reeling them in yeah maybe that's it it's quite a long line a very long line is it more of sort of an indictment of how pathetic everyone else was last season just sort of let them kind of stroll to it yeah possibly I've seen quite a few Liverpool fans talking about how the league is much tougher this season which might be a coincidence yeah probably is a coincidence tougher across the board yeah this is quite nice former Crystal Palace midfield James MacArthur is set to open a new Italian restaurant in East Kilbride according to the the spiel coming out of that Ruby's is the name and it's your new go to spot from easy breakfasts and relaxed lunches to family dinners big celebrations and nights that buzz with energy I love how that gets gradually more intense as the service goes on through the day what is James MacArthur planning here easy breakfast You end up with nice with buzzy bingo at the end.

51:17Amazing history. What's an easy breakfast? Don't know. Not sure. I like that in Scotland they call it a full Scottish breakfast though, not a full English. Well, obviously I'm going to say that. And then, funny enough, in Northern Ireland, what would it be? You've got an Ulster fry, I think. But yeah, you have an Irish breakfast. I'm sure you've got a Welsh breakfast. Everybody claims it in this part of the world. Some of the people from East Kilbride are very notable. Yes. You've got Ali McCoy, Suprae McCoy's from there. Alan McGee of Creation Records there you go he's from there and your friend of mine Lorraine Kelly he's also from East Keel the character Lorraine Kelly yeah both I think the character and the person yeah absolutely lovely lovely there we go elsewhere in the Carabao Cup Wolves face Chelsea boring isn't it yeah it's more boring that one yeah surely there will be goals there's no opportunity for an ooh there it feels there will be goals and I'm sure they'll be in the home actually having said that 1-0 Chelsea own goal ooh yeah I can see that I saw I don't know if you guys mentioned it on Monday but I saw the Vito Pereira and George Strand last time was fucking getting right amongst the fans yeah yeah they were yeah well we talked about that on the show I mean yeah will we see that again tonight not on the Carabao keep your power not worth it yeah not for 100 grand that's the final be fucking 10 grand for this yeah fair enough not worth it is it Jimmy you are you concerned about Brighton coming to town for Arsenal they have been a tricky opponent for Arsenal many many times I think that will be a tough game Arsenal are going to rotate so I think this is going to be a scrap actually yeah I wonder if young Max Downman will play yeah I mean Martinelli's not available and most of Arsenal's missing players are concentrated in those forward areas so I mean it's the most obvious answer to respire Kozaka is to start Downman so very possible I imagine we'll see him for sure at some point now Jim being a big Arsenal fan have you been a bit disappointed that no former Arsenal legends have been rapping with certain rappers at the Borla League this week would you love to see Tony Adams giving it a go for example I've actually been thrilled that they are doing that Tony Adams has to do his dance, his coaching dance that would be great former Chelsea captain John Terry performed a little rap with rapper RD at the Borla League this week, it's a sentence where I'm completely discombobulated in the same week that you're complaining that you're not getting any management jobs is it John maybe people might be seeing that and going is he taking it seriously yeah did you see Frank Lampard doing that is he a manager in the baller league is this him demonstrating what he can do why does no one want a rapping manager in the Premier League so the whole the whole story as far as I understand it and I was fortunate enough to be on a panel with one of the run the guy who runs the baller league a few weeks ago and he was telling me all about it is that so one of the teams is run by Angry Ginge who's a YouTuber Wade Rooney's mate he doesn't look that angry he is quite angry on Twitter and stuff that's like his thing he's Wade Rooney's mate yeah I remember I remember and they've obviously because Boer League has got no history they've started to try and kind of fabricate rivalries and stuff and I think in the last season of the Boer League there was a bit of a thing going on then John Terry came out as manager of another team I think they're called the 26th or something with this rapper and it was a rap about angry ginge yes I mean it's all very unedifying I mean John Terry's what a 40 year old man or something but he wasn't actually I watched it he wasn't actually really rapping he was doing a bit like what Flavor Flav used to do yeah shouting a name to keep in the time yeah hype man really I thought do you know what bearing in mind in the context etc etc I thought he did okay if I was to if I was an owner of a football club and I saw John Terry doing that I'd think you're not serious You don't want a job.

55:07Don't say you want a job when you don't want one. I'd like, well, we know he's a Celtic fan. Get him in there. Interestingly enough, the, interestingly enough, the, the Baller League's big thing this season is they've got apparently a masked up, anonymous, currently active Premier League player play. Yes, I did see that. He comes on for set pieces. That's outrageous, isn't it? Yeah. People have been speculating that it might be Mikhailo Mudrik. Right. Taking the set pieces. He just comes on with a mask on and a, It's like a bodysuit on against the hardest tattoos, takes a free kick or whatever, and then goes off again.

55:40And we said we're never going to talk about Bola League, but they've reeled us in, haven't they? What did you have? Did you have a chat with you? Let's save it for Uncut, your conversation with the guy who's one of the organisers. He's called Harry. He's a very nice man. I have to say he's a very nice man. He seems to be doing it all for the right reasons and seems to be really into it. So good on him. Okay. Not for me, but good on him. There we are. Right, before we leave, over in Major League Soccer, the playoffs are happening. Phil Neville's Portland Timbers lost 1-0 to San Diego in their first of three playoff legs.

56:06Three legs, Jim. Three legs. Over, way, and neutral, presumably. It's Rolf Harris-esque. That is strange, isn't it? What, a Rolf Harris reference? Well, absolutely. Check the peg, the extra leg. That's his song. Yeah, that's what he's famous for. Yeah. Do you know what, Spie? The Rolf Harris thing was yet more mud in the eye for the city of Southampton. Because they had a massive... It is. I'll tell you why. Do you want to know why? How? I will tell you how. It's unbelievable. I'm going to tell you how. Because... You're... Portsmouth, you've got your... Well, Gary Glitter was Gosport. There we go.

56:41Which is actually where I grew up. You admit it then. Yeah. I admit that I lived it for a short time in the same town as Gary Glitter, yes. All right. Lived it, eh?

56:52Save that for uncut. The Southampton Shopping Centre is called West Quay Shopping Centre, right? It's nowhere near as good as Gunwolf Quay, but that's a different story. In the middle of it, It was like a circular thing over several floors. I don't know if it's still there, but in the middle of it, it had art on display available to buy from local artists. But the big showpiece thing was a massive permanent exhibition of Rolf Harris's artwork. Right. And you could buy it. So he lived locally, did he? I don't know what the link was. I don't know, but they absolutely had to hurriedly take it down.

57:27So more mud in the eye for them. Embarrassing for him. I didn't but they're they're absolutely lording up Harris's work yeah but they didn't know nobody knew don't matter how I found out I saw a post from a good friend of mine on Facebook around that time when they were all dropping like flies yeah and it just it just simply said Rolf say it ain't so anyway MLF players MLF MLS playoffs well done Major League Football you've corrected that there haven't you yeah I did I did it was a sort of weird Freudian slip so Fizz has done well to get him in the postseason. Of course, he's done marvellously well.

58:03And they're still in it. Only one nil down. Two legs to put that right for some reason. But elsewhere in the playoffs though, FC Cincinnati beat Columbus Crew in the hell is real derby. This game takes its name from a highway billboard located on Interstate 71 between Columbus and Cincinnati. They also have Heck is Plausible. Yeah, that's the MLS Next Pro which is like the sort of The second team's derby. Heck is Plausible. It's plausible. And if you like a heck sausage like I do, Jim, which is a chicken one. I do as well, actually. I mean, heck is inevitable. Yes, it's absolutely right. You can get different flavour of the heck sausages, though, not just chicken ones.

58:37The chicken ones are very, very low in calories and very nice, but you can get pork ones as well. I think, though, if you go to the supermarket, you'd have to go to a bigger one. The chicken ones are much more prominent. Exactly. Are you doing the Italian chicken or just the straight chicken? Oh, both. Yeah, I like both as well. Italian's a bit more herby. Yeah, again, though, I'm ambidextrous, so I can have either. Yeah. Thanks for listening

58:59keep listening for Ramble Uncut if you're not a friend of the Ramble you should also stick around as we've got a clip from a recent Ramble Uncut for you to enjoy and if you like what you hear make sure you head over to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to get involved now thank you very much Jim thank you thank you Luke Moore thank you very much Marcus and thank you Fulham Football Club for just about not embarrassing me in that way

59:29So I'll contextualise it for people who don't remember. I think I can remember a bit of it. So 2010 in June, Robbie Earle has his contract cancelled by ITV and has binned off the World Cup coverage because... He was a big pundit. Well, because... Yeah, he was, he was. Because he gave some World Cup tickets away for the Netherlands v. Denmark match. Now he says he gave them on to a friend who sold them on to a company called Bavaria Brewery who orchestrated an ambush marketing event, which is in breach of FIFA rules. It was the ladies, wasn't it? Yeah, all these attractive Dutch women. But obviously, Bavaria Brew were not an approved FIFA sponsor.

1:00:06So he was in contravention of that rule, which he signed up to as being part of a FIFA event. And he lost his job, right? He then lost his job as being an ambassador for England's World Cup 2018 bid, which went well. Could have used him. Maybe that's why we didn't get it. But so he then came out and said, look, you know, it was naive. It was proven that he didn't profit in any way, which he didn't. and he was kind of gutted, but he lost his job, right? You feel it's a bit Sam Allardyce in Wings Restaurant. Kind of in a way. Silly thing to do. Until you get into the detail, which is remarkable.

1:00:38And there's two details I want to say, just give to you. One is, he was on 150 grand a year for doing that. 150 grand for Robbie Earle. Fireman. Which is wild, right? What do you mean? As in like, that's too much? That was his contract. Are you mad? What's he bringing? He's on ITV television. like is that a lot of money there's a lot of money for Earl yeah but like compared to BBC he wouldn't get that on the BBC he'd be on 80 but 150 on ITV I share in Luke's exclaiming of that people focus too much on the price and not the value he did score Jamaica's first ever goal in the World Cup yeah he did and that's fair enough the worst I'm just building up to the main one here we go I'm just building up for this right guess how many free tickets Robbie fucking Earl got for that World Cup I mean so I what in total or just that match I could give you the in total number for the tournament and the amount for the final right so nice Robbie well getting any tickets so I would I would think you change your tune see I would think per game if he was interested I'm thinking a handful right like up to four that would be a reasonable that's what I would think yeah without trying to ruin the answer I don't have the per game I only have the tournament in total and for the final right so you've got the the main game do you want the final first or the tournament because you are going to be fucking you're going to shit an embryo at both of them let's go for the whole tournament then 400 400 tickets for the World Cup yeah but I kind of again the break I mean that is how many what World Cup year was this?

1:02:112010 2010 so I'm thinking I mean how many games would they have been at that World Cup? 98 was still 64 matches 64 matches yeah about 60 right there you go yeah it is a lot what about the final then? guess how many tickets? So again, I'm thinking for... Robbie Earle would give him for the final of the WorldCast. Three tickets per match. He's one pundit on one broadcaster. Hang on. So Pete, you've just done the calculations. It's three tickets per match. Which, yeah, okay, so that goes in what I'm saying about four. Yeah, but the final was quite heavily front. Yeah, we couldn't get in it. No, we couldn't.

1:02:44We were outside. We were outside. Go on then. With our boo-boo zeller. I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll do it like Bruce Forsyth. There we go. Play your cards right. Right, yeah. So I'll get an opening offer from Pete. Yeah. And then Marcus, you go higher or lower, and then we'll work it out. So Pete, how many tickets do you think Robbie Earle got for the World Cup final, Robbie Earle, in 2010? I think he got five. Five. So I... I want it higher or lower. I mean, it has to be high, but I don't want to kind of... Okay. Higher than five, you say? I think five is high. Yeah, I think higher than five.

1:03:15What are you going for? So I would have gone for four or five. Right. So I think the way you're talking about this, he got 20 tickets. 20 tickets for the World Cup final. Robbie L. Yeah, go on. Pete, would you go higher or lower than that? No, God, no. Nowhere near. Okay. I feel I might have won this. The answer is 40.

1:03:37It's just... Jesus Christ. It's just obscene. 40 tickets. It's obscene. And he reportedly didn't sell any of them. Sorry, Dutch fans that have travelled. Yeah. Robbie L's spread out over three seats. He's sitting on 40 tickets. There's 20-odd Dutchmen going, who are involved in the squad. Can I get any for my family? No. You've all got just one each. You want to speak to Robbie? Yeah, Robbie will get you a plus one. Is he, what, he's done it for Dutch television? Nah. England are out. They went out two and a half weeks ago. Like the Spanish boys, same as you. The Spanish boys didn't qualify. Only if he was an actual Earl would this make sense.

1:04:18And even then it wouldn't be done. Is he the Earl of football? Is that what it was? Someone calculated how much 40 World Cup foil tickets were worth. 70 grand. Yeah, I was going to say. 70 grand worth of tickets. And they were nice tickets then, clearly. I'll have the money, please, Noel. Yeah, I know. That's what he said. He didn't profit. He didn't profit personally. That's slander. He didn't profit personally, yeah. Not personally. The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.