The Ringer

Crossways - A Women’s Football Show With Steph Houghton and Ian Wright

Sports EN ↓ 67 episodes

Crossways is a women's football show hosted by former England internationals Steph Houghton and Ian Wright. Two football legends, from two sides of the game and with two very different journeys to the top combine their experiences for this weekly video podcast, coming to you from Manchester and London. Every week, Crossways will set you up with everything you need to know about the Barclays WSL and beyond. Steph and Ian will bring you stories from behind the scenes of the women's game and the business of football, as well as gather score predictions, questions and input from you, the fans. Wat...

Author

The Ringer

Category

Sports

Podcast website

www.theringer.com

Latest episode

May 27, 2026

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Episodes

Man Utd Drop Points, Man City Go Top, and Poor Refereeing 11.11.2025

There's a lot to talk about after the dramatic 1-1 draw between hosts Arsenal and visitors Chelsea at the Emirates, with goals disallowed, a red card missed, and poor refereeing making hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright question whether or not the WSL would benefit from VAR. They then move on to their standout players and teams from the rest of the week's fixtures, with Wrighty loving London City...

Evaluating the Lionesses: Debuts, Red Cards, and History 29.10.2025

Our hosts Ian Wright and Steph Houghton unpack the Lionesses’ friendlies against Brazil and Australia, pick out the best performers and debutants, and show love for Khiara Keating as she makes history. Wrighty expresses his worries for Australia’s Matildas ahead of the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026—is there enough time for them to learn a new style? And both Steph and Ian heap praise on icon Jess Fish...

Wrighty Answers Your Questions! 17.10.2025

We're on the sofa with host Ian Wright this week! Wrighty starts by sharing his thoughts on the UEFA Women's Champions League matchups, with all three English teams winning their second-round matches. Then he gets to answering some of the questions sent in by the Crossways community. Tune in to hear his answers about Sarina Wiegman's call-ups for the latest England squad, Barcelona in the WSL, whi...

Crossways on the road at Everton v Man Utd 14.10.2025

It's the first Crossways episode on the road, following host Ian Wright as he travels to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for Everton vs Man Utd. Earlier in the week, both Steph Houghton and Ian predicted Everton to lose (Steph 0-2, Ian 1-2), but it was an even more disappointing result than predicted for Everton, losing 4-1. But Wrighty finds the positives in his post-game catch ups with Ruby Mace and...

A Season-Defining Weekend Ahead 02.10.2025

Our hosts, Ian Wright and Steph Houghton, are back together to preview this weekend's massive Barclays Women's Super League clashes. They start with Manchester City vs. Arsenal—getting into the Bunny Shaw vs. Katie Reid matchup and Man City's defensive worries—and discuss whether Yui Hasegawa is the best midfielder in the league. Then, their talk turns to Manchester United vs. Chelsea. Can Manches...

Tribute to Matt Beard, the Challenge of Player Rotation, and Kafaji’s Strong Start 22.09.2025

Crossways opens with Steph Houghton's and Ian Wright's tributes to Matt Beard, with Steph hailing him as one of the first people to truly back women's football in her early playing days. They then take a look back at the WSL fixtures, starting with Manchester United vs. Arsenal's goalless draw and the hot topic of selection and player rotation. Wrightyand Steph agree Alessia Russo wasn't played in...

Ballon d’Or Prediction, Sam Kerr’s Return, Cathinka Tandberg’s Goal, and Steph as City Manager? 18.09.2025

Results from the latest WSL matchups make for some interesting discussions on this week's episode of Crossways. Hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright talk up Alessia Russo, Bunny Shaw, and Tottenham's performance against Everton, but they are baffled by Arsenal's decision to leave Jenna Nighswonger off the match-day squads despite an impressive preseason. Cathinka Tandberg's stunning goal and Sam Ke...

What Do the Opening Fixtures Say About the New WSL Season? 10.09.2025

Wrighty and Steph go deep with their analysis of the WSL opening weekend's fixtures: what and who surprised them, and what the performances and squads say about the season ahead. Reaction from Arsenal v. London City Lionesses at the Emirates, including Katie Reid giving away the penalty, how that shaped the game, and Reid's individual performance. And of course, Olivia Smith as part of Arsenal's s...

Transfers, Predictions, Big League Changes: Crossways Is Back for WSL 2025-26 04.09.2025

Crossways is back for the new WSL season, and there's already a lot on the table. How much will the WSL minimum wage be? Will the London City Lionesses' signing strategy pay off? Will Olivia Smith start? Hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright answer all these questions and more as they kick off Season 2. First, they welcome The Cutback's Flo Lloyd-Hughes to the new Crossways London studio to get into...

Lionesses Are Euro Champions Again! 29.07.2025

The Lionesses are UEFA Women's Euro champions again! As excited as two kids in a sweet shop, Crossways hosts Ian Wright and Steph Houghton can barely contain their pride and excitement following England’s dramatic victory over Spain to retain their UEFA Women’s Euro title. They discuss the starting defensive pairing of Leah Williamson and Jess Carter, Jess’s immense mental strength, the power of C...

Lionesses Reach Euro Final in Dramatic Fashion 24.07.2025

England Lionesses’ dramatic comeback to win against Italy in extra time gives Crossways host Ian Wright plenty to talk about in this Euros special. High praise for super subs Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly, highlights from the full 120 minutes, and thoughts on what this could mean for Italian women’s football. Wrighty finishes with a lookahead to the final against Germany or Spain. Hosts: Ian W...

Lionesses Progress to Euro Quarterfinals 14.07.2025

Steph Houghton and Ian Wright reflect on England’s final group stage match against Wales, in which England ran out comfortable winners and earned second place in Group D at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. The hosts speak about Wales and what it will take for them to keep progressing, before considering the Lionesses’ chances against Sweden. Crossways predictions make a return as the pair attempt to predic...

Lionesses Bounce Back in 4-0 Victory 10.07.2025

Steph Houghton and Ian Wright give their reaction to the Lionesses’ match vs. Netherlands at UEFA women’s Euro 2025. Our hosts give credit to Sarina Wiegman’s changes, praising the individual and collective performances for England. Ian and Steph also had higher expectations for the Dutch team who are now on the brink of elimination. Hosts: Steph Houghton and Ian Wright Executive Producer: Roscoe...

Lionesses Begin Their Euro Defence With Defeat to France 06.07.2025

Steph Houghton and Ian Wright are back for the UEFA women’s Euros, picking apart England’s opening match vs. France in Switzerland. Our hosts reflect on the tournament so far, with Switzerland vs. Norway being the standout match, before diving into the key moments of Lionesses vs. France. Did Sarina Wiegman get the starting lineup right? Where did England go wrong? And has the offside rule gone to...

Rebrand of the WSL, and Crossways WSL Team of the Season Revealed 16.05.2025

Hosts Ian Wright and Steph Houghton discuss the rebrand of the WSL and Championship, calling for transparency and clarity for the fans and clubs so that everyone can get on the same page about the future of women's football in England. Wrighty calls for the excitement and intensity of the Championship game between the London City Lionesses and Birmingham City to be everywhere in the WSL next seaso...

Chelsea and London City Lionesses Are Champions, As WSL Top 3 Is Confirmed 07.05.2025

It’s no secret that Ian Wright and Steph Houghton—like all women’s football fans—have been discussing the wider problem of the top flight being sewn up by barely halfway through the season. But now that Chelsea are champions, something else runs deeper: the hosts’ respective teams are struggling. Are the latest Arsenal and Manchester City results just blips, or signs of deeper issues? On a more po...

UWCL Reaction After Arsenal Overturn Deficit to Reach the Final 29.04.2025

Hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright have a lot to talk about in Episode 27 of Crossways, coming to you after Arsenal overturned a deficit in their massive return leg against Lyon to reach the UWCL final. They have a shot at becoming Champions League winners for the first time since 2007. In stark contrast, Chelsea received a thrashing from Barcelona, losing 4-1 twice. And Wrighty seeks to make WSL...

Disappointment and Domination in the UWCL Semifinals, and will Wrighty Eat Humble Pie After the Return Legs? 23.04.2025

As the hosts get warmed up for Episode 26 of #Crossways, Ian Wright admits feeling Ange Postecoglou’s pain as a manager after Wembley Rangers FC’s loss in Baller League. And with the Wentworth golf pro-am on the horizon, Steph Houghton admits she hasn’t practiced her swing since last year. Getting into football, Wrighty and Steph try to find positives in the English teams’ UEFA Women’s Champions L...

Third Consecutive FA Cup Final for Man United and Looking Ahead to a Huge European Weekend 16.04.2025

Crossways hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright reflect on the Women’s FA Cup semifinals and discuss if they'd be better off hosted at neutral venues. Then, it’s time to unpack the bigger picture for each team. Has Manchester United closed the top three gap? How important is the summer for Liverpool? Are Chelsea really at their best right now? And why the pile-up of injuries at Manchester City? The...

England’s Loss to Belgium, Agyemang’s Stunner, and Wrighty’s Poor Predictions 09.04.2025

Coming in hot off the back of the Lionesses' defeat to Belgium in their UEFA Women's Nations League group game, just days after they thrashed them 5-0. Crossways hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright discuss their fall from grace, highlighting stunning performances from Belgium's Tessa Wullaert and lamenting England's poor communication. Michelle Agyemang gets the praise she deserves after scoring t...

Talking All Things Champions League After Those Dramatic Second Leg Matchups 28.03.2025

A huge week in the Champions League makes for a busy episode of #Crossways with both Chelsea and Arsenal overturning big deficits and progressing to the semifinals in dramatic style. Waiting for them are Barcelona and Lyon, who, in comparison, cruised through their second-leg matchups. Ian and Steph have all the talking points from both games, with Steph sharing her experience of being on the Manc...

Bad Pitches, Chelsea's First Loss, a Disappointing Arsenal, and a Relegation Battle Reignited 21.03.2025

Hosts Steph Houghton and Ian Wright go back to the basics with Arsenal’s loss to Real Madrid, sharing their disappointment at the team's inability to adapt as the game went on. And, of course, that pitch. They also look at a revitalized Man City, whose victory over Chelsea in the first leg of UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals marked Chelsea's first loss this season—is this a sign of thin...

Arsenal Crash Out of the FA Cup, Nick Cushing Back to Man City, Taylor Hinds, and Predictions 14.03.2025

‘Crossways’ is back after Arsenal’s loss to Liverpool, which saw them knocked out of the FA Cup at the quarterfinal stage. Hosts Ian Wright and Steph Houghton agree that the side lacked energy and the players need to show more pride in their personal performances. But they keep the faith with Renée Slegers. Steph lauds Nick Cushing as the best manager she ever had as he returns to hopefully bring...

Beth Mead Joins Crossways, WSL With No Relegation, and FA Cup Predictions 07.03.2025

Ian Wright and Steph Houghton discuss the hotly debated proposed changes to the WSL and Championship leagues, with expansion and no relegation on the table. The hosts then throw out their predictions for the Women's FA Cup quarter final match ups and welcome Crossways second-ever guest, Beth Mead. Beth talks all things football under Renee Slegers, her injury and comeback, as well as the thinking...

Lionesses Defeat the World Champions: How It Unfolded 28.02.2025

Steph Houghton and Ian Wright are back, this week with reactions to Lionesses vs. Spain in the UEFA Women's Nations League. The hosts reflect on the key moments of the match, including Sarina Wiegman's substitutions and a huge performance from Lauren James. They then look back on mixed results for Wales and Republic of Ireland before giving Barclays Women's Super League score predictions for this...

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