Football Book Club

It's the final EVER episode of Football Book Club! But we're going out in style, as we read the best (or worst) titled footballer's autobiography of all time, Lee McCulloch's 'Simp-Lee The Best'. Because, my friends, that's exactly what these past seven years have been. Featuring the former Wigan and Rangers hero going into battle at Ibrox. Having his chips eaten in front of Emile Heskey. His inge...

It's almost time for our last ever episode! So naturally we're getting all sentimental and looking back over seven years of big laughs and literary lows, as we go back to the beginning to choose our favourite moments from six series and almost a hundred, breakdown-inducing books. Featuring Neil Redfearn on vampires, Gary Lineker's elderly writing team, Louis Saha getting confused for a Boeing 747,...

It's time to experience something every single one of us has always wanted to - live a year in the life of Ashley Williams. Thanks to the former Wales and Swansea captain's 2012 book 'My Premier League Diary'. Featuring Ashley and Swansea's attempts to survive their debut season in the premier league, his hatred of Andrey Arshavin, the time Nathan Dyer wore some funny headphones, and what he did o...

This week we're thinking OUTSIDE the box, with goalkeeping God and, apparently, part-time life coach Brad Friedel! Thanks to a book we've never read the likes of before - his incredibly LinkedIn coded, 2009 autobiography 'Thinking Outside The Box'. Featuring endless motivational quotes, Brad's uneasy rivalry with David James, why no one should trust Craig Bellamy, and how Brad has basically rewrit...

Listener Nina has sent us in a book that, even after 96 episodes, we've never seen the likes of before. 'Over The Moon' - a collection of 90s football poems written by some of the greatest players of their generation, including Gazza, Gordon Banks, John Fashanu. Plus Pam Ayers. Featuring John Motson's terrible limericks, Jimmy Hill's take on 'Jerusalem', Gazza's genuinely heartbreaking verse, an o...

It's time to celebrate everyone's favourite era of modern history - noughties Everton under David Moyes. And who better to guide us through it than Toffees hero and midfield mastermind, Leon Osman? Courtesy of his 2015 book 'Ossie: My Autobiography'. Featuring Leon's bromance with Tony Hibbert, a very meek Phil Neville, Thomas Gravesen's inappropriate bearhugs, and a disastrous FA Cup final day wh...

This week we're reading Arsenal's Invincibles hero, former Germany number 1 and genuine madman, Jens Lehmann's poorly translated book 'The Madness Is On The Pitch'. Featuring Jens on Emmanuel Eboué, his heated rivalry with Oliver Kahn, and the not very tranquil way he's decided to spend his retirement. Plus James's dad's famous new referee friend, why British plugs are the best, and an extra speci...

With great nervousness, we're venturing into the Alan Brazil multiverse once again. And joining us to do so, we welcome back Three Bean Salad & Beef and Dairy Network's very own Alan Brazil expert, Ben Partridge. This time we're reading Alan's second book, 2008's 'Both Barrels From Brazil: My War On The Numpties' - written with his Talksport partner-in-crime Mike 'Porky' Parry. A collection of...

James Boughen takes over hosting duties this week, as he 'treats' us to - quite possibly - the dullest book ever written. Liverpool and Finland legend Sami Hyypiä's forgettable 2002 book 'From Voikkaa to the Premiership'. Featuring Sami listening to rock music with Markus Babbel, his fledgling film career, lots of stuff about rye bread, run-ins with Ole Gunnar Solskjær, and why we ALL need to be c...

Ninety books in and we *may* have found the greatest, most sinister, and downright bonkers autobiography yet - as we read former Leeds, Newcastle and England hero David Batty's incredible 2001 book 'My Autobiography'. And reading it with us is The Independent's very own tactical mastermind & Newcastle superfan, the brilliant Adam Clery. Featuring David's childhood love of the Yorkshire Ripper,...

Rio Ferdinand - premier league winner, England legend and, to our knowledge, the only footballer to ever release an autobiography with a hashtag in its title. This week we're reading his 2014 classic '#2Sides', featuring Rio on Fergie, racism, nice hats and why footballers should be able to eat as many chips as they like. Plus Rio's dressing room playlist, Harry Redknapp's incredibly lazy foreword...

Sex, more sex, and *just a little bit* of football. This week we're reading ex-Newcastle United hero Mick Quinn's romp of a read (quite literally) 'Who Ate All The Pies', featuring Football Clichés and The England Pod's very own David Walker. Including Mick's heroics at Newcastle, falling out with Kevin Keegan, high speed pulling on a motorway AND a TGI Friday's in Coventry, Mick's second career a...

It's (almost) Christmas! And as it's a time for giving, James has generously gifted each member of the Book Club FIVE WHOLE POUNDS to spend on the best, worst or downright weirdest football book they can find at a charity shop. Featuring bizarrely drawn Liverpool legends, Tony Cascarino's unfortunate Boxing Day, a mysterious Christmas card, and we find out the Alan Shearer we *think* we know is ac...

This week on FBC Classics, we're heading back to our Series 2 opener, where we read Jerzy Dudek's incredibly titled 'A Big Pole In Our Goal', and found out about Jerzy's charmed life when it comes to cheating death by brick, boiling coffee, goose scares and almost drowning while fishing for cuttlefish in a mine. To listen to the full episode, scroll back in your feeds to Series 2 Episode 1 'Jerzy...

This week we're reading Leicester legend and all-round 90s hero, Muzzy Izzet's 2015 classic 'Muzzy: My Story'. And it's everything we dreamed it would be. Featuring Martin O'Neill: Amateur Masseur, Muzzy watching Eight Legged Freaks at the 2002 World Cup, pure hatred towards Tim Sherwood and the wider Middlesbrough area, and Nicky Summerbee's disappointing choice of nickname. Plus Jesy Nelson, Sup...

David Ginola might be best known for his mazy dribbles and luscious, L'Oreal infused locks, but did you know he once successfully raised the dead? Probably not! But that's what we found out when the brilliant comedian Rhys James joined us to read his Spurs hero's 2000 autobiography 'Le Magnifique'. To listen to the full episode, scroll back in your feeds to Series 5 Episode 3 'David Ginola's 'Le M...

This week we're entering the mad, mad world of larger-than-life football league legend, Barry Fry. As we read his classic 2000 autobiography 'Big Fry' with Jack Rivlin & Zachary Sweeney-Lynch of the brilliant The Upshot podcast. Featuring Barry's many run-ins with extremely dodgy chairmen, lifting a curse on St Andrew's with his own urine, signing George Best for Dunstable, identifying a headl...

After Luke Chadwick joined us last week, we're sticking with the Manchester United theme by revisiting the time we read Gary & Phil Neville's jointly-written 'For Club & Country'. The highlight of which was their *genuine* trip to the cinema with Sir Alex Ferguson to watch Spiceworld: The Movie. Plus the Man United dressing room ponder over whether Princess Diana was the best looking woman...

Ex-Manchester United, West Ham & MK Dons hero Luke Chadwick joins us this week to tell us all about his brilliant autobiography 'Not Just A Pretty Face'. Featuring Luke on life under Sir Alex, terrifying Man United initiations, Roy Keane the mentor, getting addicted to Big Brother 2, and Lee Croft's insane theories. Plus Luke opens up about the chants he faced, and the mental health issues he...

As it's spooky season, here's a late Halloween present courtesy of Ivo Graham and Neil Redfearn. As Neil tells us all about his latest controversial signing in the transfer market. This clip is taken from Series 3 Episode 3 'Neil Redfearn's 'There's Only One Neil Redfearn (ft. Ivo Graham)', which you can listen to in full by scrolling back through the Football Book Club podcast feed. See you next...

For one week only Football Book Club becomes Football Quiz Club! As FBC face Joe and Theo from the brilliant Career We Go podcast in a battle over our old friend Gary Lineker's 96/97 Soccer Quiz Book. Featuring extremely dated rounds on all things 1996/97, Famous Garys, You're the Ref, Real Book Fake Book and, of course, quickfire Barry Venison Bonanza. Who will come out victorious? Find out now.....

With Maisie Adam currently on Taskmaster and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink currently tangoing his way across the Strictly dancefloor, what better time to revisit our episode featuring both of them? Back in 2021, Maisie brought us her Leeds hero's autobiography, only to find a manifesto on soft porn and chips with vinegar, and discovered the perils of opening Jimmy's book on the set of A League Of Their...

The Taskmaster's Assistant himself, Liverpool fan Little Alex Horne joins us to read Wales legend Ian Rush’s 2009 *epic* 'Rush: The Autobiography'. Featuring Ian's short-lived phase dressing up as David Bowie, 'surreal banter' with Mark Lawrenson, footballers with Mr Men names, joy at Liverpool, struggles in Italy, a dramatic reading where Ian attacks Kenny Dalglish's wife with a scone, and why Ia...

The brilliant journalist, Spanish football expert & Sunday Times bestselling author Guillem Balagué is back on Book Club! And this time he's here to discuss his brilliant new biography 'Rise of the Villans: Inside Unai Emery's Aston Villa Revolution' (out now via Orion Publishing). Including Guillem on Unai the disruptor, trademarking the words 'good ebening', and exactly how much Jhon Duran i...

This week the Book Club are reading 'Take Note!' - the 2010 autobiography by James's favourite ever player, Spurs, Portsmouth & England legend Darren Anderton. Featuring an unhinged foreword by Terry Venables, arguments over the phone with Alan Sugar, Gazza the wise sage, Darren's *many* holidays to America, the truth behind his injury record, and the most disgusting prank we've ever encounter...