LOI Central

In this week's carbon neutral pod we travel forward in time to chat to Tom Grivosti of St. Pats and virtually welcome Derry and Ireland Under 21 Assistant Manager Alan Reynolds back to the pod to talk about handshakes, housewreckers, headcases and a small bit of football. There's the continuing saga of the mystery voice, the new Johnny Ward voice of advertising, the increasingly popular mailbag, t...

What's the difference between X-Factor and X-Rated? It's not quite a PC discussion but we do have a PC to join us this week with Paul Corry dropping in along with Pat Fenlon to discuss the relationship they could have enjoyed, Troy Parrott's development, the coaching of Irish midfielders and much more besides. Johnny's favourite young managers get a mention but there's credit for some old dogs too...

Sun's out and Johnny's out, well out from the cloud of CoVid and back in studio for episode 6. Guitar hero, winged wonder and ex PFAI executive Ollie Cahill, joins us for a chat about Dan's dubious predictions, Away days in Kyiv, "The Gaza Strip" in Abbotstown, Paul Doolin, the other 'Ollie' at Shels and a whole heap of miscellany too random to work into this piece. All of this plus a roundup of t...

This weeks show is brought to you by the letter 'C'. C is for Cheltenham, CoVid, Clattering, Custodians and Chunes. With Johnny isolating, Dan grabs words with Stephen O’Donnell and the Irish sounding German Leon Pohls after Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers before the separated duo joust over mystery voices, echo chambers, double week of fixtures,and season passes. Topically there's a Ukraine Charity Mat...

A downright giddy pod has Johnny shoulder dancing with GAA players, those Kiwi gypsies who apparently rejuvenated a championship winning team, and should you get a player sent off? If that wasn't enough we have a very special guest as Ireland Under 21 manager Jim Crawford drops by for a lengthy chat. As well as the upcoming Sweden game and the lowdown on the current class of '22, there's tackling...

It's episode 3 and Mark Scanlon, the League of Ireland Director, drops by the pod for an extended chat about the big issues. There's third tiers, women's leagues, season tickets, LOI TV, Stadia, rankings and everything in between. As well as all that we have your mailbag questions answered , a sprinkling of Damien Duff, and our new and improving Mystery Voice competition where you can win beer if...

On the day the national underage league launches, we have a fascinating talk with two people employed full time to run an academy in Ireland. Cork City's Liam Kearney and Shamrock Rovers' Shane Robinson drop by the studio to look at how the underage game has developed and hopes to develop in light of Brexit and the new European football landscape. Also on this weeks captivating episode Dan delves...

It's a brand new season but with some old favourites. Johnny's ankle is fixed after his cup final cliffhanger and his first two legged assignment is to welcome Damien Duff to his world of young management. Johnny McDonnell drops in on his way back from Karachi to explain the St Patrick's Athletic/Pakistan/Michael Owen alliance which raised more eyebrows than Johnny's winter move to the FAI. Dan is...

For our 2021 swan song we have cup winning captain Ian Bermingham in studio to talk new season, new contract, new manager and new baby! We also have some of his old manager's press conference as Johnny poses a few questions to Stevie O'Donnell. Georgie Kelly zooms in and explains why he had to strike while the iron was hot. Johnny and Dan discuss the big news stories over the last week and Aisling...

Unlike a book of Charlie Haughey's broken promises we do return for a penultimate show with Johnny the one legged wisecrackin' reluctant beer drinking sidelined journalist and Dan, the Woodstein of the current breaking news week in his own version of 'All the Presidents Men' where Michael D has tape recordings of this week's guests Shane Supple and Ian Morris in compromising conversations. Probabl...

After perhaps the craziest ten days in the history of the League of Ireland, Shels keeper Brendan Clarke and Pulitzer candidate David Sneyd join the lads to talk a crazy managerial merry-go-round, the FAI Cup final, Marc Bircham's Waterford demise, and UCD's playoff win. Our penultimate podcast of the year had to be recorded on Zoom because as Dan was breaking stories, Johnny was breaking his ankl...

On this week’s super special extra bonus party golf club pod we have PFAI awards nominees Georgie Kelly and Ross Tierney from Bohemians who completely break the mould and stereotypes of footballers as they delve into heartfelt discussions of family, personal loss, mental health, sustainability and economics. They do mention football once or twice too. And on cup final week we also hear from St Pat...

Dan is back from the Grand Duchy after watching Ireland turn a corner and negotiate a tricky road. Unlike Johnny who ended up in an ambulance trying to do the same. Dundalk’s Brian Gartland stops by with an old team mate, Dane Massey of Drogheda United to talk about the seismic Oriel Park takeover, the restoration of class and dignity, Mexican nightclubs, 2016 memories, Brian’s book and the Galway...

Even if you were at The Beatles in the Adelphi in '64, U2 at The Dandelion in '79, Green Day in The Attic in '90 or Bob Dylan in Vicar St. in '00, unless you were also at the Galway United Under 14 Cup triumph last week your passport is missing a vital stamp. So much so we invited Will Clarke, the FAI League of Ireland Academy Development manager, to join this week's pod where he talks about the p...

D Day today! Duffer is in, Doolin and Doyle are out! Amid all the comings and goings, we welcome Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopes to studio to reflect on the title win for the Hoops and give us sketchy details on a weekend of celebrations. The only Crumlin man in the Cape Verde squad has tales of African airports and incarceration in a Santry hotel as well as the low down on today's b...

As Johnny returns from his stopstart trip around Europe, Ireland chief scout Stephen Rice dropped by on his way to Dublin Airport and another week of planes, trains and automobiles for the sake of his country. We talked about his Irish role, playing style and directors box style and managed to fit in a bit of Brexit implications and young manager bingo. Ricer also reflected on his favourite memori...

Allez oop! With Johnny donning his Maillot Jaune in the south of France and dishing out geography lessons from a hotel lobby we return to a more normal running time after last week's Doolothon. Dan is in studio A with Killian Brennan and Mark Rossiter. Old team mates who share stories of crowd chants, hairdryers, dressing room bust ups and silly yellow cards. There's also time to reflect on Stephe...

Last May, the stars of 'Friends' reunited for a marathon two hour special to reflect on the good times with the added bonus of lining their pockets. This week on the show, Paul Doolin and Graham Gartland came together for the price of a cup of coffee to reflect on their days at Drogheda where the tough taskmaster boss - who is now back in the game with Athlone - kept a dressing room which included...

School's out for Wexford manager Ian Ryan who joins Shelbourne's Georgie Poynton during a free class with a Baku-bound Dan and a Covid-free Johnny. The lads reminisce on their favourite dressing rooms, the Dundalk conundrum, influential managers and Johnny bingo! There's an extra tricky Four Star Pizza question, a truncated fixture review and extra kebabs in Azerbaijan. It's a day early this week...

When Tom Petty ditched the heartbreakers to record the seminal "Full Moon Fever" back in 1989 he actually ended up using most of the band on separate tracks. So as Johnny goes solo this week he zooms Dan in for the first half, where he discusses todays big news as well as the avalanche of reaction to last weeks RTE debate. Then after leaving Dan to enjoy his 5 star hotel and dodge bank tellers he...

It's showtime this week as RTE Group Head of Sport Declan McBennett steps into our Glasnevin studio to discuss the station's coverage of the League of Ireland in a wide ranging discussion that covers a lot of bases after a fractious summer centred around the absence of European games from the screens. The issues and challenges of the past, present and future are debated in a robust manner. Meanwhi...

Early and late this week. Missing keys, Cork mountains and a tardy Johnny who cant stop talking mountains even if they're in the flattest country in europe. Joining himself and Dan is Ciaran Kilduff, who drops by on his way to spy on Bohs in Donegal and tells us why Maynooth was the right choice for him. Longford manager, Daire Doyle keeps Ciaran company and weighs in on Longford luck, referees, S...

So this week, we have, to the tune of 'We Didn't Start The Fire'.. "Stephen Kenny, Gavin Bazunu, Ireland's got a draw again. Pat Fenlon, Tommy Barrett, Wedding Bells and Futsal Old Irish Magazines, Treaty have a better team Pizza Draws, previews, angry men on sidelines..." Yes, it's always been burning right here on LOI Central, for more than four years now

We're out earlier than usual this week with Dan en route to Portugal where he hopefully doesn't pull a Johnny Ward and end up on the beach when he realises the game is on. Johnny did make it to Dalymount eventually where the lads caught up with Andy Lyons after a breathless Dublin derby before he scooted off to his own Irish adventure. Lyons reflected on a rare strike with his left, which some wou...

You can’t always get what you want but on this week’s pod we reflect on Rovers disappointment in Estonia and the challenge ahead with some words from Stephen Bradley. We have former Rovers keeper turned fireman Craig Hyland and the sun loving gym instructor and born again footballer Mick Daly in our ultra modern new studio to discuss the FAI Cup tie they both have with Saint Mochta's. Paul Doolin...