Sport and Life

Really candid conversation with Charlie here about the challenges, uncertainties and pressures of one and two-year contracts when you’re a dad. We also talk about the physical challenges of having twins whilst playing for Cheltenham Town FC too - trying to train and play after a few hours sleep. Ultimately, fans want their teams to win, but I do think we underestimate how difficult pro sport can b...

I loved this conversation with Danny Donachie. Danny for a long time was head of medical services at Everton Football Club, but now works one-to-one coaching with players and managers.  We talk about Danny’s approach in helping players’ mental approach to the game - including visualisation, meditation and switching off social media. Connected to this we talked about how lonely being a player and m...

Old School Stories 12: Paul Gascoigne inspired Spurs to an epic Wembley win versus the club's arch rivals but, at not yet 24, was this his peak? I loved Paul Gascoigne as a little boy. His dribbling… his power… his passing… his smile. When I look back at think of watching him play, I smile. But the smile is often followed by a slight sinking sense that we missed out. For Gazza left UK shores i...

This was a significant and powerful conversation for me with Ross Mitchell. One of my Personal Training coaches during my training, Ross also works in combat sports.  Ross is a deep thinker and candid. But please be WARNED we discuss serious issues like mental health and suicide here so please skip if you don’t feel like listening to that right now. What Ross has struck upon is the reverse of disc...

Really thought-provoking to have Lorien back on the show. Lorien is qualified personal trainer, a mindfulness and wellbeing expert and a psychology student. This is a free-wheeling conversation around how to manage modern life. Discuss how movement and physical training is important, but how it can be a negative experience if we frame it in the wrong way - how it can fuel a negative body image, fo...

Poppy Murray started the BE LADS campaign in response to the horrific kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard. Poppy joined me to chat about the what BE LADS stands for and how well-intentioned men can help lone women feel safer on the streets. Practical steps. We also talked about sports and the differences I found when coaching boys/men versus girls/women.  What do you think? If you're a man...

I worked for 15 years with Tony Wright at Sky Sports. A brilliant broadcaster, he’s also found recognition in decades as a published author and hosting his own podcast ‘Biohacking News.’ (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/biohacking-news-by-zestology/id970597412) . Tony’s focus has been health optimisation and feeling energised since a mysterious illness left him bedridden - and devoid of ener...

The last ever FA Cup semifinal replay was played on Wednesday the 14th April 1999. It turned out to be one of the greatest games in recent history as the 10 men of Manchester United edged the holders Arsenal 2-1 after extra-time with substitute Ryan Giggs scoring one of the most sensational goals of modern times to win it. United went onto win the treble.  ESPN’s Mark Ogden was working as a young...

On October the 6th, 2001, at his beloved Old Trafford, David Beckham stepped up in the 93rd minute and hit a 30-yard free-kick into the top corner. It finished England 2 Greece 2 and England were going to the 2002 World Cup. It was an extraordinary free-kick, capping an extraordinary performance from Beckham. Award-winning journalist Henry Winter was covering the game for The Daily Telegraph and j...

When John Ryder lost a Middleweight British title fight with Nick Blackwell in 2015, many people wrote off his chances of becoming an elite boxer. Those people were wrong.  In November 2022 Ryder became a world champion at Super Middleweight and went on to take one of the sport’s all-time greats Saul ‘Canelo’ the distance in Mexico.  He trains young fighters under the stewardship of his old coach...

Johnny Nelson was WBC Cruiserweight Champion from 1999 to 2006. He remains the longest reigning Cruiserweight Champ in history. In this conversation with Teddy, Johnny discusses competing in Hyrox, learning to run again after two hip replacements, fasting and the mooted fight between Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson.

Keith's second appearance on the pod and a great listen for people interested in fitness: we talk about knee rehab, the pros and cons of running, rep range for building muscle and things to consider for those of us attempting to stay strong and fit into middle age. Also consider sleep and how having babies in the house may have to change our exercise plans and out expectations of our capacity. htt...

In February 2019, Gareth joined the podcast to discuss being a professional rugby union player with Gloucester. After that conversation Gareth’s life moved quickly - he signed for Ospreys and then Leicester Tigers before being forced to retire suddenly following a training-ground concussion in November 2021. In early September 2025, Gareth sat down with me to discuss his new career as a Financial...

Old School Soccer Stories 9: Kevin Phillips was rated too small to be a striker so played right back at Southampton. Then headed back to semi-pro football after being released as an 18 year-old. Nine years later he was European golden boot winner, aided in that achievement by his classic strike partnership with the towering veteran Niall Quinn. The Quinn-Phillips partnership fired Sunderland to co...

On the 20th of February 1991, Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool played out on one of the all-time great football matches. The FA Cup replayed finished 4-4. Four times Liverpool took the lead, four times Everton equalised. Tony Cottee watched the first 86 minutes from the subs bench. But then entered the frey to score two goals and send the tie to another replay. Fantastic to have Tony’s crys...

On 26th May 1989 Arsenal pulled off the seemingly impossible task - beating Champions Liverpool at Anfield by two goals on the final day of the season to claim the title. John Cross - now a football writer for the Daily Mirror, then a beat journalist in North London - explains why he believes it's the most dramatic game in the history of English football and the best ever ending to a league se...

Manchester United historian and author Wayne Barton joins Teddy to talk about the strike partnership between Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes. The players formed an unorthodox combination to secure United the inaugural Premier League season (92-93) and the club's first league title since 1967.

On September 25th 2025 Saul Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2) and Terence Crawford (41-0) meet with the WBC, IBF and WBO Super Middleweight titles on the line.  Spencer Fearon -aka Master Knowledge - is a former fighter and works as a boxing trainer, manager and pundit.  Spencer gives his thoughts on the fight and why Crawford is an all-time great.

Ash is the co-founder and editor of https://stroudtimes.com. He has also, as a reporter and co-commentator followed Forest Green Rovers for many years. In this conversation we talk about how FGR are shaping up under new manager Robbie Savage and also the hunger for 'hyper local' reporting.

In August 1994, Tottenham Hotspur people were having a tough time. A fine, a points deduction and a cup ban had put the club on the back foot. But manager Ossie Ardilles shifted to a front foot, all-out attack style as Spurs exploded into the new season at Hillsborough. The crescendo of the game centred on a new striker, who stole the show with a goal and a celebration to last the ages. The Famous...

Football journalist Jon Palmer discusses Cameroon's historic and magical run to the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup, inspired by 38 year-old super sub Roger Milla.

A former editor of Boxing News, Tris is a hugely respected boxing journalist and author. In this episode Tris and Teddy discuss: * Boxers careers getting longer - re Usyk (38) and Pacquiao (46) both impressing this past weekend. * The issue of brain damage and how Tris reconciles with his son boxing * Social Media and YouTube merging with boxing (and the need for boxers to learn to build an online...

This is a podcast shared from a new project of Teddy's called Old School Soccer Stories. In this episode, Teddy relives the moment David Beckham exploded onto the national consciousness in the summer of 1996. For more Old School Soccer Stories: https://oldschoolsoccerstories.substack.com

Jon Palmer is a journalist working for Gloucestershire Live and others - his main beat being Cheltenham Town FC. Jon also works as a journalism lecture at The University of Gloucestershire. In this episode, Jon updates us on the changing ownership situation at Cheltenham Town and hopes for the club’s future. We also touch upon Robbie Savage taking over at Forest Green Rovers.

As a pro footballer Michael Duff played in the Premier League for Burnley and represented his country Northern Ireland. He’s since managed Cheltenham Town, Barnsley, Swansea and Huddersfield.