Football Ruined My Life

By Colin Shindler, Jon Holmes, Paul Kobrak (and the late Patrick Barclay)

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Category: Football

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Subscribers: 46
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 147

Description

When Football Ruined My Life started back at the beginning of 2023 it was the new podcast about old football.  In it, distinguished football journalist Patrick Barclay joined with Colin Shindler, author of the best selling Manchester United Ruined My Life, and the Super Agent Jon Holmes (think Gary Lineker, Peter Shilton, Tony Woodcock etc.) to talk about football as it used to be in the days before the invention of the Premier League.  For over 80 weekly episodes, the podcast viewed those days fondly - though not uncritically - in comparison to today's game, which it views critically though not unfondly. And it welcomed everyone who wants to remember Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Charlton, Brian Clough and Bill Shankly and the days when you went to a Football League ground to watch your football and didn't wait for it to arrive on television.  After the tragic and untimely death of Paddy Barclay in February 2025, Football Ruined My Life took a break to consider how (and if) to carry on. In May 2025 it has returned, with a panel of stars to make irregular appearances to join the regulars, Jon Holmes and Colin Shindler. These now include writer and producer Andy Hamilton, television executive Jimmy Mulville, the sports journalist and columnist for the Daily Telegraph Jim White and stand-up comedian Omid Djalili. But the feel and raison d'être of Football Ruined My Life remains the same. Still nostalgic? Yes. Still well informed? Certainly. But above all, it continues to glory in the football of our youth when the game seemed charmingly innocent, full of skillful, good hearted, kindly men like Norman Hunter, Ron Harris and Peter Storey. Join us every week for a romp through the 1960s, 70s, 80s and beyond that will warm you like a cup of scalding hot Bovril.  Produced by Paul Kobrak. Contact the team at footballruinedmylife@gmail.com

Episode Date
146. Can An Ex-Player Ever Make A Successful Owner?
Aug 28, 2026
145. Don Revie’s England
Aug 21, 2026
144. The Return of Football Ruined My Life
Aug 07, 2026
143. The One With Duncan Hamilton - 1966 And All That
May 29, 2026
142. Team of the 1980s (with Steve Coppell)
May 22, 2026
141. Football in the 1980s
May 15, 2026
140. 1970
May 08, 2026
139. Postbag
May 01, 2026
138. The One With Tony Woodcock
Apr 24, 2026
137. The Gap Between the Premier League and the Championship.
Apr 17, 2026
136. Turning Points
Apr 10, 2026
135. The One With Dominic Sambrook
Apr 06, 2026
134. Underrated Players
Mar 27, 2026
133. Did Young British Players Come Into The First Team Faster Than They Do Now?
Mar 20, 2026
132. Have Newspaper Football Journalists Lost Their Influence?
Mar 13, 2026
The One With Michael Crick – Football And Nationalism
Mar 06, 2026
130. Do Football Crowds Reflect The Society We Live In?
Feb 27, 2026
129. The Matchday Experience
Feb 20, 2026
128. What Happened To All The British Managers?
Feb 13, 2026
127. Which footballers have been influential, either consciously or unconsciously, in affecting or impacting their nations positively (or negatively)?
Feb 06, 2026
126. The North-South Divide
Jan 30, 2026
125. Our Most Depressing Defeats
Jan 23, 2026
124. Those We Have Lost In 2025
Jan 16, 2026
123. Are Modern Refs Too Fussy?
Jan 09, 2026
122. Club Legends
Jan 02, 2026
121. Postbag
Dec 26, 2025
120. Is the Game More Exciting Than it Was?
Dec 19, 2025
119. Has FIFA Ruined My Football?
Dec 12, 2025
118. The One with Steve Coppell
Dec 05, 2025
117. The Players We Most Feared
Nov 28, 2025
116. Giant Killers
Nov 21, 2025
115. International Breaks
Nov 14, 2025
114. The Team of the 1960s
Nov 07, 2025
113. Football in the 1960s
Oct 31, 2025
112. Short Lived Managers
Oct 24, 2025
111. No Hopers
Oct 17, 2025
110. Who Runs The Club?
Oct 10, 2025
109. Team of the 70s
Oct 03, 2025
108. The One From The 70s… with Jon Spurling
Sep 26, 2025
107. Falls From Grace
Sep 19, 2025
106. The One With Daniel Gray
Sep 12, 2025
105. Football in 2050
Sep 05, 2025
104. You Don’t Win Anything With Kids
Aug 29, 2025
103. Creative Midfielders
Aug 22, 2025
102. Why Don’t the Top Six Just Bugger Off?
Aug 15, 2025
101. Do We Give Too Much Credit to the Game of our Youth?
Aug 08, 2025
100. Postbag
Aug 01, 2025
99. Leaving Grounds
Jul 25, 2025
98. 1985
Jul 18, 2025
97. The One With David Pleat
Jul 11, 2025
96. Pundits
Jul 04, 2025
95. Is English football still recognisably English?
Jun 27, 2025
94. England Managers After Sir Alf Part 3
Jun 20, 2025
93. Onfield Behaviour
Jun 13, 2025
92. Fan Sentiment
Jun 06, 2025
91. England Managers After Sir Alf Part 2
May 30, 2025
90. England Managers After Sir Alf Part 1
May 23, 2025
89. 1968
May 21, 2025
88. The One With Omid Djalili (reposted episode)
May 19, 2025
The Return of Football Ruined My Life
May 16, 2025
Patrick Barclay
Feb 14, 2025
86. Home Internationals vs. Nations' League
Feb 07, 2025
85. Penalties
Jan 31, 2025
84. Those We Have Lost In 2024 (and also remembering Denis Law)
Jan 24, 2025
83. The One With Ian Storey-Moore
Jan 17, 2025
82. Centre forwards vs False 9s
Jan 10, 2025
81. The One With Michael Rosen
Jan 03, 2025
80. Our Third Postbag
Dec 27, 2024
79. Yuletide Matches
Dec 20, 2024
78. Utility Players
Dec 13, 2024
77. Brits Abroad
Dec 06, 2024
76. Screamers…
Nov 29, 2024
75. 1992
Nov 22, 2024
74. Favourite Games
Nov 15, 2024
73. Wingers
Nov 08, 2024
72. Players into Managers
Nov 01, 2024
71. The One With David Peace
Oct 25, 2024
70. The Football Pyramid
Oct 18, 2024
69. Substitute!
Oct 10, 2024
68. The One With Frank Foer
Oct 04, 2024
67. Rituals
Sep 27, 2024
66. Number Twos
Sep 20, 2024
65. The One With Gary Lineker
Sep 14, 2024
64. Formations
Sep 06, 2024
63. Cheating
Aug 30, 2024
62. The One with Nick Hancock
Aug 23, 2024
61. Chairmen Vs. Owners
Aug 16, 2024
60. Transfers
Aug 09, 2024
59. We're Back Once Again (Series 3 Trailer)
Aug 02, 2024
58. A Message From The Cabinet Room...
Jun 07, 2024
57. Footballing Cricketers
May 31, 2024
56. The F. A. Cup
May 24, 2024
55. Route One vs. Tiki Taka
May 17, 2024
54. Reserves
May 10, 2024
53. The One With Jimmy Mulville
May 03, 2024
52. Mavericks
Apr 26, 2024
51. 1974
Apr 19, 2024
50. The One With Delia
Apr 12, 2024
49. Centre Halves
Apr 05, 2024
48. Our Second Postbag
Mar 29, 2024
47. The One With The Baron
Mar 22, 2024
46. The North East
Mar 15, 2024
45. The One With Mike Ingham
Mar 08, 2024
44. Referees
Mar 01, 2024
43. Family Values
Feb 23, 2024
42. The One With Gordon Milne
Feb 16, 2024
41. West Ham
Feb 09, 2024
40. The Midlands
Feb 02, 2024
39. Sportsmanship
Jan 26, 2024
38. Print journalism v TV journalism
Jan 19, 2024
37. Has Football Become Too Big For Its Boots? (And Remembering Franz Beckenbauer)
Jan 12, 2024
36. The One With Andy Hamilton (Chelsea)
Jan 05, 2024
35 The Postbag
Dec 29, 2023
34. 1963
Dec 22, 2023
33. Administering The Game
Dec 15, 2023
32. Retirement
Dec 08, 2023
31. The Second Tier
Dec 01, 2023
30. The One With Ian McShane (on Manchester United)
Nov 24, 2023
29. It's A Rich Man's World
Nov 17, 2023
28. Goalscorers
Nov 10, 2023
26. Scotland (& a brief tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton)
Oct 27, 2023
25. Fiction and Football
Oct 20, 2023
24. British Clubs in Europe
Oct 13, 2023
23. Bill Shankly
Oct 06, 2023
22. Grounds - Old & New
Sep 29, 2023
21. League Domination
Sep 22, 2023
20. Second Favourite Teams
Sep 15, 2023
19. Sir Alf
Sep 08, 2023
18. Carlisle
Sep 01, 2023
17. Derby Games
Aug 25, 2023
16. Passion on the Sidelines
Aug 18, 2023
15. Brian Clough
Aug 11, 2023
14. We're back! (Series 2 trailer)
Aug 04, 2023
13. Postbag and Holding Episode
Apr 28, 2023
12. England's Postwar Football Captains
Apr 21, 2023
11. Dirty Leeds?
Apr 14, 2023
10. Have Football Crowds Changed Since the 1960s?
Apr 07, 2023
9. Great Goalies
Mar 31, 2023
8. Tottenham Hotspur's Double Winning Team 1960-1
Mar 24, 2023
7. Manchester United's Decline
Mar 17, 2023
6. The Influence of 'Sports Report'
Mar 10, 2023
5. The Influence of Foreign Owners
Mar 03, 2023
4. Great Players of the 1960s in the Premier League of the 2020s
Feb 24, 2023
3. Politics & Football: Burnley FC with Alastair Campbell
Feb 17, 2023
2. England's World Cup Teams: 1966 v 1970
Feb 10, 2023
1. Our Childhood Heroes
Feb 03, 2023
Trailer
Feb 01, 2023