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Football Ruined My Life

Football Ruined My Life

By: Colin Shindler Jon Holmes Paul Kobrak (and the late Patrick Barclay)
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About this listen

 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.comColin Shindler, Jon Holmes, Paul Kobrak Football (American) Football (Soccer)
Episodes
  • 139. Postbag

    139. Postbag
    May 1 2026
    Today Colin Shindler and Jon Holmes look once more at the emails you’ve sent us since we did our last postbag at the end of last year. We encourage you to write to us every week and you do so in comforting numbers. Once again the tone is almost entirely positive with people wanting to contribute their own memories to the topic they’ve just listened to… or correcting our very fallible memories. We’re happy to acknowledge our mistakes even if on some occasions we have been grossly libelled. We look forward to these occasional episodes because it enables us to connect with our audience and we’re very grateful that you take the time and trouble to write if only because it reassures us that we’re talking about the topics which you think and talk about and also it’s a comfort to know that at least we’re not just talking to ourselves. The subjects range widely, reflecting the breadth of the listeners’ interests but there is genuine anger at the travesty of the World Cup draw and the sycophancy of the FIFA Peace Prize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • 138. The One With Tony Woodcock

    138. The One With Tony Woodcock
    Apr 24 2026
    Tony Woodcock was one of Jon Holmes’ earliest clients, a superb player who scored 139 goals in 437 appearances for Nottingham Forest, FC Koln and Arsenal besides the 16 goals scored in 42 appearances for England. This record compares favourably with Jon and Colin Shindler’s combined contribution of no goals at all at professional level. It is therefore entirely appropriate that we leave the discussion on the art of goalscoring and how it has changed in the past forty years entirely to Tony. Along the way we get his insight into the weird and wonderful art of management as practised by Brian Clough and a detailed description of what happened when Tony was transferred to FC Koln much to the displeasure of Mr Clough. We also learn what happened when Tony took a DNA test to discover where his skill as a professional footballer might have come from. The results were surprising, even to Tony. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • 137. The Gap Between the Premier League and the Championship.

    137. The Gap Between the Premier League and the Championship.
    Apr 17 2026
    This week Jim White, Colin Shindler and Jon Holmes wonder if the gap will ever narrow between the Championship and the Premier League. In 1964 Leeds United were promoted from the Second Division and in their first season in Division 1 they lost the League Championship to Manchester United only on goal average (as it then was). In the 1976-77 season Nottingham Forest finished third in the Second Division – well behind Chelsea and champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. The next season they won the First Division, the year after that they won the European Cup and then retained it the following year. Clearly that is never going to happen these days. More relevant is that last season all three clubs who had been promoted the previous year went straight back down again. This year at least one will go down and possibly two of the relegated sides in 2025 will come back up again. Will any club in the future be able to replicate what Forest did? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
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