Month: December 2021

Former England star and podcasting royalty Peter Crouch is the latest name to offer his insight and experience to the FootballCo Business Podcast.

He’s been a star on the pitch, a familiar voice as a pundit and a smash hit as a podcaster, but now Peter Crouch is trying his hand in the director’s lounge as he tries to turn around the fortunes of National League Club Side Dulwich Hamlet in a new documentary series ‘Peter Crouch: Save Our Beautiful Game’.

Giving a glimpse of what life is like for ex-players once they hang up their boots Crouchy talked to the Voiceworks: Sport-produced podcast about the plans he made for his career post-football, the difference between being on the pitch and how his frustrations with the use of social media from some professional players inspired the tagline to his hit show “That Peter Crouch Podcast”.

The tagline of my podcast is back stronger because that all derives from the fact that we see the same things on a Saturday. When the players haven’t played well or something, a tweet will come out and it was always ‘the fans were terrific’, ‘sorry, we couldn’t perform today, ‘back stronger next week’.

They’re the same three sorts of phrases that get churned out. And I think sometimes it pulls the wool over the fans’ eyes because I remember being a player and I’d see that exact tweet, and I think this player hasn’t tried for the last three months.

You know, this player won’t be working hard in training and he won’t be doing extra work. You know, he’s the first to get off.

Peter Crouch

And then you’ll see him on Instagram, running up his stairs and having a personal trainer in his gym at home. I just think that kind of thing is, pulling the wool over the fans’ eyes.”

You can hear more from Peter on the latest FootballCo Business Podcast.

The FootballCo Business Podcast is a show focused on the most innovative people working in the world of football media, brands and marketing. Each episode features some of the most creative minds in the sport, getting their views on the business behind the beautiful game – from partnerships and branding to esports and new platforms.

1.What inspired you to start podcasting?

JAY: Always loved talking about football and broadcasting so it felt natural to combine the two

MYKEZ: Pundit Jay asked a couple of times and eventually I said I’d try it

PUNDIT JAY: The new era of audio opinion and debate

2. Do you have a favourite episode of your podcast?

JAY: The one where Mykez lost the plot over Harvey Barnes (episode 9)

MYKEZ: No – just any week where City win!

PUNDIT JAY: Episode 8

3. Who is your dream guest?

JAY: Roy Keane

MYKEZ: Pep Guardiola

PUNDIT JAY: Ronaldinho

4. Favourite Podcast to listen to? (That isn’t yours)

JAY: Football Social Daily, obviously!

MYKEZ: I’m not really a pod listener to be honest!

PUNDIT JAY: For the Culture podcast

5. Who are your top 5 Players of all time?

JAY: Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jaap Stam, Eric Cantona

MYKEZ: Ronaldinho, R9, Messi, Henry, Yaya Toure

PUNDIT JAY: Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar, Ronaldo

6. Who are the up and coming stars we should be
looking out for at your club?

JAY: Charlie McNeill and Joe Hugill

MYKEZ: Phil Foden, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Romeo Lavia

PUNDIT JAY: Mason Greenwood, Hannibal Mejbri, Isak Hansen, Finley McAllister

7. How would you describe your podcast in three words?

JAY: Mancunian, Fiery, Funny

MYKEZ: Manchester football views

PUNDIT JAY: Opinionated, Mancunian, Cheeky

8. Favourite underdog moment?

JAY: Anthony Crolla winning his world title

MYKEZ: Man City being 3-0 and a man down against Spurs and winning 4-3

PUNDIT JAY: Porto winning the Champions League

9. Apart from football, are there any other sports you are interested in?

JAY: Boxing, and that’s about it to be honest!

MYKEZ: Boxing, Athletics, Olympics

PUNDIT JAY: Not really, don’t mind 100m sprint

10. At what age did you become a fan of your club and was there a moment that solidified your interest?

JAY: Was a Red from when I can remember but going to Old Trafford with my dad to see United beat Liverpool in the Rumbelows Cup in 1990 made me realise just how amazing football can be

MYKEZ: I saw my first game aged 7, but at 10 I realised it’s more than just a game. No real watershed moment, it’s just how it is.

PUNDIT JAY: Since a very young kid, about 6 years old

Mancunian, Fiery, Funny.
8. Favourite underdog moment?
Crolla winning his world title.
9. Apart from Football, are there any other sports you
are interested in?
Boxing and that’s about it tbh!
10. At what age did you become a fan of your club
and was there a moment that solidified your interest?
Was a Red from when I can remember but going to Old Trafford
with my dad to see United beat Liverpool in the Rumbelows Cup
in 1990 made me realise just how amazing football can be

1. What Inspired you to start podcasting?

There wasn’t a snooker podcast and I thought there should be one. I thought I was well placed to do it as I was on the circuit and had access to people in the sport.

2. Do you have a favourite episode of your podcast?

Probably the best guest I’ve had on was Neil Robertson. I’d arranged to speak to him after his first match at the Champion of Champions but he unexpectedly lost and I assumed he would be heading home. Instead, he agreed to do it and spoke to me for 70 minutes, talking very eloquently about every aspect of his career. Very classy guy.

3. Who is your dream guest?

It would’ve been great to have had the chance to interview Joe Davis, the first world champion who started professional snooker. It would be fascinating to know what he would think of the way snooker has become a frontline TV sport.

4. Favourite Podcast to listen to? (That isn’t yours)

The first one I ever subscribed to is still my favourite: Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode’s Film Review on Radio 5 Live.

5. Who are your top 5 Players of all time?

I’m going to cheat here and name six because I don’t want to leave out any of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, John Higgins, Steve Davis, Mark Williams and Mark Selby. In the modern era, these are the six greats because they are all multi-times winners of the biggest events.

6. Who are the up and coming stars we should be looking out for?

There are some Chinese players who have great talent and drive, such as Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize. I would also like to see some young British talent coming through. There’s Jackson Page from Wales, who is mentored by Mark Williams, and could be one to watch.

7. How would you describe your podcast in three words?

Right on cue.

8. Favourite underdog moment?

Joe Johnson, who I now commentate with on Eurosport, winning the 1986 World Championship remains a remarkable achievement. More recently, Jordan Brown, who’d been working in a petrol station two years earlier, beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Welsh Open final. That was an amazing story.

9. Apart from Snooker, are there any other sports you are interested in?

My other main sporting interest is cricket, mainly Test cricket.

10. At what age did you become a fan of Snooker and was there a moment that solidified your interest?

I grew up in the 1980s and snooker was everywhere, not just tournaments on TV but in the culture. Snooker players would be on chat shows, entertainment programmes etc, and everyone knew them, so it would have been more unusual at that time to not be interested in snooker. My other passion was writing and by going into journalism I was able to join the snooker circuit and become part of the sport.