Soccer A-Z podcast brings the memories flooding back

Times they are a-changin’.Societal norms, laws and what is culturally acceptable continues to evolve which leaves many of us hankering for the return of the ‘good old days’.It’s something that as a youngster you used to smile about when you heard older family members talk about how life was better in the past. But once you pass 30, and certainly as you edge towards your 40s, you start to realise why that is.Nostalgia is a powerful beast that pulls you back with rose-tinted glasses and if we’re not careful we can be trapped in a world where we look back and not forward – or even focus on the here and now.Social media doesn’t always help and the explosion of retro content and reunions in 2025 (yep, still counting down the days until I watch Oasis live again) has made it even easier to focus on what’s been and gone.Thankfully, moments of disappearing back into a time when Soccer AM was a staple part of my weekend has been helped by a new offering from the team that ignited much of the 2000s for me.Clips from the cult Sky Sports show have had me laughing and realising how the world is very different these days. Some of that content just wouldn’t be deemed acceptable. But I loved it at the time and within seconds I’m transported back to being on my mum and dad’s sofa, feeling hungover, and desperately hoping I could feel human enough in time for that afternoon’s Terrington FC kick-off. Tim Lovejoy, Helen Chamberlain and the crew had long influenced so many football fans and now they’re doing the same again.Not for the first time, I’ve been pretty late to the party about their Soccer A-Z podcast. But it’s simply an audio version of the fun they used to have on our TV screens.It’s like a familiar old friend returning into your life when you hear Lovejoooooooooy, Hells Bells, Peter ‘Tubes’ Dale, Robbie Knox and Joe ‘Sheephead’ Worsley back together. I’m catching up on their episodes but the format is pretty simple. Each main show, the quintet focus on a theme around football involving that week’s letter from the alphabet. So, for example, C might allow one of the team to talk about Celebrations. I’m currently about to embark on G. The shorter Q&A (quiz and questions) episodes are also enjoyable.All are humorous, have great fan engagement and blend pop culture references with some football analysis. Their rapport and ability to bounce off each other makes it the perfect accompaniment for an evening and I tend to listen in the car while travelling to tick off another non-League ground on my tame groundhopping excursions.So if you loved Soccer AM, or wish to remember the late 90s and early 00s, don’t take my word for it – give Soccer A-Z a go! The nerves will be jangling for thousands of runners as the country prepares to hold two of its most iconic races at the weekend.Manchester and London will hold their marathons on Sunday and there’s too many fellow runners, and friends, heading there to mention them all.But needless to say I will be crossing everything for them all as they prepare to do the final lap of their gruelling training programmes.For months, I’ve watched on with admiration, via Strava and Instagram, at their dedication and weekly distances and have been lucky enough to run with some at certain points. Here’s hoping everything they wish to achieve will be realised come Sunday as it’ll be an emotional day for sure.I’m yet to complete a 26.2-miler because I’ve struggled to fit the training load into my life. It’s hard enough to seriously train for a 10k race.But I know how I’ve felt running around the capital and across Tower Bridge on enjoyable, easy runs, so I can’t even begin to comprehend how incredible it must feel with thousands of people cheering you on.Both, but especially the London Marathon, really bring out the best in humanity with people running for all sorts of reasons; many to raise money for charity and completing quirky challenges. The streets are lined with supporters, donations pour in and the hard work and dedication pays off.The world is full of such negativity at times that events like the London Marathon should really be enjoyed for what they are – amazing spectacles of humanity.Say the words Bayern Munich to Norwich City fans of a certain age and they’ll go all misty-eyed.Recollections of the club’s iconic European run during the 1993/94 season soon come flooding back, including the famous night that saw the Canaries triumph in Munich. It remains one of the finest away wins for a British side on the continent and is still considered as one of the greatest shocks in any European Cup competition.So what better way to take a beautiful trip down memory lane than by spending an evening in the company of two players who played a huge part in that German glory?Bryan Gunn and Rob Newman are the latest star guests to join me on the stage at Northwold Sports & Social Club on Friday May 2 as the organisation holds its eighth sporting ‘chat night’, this one in association with Sporting Knights.Your Local Paper has one pair of tickets to give away and to be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is answer this question correctly: Which former team-mate will be joining Bryan Gunn on stage at Northwold on May 2? Is it A) Chris Sutton, B) Ruel Fox or C) Rob Newman? Send your answers to gavin@sportingknights.co.uk on or before Tuesday, April 29 and please include a contact telephone number. A winner will be chosen at random and notified on Wednesday, April 30.There are still a handful of tickets available for the evening (doors 6.30pm for a 7.45pm start).They cost £15 for members and £20 for non-members. Call David on 07768 090004 to get tickets or to ask for further information.