Loi Weekly

So Galway United return to the halcyon days of Premier Division participation after a win in Kerry that leaves Johnny channelling Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen and even an underweight Christian Bale. In a post Rascals Rocktoberfest haze our intrepid reporters cast their eyes over the Weekend's action where UCD won our hearts but Derry failed to capitalise. Referees were under the spotlight again, Shels penchant for dark arts is discussed in a busy mailbag with Cork misery and European permutations also on the agenda. After their morning sausage rolls it was a hasty retreat from Glasnevin to the Aviva to talk contrasting fortunes with Gary O'Neill and David Cawley. As long as Future Ticketing, Rascals, Brewery and Collar and Cuff keep us on the air we will continue to ask and answer the same questions, drink from half empty glasses and leave you with the confused feeling whether the show needs an extension or an extinction. All of this confusion and melancholy is all part of your regular scheduled dose of windsw

Well, we've got it all this week. Western gunslingers taking on those boys back east, Cold War double agents crossing the border by bicycle in the rain, boyhood hero worship, misquotes galore and organic sausages. If, like Alan Keane, you subscribe to the Galway United conspiracy theory then make sure you catch our mailbag which has more grassy knolls than an Oliver Stone film. As well as all this, we have late penalties in Derry, a Pat's crisis perhaps? Is Galway more attractive than Dundalk? And Dan finally sees the merits of 'the Red Zone'. All of this 'award nominated' mayhem is brought to you by Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It really is great to be "unwittingly very good at something", and that's a quote!

Alliteration is the thread on which we hang this week's show. Yes, episode 31 gets overly concerned with what type of Friday we have in store. Our two intrepid wordsmiths cajole, conjure and contrive to to describe the night on which Derry host Shamrock Rovers in the key game of the league season and four FAI Cup quarter finals are up for decision. 'Fabulous', 'Flowery' and 'Far Out', this Friday may give Johnny further chest pains and Dan may have to be drug tested. Kevin Doherty is on the line fresh from his and our mailbag to weigh in on the Ireland situation and whether he is next in line for the big job. He also has a little matter of a cup game on 'Fan-ominal' Friday! Throw in the usual Simpsons, Father Ted and Grunge references and it could very well be 1995 again. As the year slips away from us and the Indian Summer draws to a close we can still rely on Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff to keep the lights on in Glasnevin. So throw your Xg in the bin and settle down to 64 minutes of

Episode 30 gets an early check in but will it ever leave? Johnny has more toilet encounters in Longford, Dan finally gets recognised on the 14 bus and takes in the view from the stand at Tolka Park . There's another bus of ould fellas in the midlands, and would you go all the way to Laois to see The Saw Doctors? Joining the instantly recognisable hosts this week is the solid Ian Bermingham who, on his testimonial week, talks about his Richmond days, why he didn't go to Stockport and his new gig as Football Partnerships Manager in Inchicore. There's a mailbag full of Duff celebrations, a Keating hat trick, Sligo Rovers' troubles, and Johnny's financial portfolio. If you want to find out if Ronaldo went to Mallow, the definition of "making it" or who gets a pass? There are definitely easier ways than this, but Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff beg to differ as they present to you a very very 'solid' segue into the International break!

After being stalked at every airport in Europe Johnny evaded the air traffic chaos to arrive unscathed in Glasnevin for episode 29. On this week's show we talk to James Clarke about his route from Meath to Rovers to Bohs and how he's likely to celebrate if he scores in this weekend's big game. Dan caught up with Ruaidhri Higgins after a 2-2 draw in Dalymount and a topsy turvy season for the Candystripes. A deep dive into the mailbag reveals Finn Harps and Bray angst, we ask will Drogheda march on despite their obviously substandard stadium, we compare the league with similarly ranked leagues across Europe, there's Fine Gael rugby wall charts and after 3 years of Brexit, we audit whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. All of your midweek listening would be impossible without those good people at Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery who have probably made the best decision ever made. It's just over an hour and it's raring to go!

We have a title race but we don't have the man who likes to call it so with Johnny AWOL in Bilbao or Belfield, we call in supersub Garry Doyle to pour over Derry's disappointments, the permutations of a fascinating race to the finish and why LOI fans should channel their inner Free Presbyterian. Dan also brought his microphone to Virgin Media studios to catch up with Graham Burke and Daniel Kelly about European woe and the weight of their respective clubs' recent history. Beyond that there's a busy mailbag, cup final preferences, Storm Betty's new club and an Ollie Byrne impression from the highest level. All of this with thanks to our friends at Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewing and Future Ticketing

It's an optimistic pod this week as August starts to slip away like a bottle of wine. Mark Connolly is on ahead of Thursday nights big game and we speak to him about his return from the great unknown against the team whose name we are struggling to remember, and stealing from his child to pass the time. Ticket prices and Cork City's college woes are topical as we delve into a mailbag filled with talk of a Bohs windfall from a Gary Lineker inspired transfer that may or may not spark another Twitter spat. There's more than enough to keep your conversations going well into school uniform shopping season and it's all thanks to Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery, and if there's a body in the room, well, then it really is time to clean the house. Episode 27 is here to answer all your lingering doubts.

Episode 26 in the ClaireFontaine of podcasts tackles the era defining debate on whether we need a RedZone, a DMZ zone or a demolition of the Carlisle Grounds. As we look forward to Derry's adventures in Kazakhstan, Andy Myler, who's not as knowledgable on Kazakhstani football as you might think, takes a break from party pooping and reunites with another ex student Conan Byrne to explain the future of the UCD model, and offer neutral opinions on the developments at the top of the table. Conan gives his take on the negative influence of stats and our mailbag takes in Longford gripes, Bohs optimism and the usual Galway tangents with the continued support of Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. If home is where you're weaned it's also where your potty trained. It's episode 26 and its fresh as a daisy.

Back from our day trip down memory lane in Morton Stadium, Johnny wastes no time in getting Galway and climate change into the fray as we dwell on the wettest July on record and a wet blanket on Irish teams in Europe. Ireland chief scout and analyst and ex-Rovers and Bohs midfielder Stephen Rice drops by to bedazzle Johnny with his attention span and takes a deep dive into our European challenges. In a multiverse of Milhouses, we pore over alternate futures for GAA players, marching in the rain, top goalscorer stakes, and all the rest of your e-lec-tronic letters with Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff still signing the cheques to make sure we keep delivering this kind of quality, in-depth, edge of the seat, cutting edge broadcasting without ever having seen a hurling match! It's episode 25 and it's still raining.

On our 24th lap of the season, we reunite two old teammates in the unlikely surrounds of Morton Stadium to discuss the circle of their football life. Owen Heary talks Dream Team, Dream Managers and Dream Tacklers and his new found passion for running as he catches up with his old pal Mark Rossiter - fresh from a positive knee episode - to go over old arguments and pick through the details of the last week and the broader European picture. We dodged a few javelins to get to the bottom of who's posting our social media, who took the most famous television penalty, where the youngsters are coming from and whether Longford needs a bar or not? It’s neither a marathon nor a sprint, so stick with us, Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery until we cross the finish line.

Rover and out. It's a late night reaction pod to start this week as the lads pour over Icelandic disappointment for Shamrock Rovers and the questions it raises before taking a trip back in time with Sam and Al to earlier in the day to deal with your mailbag queries and emerge from the overpriced coffee houses of Inchicore to do some work. After reflecting on the enormity of turning 40, the lads ask Chris Forrester about turning 30 as the start point for an open chat about his relationship with football. Beyond that, there's FAI Cup chat, ruminations on Dan's uncoached football career, Galway pub tips, another twist in the Roddy Collins book saga, and more handwringing about departing players and unfinished stadiums. Take the quantum leap with us into this seventy minute journey with Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Back to the Future Ticketing!

It's summer in Dublin and we have just the cure for those rain soaked blues. From Icelandic encounters en route to what used to be JJ Smyths, to the race between the Dalymount evolution and Armageddon. The well dressed Gary Cronin brings us some current affairs while Ciaran Kilduff delves into his bank of European memories while Johnny struggles to remember what is even happening next week. We have KD Lang v Sinead O Connor, fantasy five-a-sides, the age old TV debate and a group of sponsors still willing to support this malarkey. Yes, a big shout to Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery for making it to episode 22 and a bigger one to Johnny for remembering it!

This week we are joined by an Englishman and an English as the summer brings us to new destinations. ESPN journalist Mark Ogden tells us about his quirky trip to Iceland to find out what lies ahead for Shamrock Rovers and what Champions League football means to the minnows. Then we head west to talk with Michael English about Mayo FC’s attempts to break into the Irish mainstream. Aside from all of that we’ve got the usual mailbag chat featuring Bohs angst, Pat’s kids, Peak6 taking over Twitter and RTE’s value for money. Available under the Freedom of Information Act you will find that this entire production is funded by the barter accounts managed by Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff, and Johnny's fee does not include any form of bus pass. It's episode 21 and it's blackjack!

It’s a value for money virtual podcast this week as the lads mull over the purpose of their existence in journalism if chatting rubbish for an hour doesn’t entitle them to a substantial six-figure salary from licence fee payers. Georgie Kelly is a real national treasure, the late developing Donegal man dialling in from pre-season training in Rotherham to discuss his old love rival Pat Hoban, his respect for the mentality of the real love of his life, and the climate of football in England – not the climate chat that JW wanted. As usual there’s a mailbag with a bit of Damien Duff and a bit of Mayo sandwiched between title talk discussion and we hear from Pico Lopes and Ruaidhri Higgins after Tallaght on Monday. Unlike Westlife, this is one band that always sticks together...

Dan's back but his memory of Antalya isn't. He'd also like to forget about Ireland's Greek tragedy but can't and neither can Paul Corry as the old friend of the pod returns with two phones and a new love to analyse what went on in the Mediterranean last week and we take a live look at the European draws as they come in. Johnny, fresh from his first festival of the year, reckons stabbing a crustacean in the brain is better than boiling it alive but can't get the last look the twitching lobster gave him out of his memory and apparently Evan Ferguson won't reach 100 caps before the doomsday clock strikes midnight. If all this is a bit too weird for you, blame Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing for continuing to support this ridiculousness and ask yourself is the "Pat McDonnell" Dan may or may not be related to, the lad from Father Ted or the annoying paint ad on the radio. So sit back and eat your lobster as the world burns and be thankful we're under an hour this week.

No Dan this week as he's away on International duty so we left it up to Johnny to round up the guests. Wembley wonder with Coventry and back at Burnley, we have Premier League defender Luke McNally, who's back in the country where he reminisces about his days at Enfield, the NECSL, marking a 16 year old Evan Ferguson and his fortuitous move to Drogheda where he hooked up with our second guest, none other than ex manager of Drogheda and Pats, Tim Clancy, who speaks candidly about his time at Pats, the fanciful ambitions in Inchicore, the culture of social media, why there are fewer and fewer easy games and Kevin Doherty's success at United Park. The format may be different but the chat is still red hot and all of this is thanks, as ever, to Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing!

As Johnny's Saudi past comes back to haunt him, the boys wonder if Galway United saying no was the catalyst for our oil overlords to bring sporting domination to another level. Irish football could do with cash to build some stadiums and Pat Fenlon joins us in studio to talk about the FAI infrastructure plan, his new job at Bohemians, and how transfer windows work. St. Pats' Dean Lyness chats with Dan about living away from family as the daddy of his teammates in a new country. Beyond that there’s the big "Love Island" mystery, Dan’s bird troubles and all the big stories from the main event of the double header weekend - Enda’s wedding. Tallaght Stadium’s Coppers like status, fire drills in Cork and more recurring anecdotes from Johnny’s private life are brought to you in conjunction with Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It's episode 17 as we head towards an International break.

Journeys. That's todays topic. Whether it's the Kerouac-esque 'On The Road' lift bumming Johnny Ward or the Tallaght to Cobh goalkeeping journey that Lee Steacy takes, we've a restless road feeling to todays show. Our guests, from the First Division, talk openly about their journeys, even if Shane Keegan is driving, how their clubs may fare in the Premier Division, and how all work and all play for an Irish footballer could be more lucrative than the alternative. We also look at the red cards a go-go from the weekend, Johnny's fascination with CJ, the best goal songs played at stadiums, who's wedding will be the new Fyre festival and whether the Wisconsin postal votes means anything at all! As usual we rely totally on the steadfast support of Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery to allow us all to decide whether or not Mark Knopfler marks a goal better than a Monkees song on repeat.

The seven year itch remains unscratched and, as the bromance dwindles, talk turns to goalkeepers, fixing the FAI Cup draw, the Irish 2023/24 clubs in Europe, bouncy castles and cursing with Crowley. If that isn't enough to pique your curiosity we also have a chat with Garry Buckley about fatherhood, injuries, Sligo Rovers and the amazing story of two brothers. There's also cameos from Declan Devine and Kevin Doherty as we cast our eye over the week that was. As usual we owe it all to the good people at Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery for making all of our dreams come true every single week. It's heating up out there so put on plenty of sunscreen before you plug in...

This week we blur the lines between sports and politics as we welcome in Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to the pod. On the back of Damien Duff's crusading comments about the league, Aodhán talks candidly to us about how and why football is where it is and faces an uphill struggle while Johnny faces a downhill struggle despite his penchance for the hills. There's Viper Room nostalgia, hypocritical oaths, Stadiums with no respect and a whole host of the usual Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery fuelled deep dives into why this game of football continues to define us. It's here, its a tad late but it's episode 14 and, trust me, its as good as it gets..