Interview with HeyJulien, Football RPF and Carraville writer

Talkin‘ Fanfic

Summary:

Like a bicycle kick goal at minute 95, Sara finally completes editing on a much overdue interview with fellow Carraville author HeyJulien !

Sara and Julien talk about the world of football RPF (as in soccer, for all you Yankees); specifically the delightfully odd-couple rivals-to-lovers ship of English football pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. Other talking points scattered across the pitch include: football as war, derby days and football rivalry; the joys of local non-league football, the Bundesliga and fußballkultur; to switch POV, or not to switch POV; the annoying beauty of David Beckham; and of course, we discuss the tragically under-utilized in fic friendship of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville (or, Scholesy as the Kermit to Gary Neville’s Miss Piggy).

Join us, if you like!
Correction - at 03:22:32 we incorrectly refer to our wonderful fellow Carraville author as ‘player1604’-- their handle is player1064, which is a reference to Gary Neville’s England legacy number. Gary was the 1,064th player to play for England’s National Team.

Contact and Credits:

• Intro Theme: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic)
• Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com
• Instagram: @talkinfanfic
• Email: [e-mail]

Time caps:

• 00:10:39 - Chelsea v Liverpool result in the Carabao Cup Final AND “Football and Butts”
• 00:13:17 minutes - Picking an English team as an outside fan, local rivalry in sport, and the mechanisms of tribalism
• 00:21:10 - Football pride as a substitute for national pride in Germany
• 00:22:57 - League structure in european football, the purity of the local club, financial doping, and German “fußballkultur”
• 00:32:57 - A late introduction to HeyJulien ! Julien’s earliest reading and writing memories.
• 00:36:36 - First encounter with fanfiction and Youtuber RPF
• 00:42:11 - Path into Sports RPF
• 00:45:28 - The specific allure of Hockey RPF
• 00:53:54 - Getting into Football RPF and Carraville
• 01:11:07 - Carraville fic, start of “Zombies” discussion, and Julien’s real-life plot inspiration
• 01:20:04 - Excerpt 1, from “Zombies”
• 01:39:12 - Strategy and instinct of switching POV’s
• 01:59:50 - “The Victorian Era”
• 02:06:13 - Excerpt 2, from “The Victorian Era” (apologies from Sara for the botched English accents)
• 02:23:17 - Cat cameo by Daniel Pickles - and the theme of power in “The Victorian Era”, Gary and Victoria’s friendship, and writing moments that “show” instead of “tell”.
• 02:32:27 - The fun of writing about “bad people”, and recurring themes popping up in our works; AND the specific joys of fanfiction enriching “real life”
• 02:40:36 - “Tasting Syrup On My Tongue”
• 02:50:45 - The joy of Stevie G and Scholsey in Carraville fics
• 03:00:46 - Sara’s childhood soccer experience
• 03:02:49- Rapid Fire Questions!!!
• 03:17:21 - Michael Owen Quotes
• 03:31:00 - Coffee Shop Scenario
• 03:37:32 - Julien’s fic recs
• 03:43:11 - Final question- “What do you think it is about sport that lends itself to fiction and fanfiction?”

Episode References

• FIC - ‘These zombies in the park, they're looking for my heart’ by HeyJulien
• FIC - 'The Victorian Era' by HeyJulien
• FIC - ‘Tasting Syrup On My Tongue’ by HeyJulien
• https://www.fanfiktion.de/ - Julien’s first fanfic site!
• CBS Champions League Today "Best Of" - Youtube video, example of CBS crew compilation, ft. Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Kate Abdo
• "Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher's BEST moments! 👀🍿" - Youtube video that Julien sent Sara to kick off the Carraville spiral
• Gary Neville’s interview with Jamie Carragher on The Overlap - Youtube
• "Neville and Carra - the perfect TV double act make their Monday Night Football debut" - Daily Mail article from August 2013, describing Jamie’s MNF debut alongside Gary.
• And another 2013 article, this one from Stretty News on the Carraville punditry duo, described as “a dream pair”.
• ‘Tasting Syrup’ reference - Footage of John Terry head injury in the 2007 League Cup Final, Chelsea v Arsenal - Youtube
• ‘Tasting Syrup’ reference - Footage of Jamie Carragher head injury in a match against Arsenal in April 2011
• Fanart - Man United v Liverpool lineup as envisioned by the genius k-ky - tumblr link
• Article - "Bastian Schweinsteiger dragged the modern Germany to ultimate glory with blood, sweat and tears" - on Schweinsteiger’s heroic and gritty performance in the 2014 World Cup Final (October 2019)
• Some more brilliant Michael Owen quotes (unverified but highly entertaining)
• Julien rec - Sara's fic, [the gap between crack and thunder] WIP!
• Julien rec - your hair is so soft...for a scouser by blindbatalex
• Julien rec - Quell the Tide by Imnotreallyhereatall - the hockey RPF julien mentions loving (Ao3, locked)
• Julien rec - Take a Chance on Me by saltstreets, yvenger (Ao3, locked)
• Julien rec - keep your silver, give me that gold by thesecretdetectivecollection (Ao3)
• Julien rec - Gary Neville is Still a Red, Just a Different Shade by fanficburner (Ao3)