As Mister Sun makes a rare appearance, we say goodbye to an FAI chief and look at mythical leaks and manager rumours doing the rounds. On the back of Bohs' two wins we talk to James Akintunde after his winning goal and he tells us about hanging with his boys in Dunboyne. We delve into the Dundalk goal drought before heading to the chip vans around …

As Hildegarde whips up a storm in Leinster house, storms play havoc with pitches and we finally realise that 8 seasons of this malarkey is completely redundant in the face of the Damien Duff renaissance, there's a gloomy outlook to this weeks pod. Ciaran Kilduff drops in to our Oliver Marketing studio to dissect the big news story of Stephen O'Donn…

March of many weathers hasn't really lived up to its reputation and the constant rain has left sodden pitches countrywide for an Easter double header. While Duffer, once he gets out of Johnny's head, bemoans the state of said pitches, and threatens to produce his own "straight story" on his Da's ride on, there's a missing interview and a catch up w…

As Dan hails the end of the international break, Johnny has gone on an international break of his own, dialling in from France after a star studded flight. The lads discuss the big issues of the week, and go over some old ground from last week with the future of TV, Bohs and the FAI all on the agenda before we check in with Greg Sloggett to chat ab…

TV or not TV, that is the question, well the question Johnny has for himself with the Red Zone now in doubt because the prospective host has decided the entire medium is irrelevant. We move on from that bombshell to invite a central character from recent breaking news with ex Bohs assistant manager Gary Cronin joining us in the Oliver studios. Top …

As Bohs start their hunt for a new manager, we bring in the league’s management to discuss the overall state of play with Mark Scanlon dropping by. Facilities, fireworks, Harry Kane's firestick and finance are on the agenda as positive becomes the new interesting in a mailbag aimed at our FAI guest. The broadcasting picture, pitch battles and the o…

It's antsy managers ahoy in episode four, as we trawl through the Zapruder film of the rainy nights in stadiums around the country. At Tolka, Johnny caught up with one of the less antsy ones, John Caulfield, after Galway United's narrow defeat to league leaders Shelbourne. Our Collar and Cuff mailbag comes chock full of conspiracy theories, manager…

This week, with Johnny's job count at 8 (or is it 7?), we reunited two old friends who met as teenagers with no idea of the journey that lay ahead. Padraig Amond was the hurler under a different name from Carlow with football ambitions. Eoin Doyle was a ‘lunatic’ from Dublin with no idea that he could make a living from the game. But both these cat…

Now that we've gotten our first week of games under the belt, we tackle the sophomore episode, which can be a bit troublesome but not this time. We have two recently retired league stalwarts in studio. Barry Murphy, once keeper of both Shamrock Rovers & Bohemian goals, trades his Dundrum mailbag to give the lads a hand with a Bohs-heavy Collar & Cu…

We are back. Seems like everyone has a fancy season launch these days so we decided to 'outstyle' the competition by recording our Season 8 opener in the salubrious surroundings of Collar & Cuff who put a roof over our head for the recording but that didn’t stop Johnny from keeping his hat on. Our first mailbag of the year seeks title race projecti…

Santas sack is full, Ireland isn't, but the stadiums are apparently. It's the LOI Central 2023 clip show. Remember when Dave and Maddie would spend an entire episode of 'Moonlighting' arguing about what happened in the past year and throw in 34 minutes of clips from the past season? Well we would never do that! Instead we throw in 10 mins of classi…

In the week where the cup final became 'cool' we decamp to the kitchen to end as we mean to go on and pore over the spectacle and the season whilst bringing you the PFAI awards nominations with Stephen McGuinness. We also have a chat with Jack Moylan about leaving Duffer for Lincoln and talk contrasting cup final emotions with Jonathan Afolabi and …

It’s cup final week but there’s more than one show in town and we kicked it off with a special Episode 39 in Rascals HQ on Monday night. We brought together some of the liveliest members of the Irish football family for a show that sent producer Del into overtime in the editing chair. Our bleep button is out of contract and the F bomb count soared …

Welcome to Episode 38 with Johnny and Dan or is it Dan and Johnny? As Shamrock Rovers clinch their fourth title in a row, we speak to a victorious Lee Grace and Stephen Bradley, grade the Hoops season and debate the importance of winning it with kids. Beyond that, we ruminate on the standing of the league's goalkeepers and goalscorers, discuss the …

So it's official, we've sold out. Not to the man, but our live show in Rascals Brewery on November 6th has sold out. On this week's podcast you can find out how to get your hands on the last few tickets Johnny had stashed in an old overcoat at the back of the wardrobe. You can also hear from Shelbourne keeper Conor Kearns who touches on most things…

Last week’s trivia might have been a failure but this week we bring you Trivela, the prospective new owners of Drogheda United who give us their first big interview since stating their intention to take over the Boynesiders. Benjamin Boycott and Wesley Hill dial in from the USA to discuss their plans with Dan, a long call with investors who say the…

As we reach the business end of the season, we've got a cup final on the mind to distract Johnny from his title race addiction. Our hosts review the two semis and look forward to maybe a record breaking attendance at the final in the stadium soon to be known as The Dublin Arena. Dan, fresh from Switzerland has his own opinion on that and wonders if…

It's semi-final week and will Johnny build bridges with Galway ahead of their clash with Bohemians? As part of Johnny's rehabilitation we sent him on a solo mission to the stadium formerly known as Lansdowne Road to meet with his people, a 66/1 Bohemian, the not so boring Cian Coleman and Jamie Lennon. In the week where Aertel finally get's the plu…

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 capit…

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 kno…

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.…

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 h…

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…

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 studi…

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 ar…

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 an…

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 a…

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 o…

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 ref…

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…

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 …

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 Rother…

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…

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 Drog…

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 trans…

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 …

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 t…

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'…

It’s Eurovision week and while Ireland’s Wild Youth fell at the first hurdle, this week’s show looks at how our young footballers are beating the odds to compete on the European stage. Academy heads Mike Geoghegan (Waterford) and Craig Sexton (Bohs) drop by to discuss funding difficulties, staff shortages and the differences between Dublin and the …

In Johnny's absence this week we have guest presenter Garry Doyle from The Star joining Dan in studio for a wide range of topics which includes a look back on the double header with interviews from Richie Towell and Ruaidhri Higgins, the breaking news departure of Tim Clancy from Pats and the continuing debate on funding from government gambling re…

The pod finally makes it to the 21st century this week and embraces AI, but not the East Galway interpretation. As well as kinky kebabs, the Bohs singles charts, Galway's lack of sustainability and Johnny recast as the lone ethical ranger (almost) we had veteran goalkeeper Barry Murphy in studio to look back on his career, the complicated emotions …

It's a giddy mood in Glasnevin where we host Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty and Dundalk's Keith Ward fresh from the post round and the training ground respectively. The lads pick up where our referee debate ended last week as well as chipping in on the great 2023 Astro Debate! They also find time in our extended edition to touch on Daire Doyle's ga…

It's gotten to the stage where we needed a referee for the podcast and we found the ideal candidate in Tomás Connolly, an experienced whistler turned administrator who has now turned 'to the dark side' by becoming an assessor. We brought him in to answer the many queries we've faced on yellow cards, relations with managers, grief from players and t…

Back in studio for this week's show and the lads are joined by League of Ireland legend and Malaysian Marvel, Colin Hawkins. Colin talks for the first time about his recent life changing illness and the journey he's been on since that fateful diagnosis earlier this year. On his road to recovery he continues to find time to check in on the league an…

Another late breaking news story tries to bamboozle us but as usual we got the kids to bed early and get to the story of the day as Keith Long is named as the new Waterford manager after Danny Searle's abrupt exit. Who'd be a manager? It turns out that Ciaran Kilduff is very open to going down that route and the former Dundalk striker joined us thi…

Its episode 6 and with our hosts being at opposite ends of the country means we're zooming again. It's Premier League break time as we digest the season so far. We also check in on Kerry FC with Billy Dennehy on managing expectations and Jonathan Hannafin on achieving a dream that means much more to him than a chance meeting with Johnny in a Dublin…

It's the third anniversary of the CoVid lockdown and we're back on Zoom as Johnny almost heads to Cheltenham for his annual week of work. There's all kinds of zany on this weeks show as we ask if Shamrock Rovers lost the killer instinct and whether it’s good for fans and players to talk. Johnny and Dan caught up with Rory Gaffney to talk Tolka, tit…

In an airport themed show, Johnny flies in from London to eventually find Dan and catch up with our old pal Sean Boyd, the Shelbourne striker, who jets to the UK this week to solve his injury problems although he explains that the ailment didn’t prevent him from standing by his men in the Oriel tunnel on Monday. We get the lowdown on Shels life, cu…

It's episode 3 and we may have peaked! Do NOT miss our interview with Derry City's, Mark Connolly. From his Gaelic Football roots to a heart wrenching story about returning home, Mark gives us an open and honest reflection on his career and life to date. After Zooming with Mark we invited the table topping Bohemian manager Declan Devine in to cast …

Where do you start with the Week 1 review? We had Hulk Hogan style walkouts in Wexford, Norma Foley and Niall Quinn seeking out VIP paparazzi in Kerry, Athlone's new Bayside High class and the morals of LOI Season Pass on your dodgybox.After the new improved silk lined, hand stitched Collar & Cuff mailbag David McMillan and Ollie Cahill stopped by.…