On The Left Side

Football this week went a little bit Abbott and Costello as do we as we try and figure out just how Sanchez Watt managed to get himself sent off, and then on again for Hemel Hempstead. Meanwhile, over in Spain, Sergio Ramos takes himself off for possibly the most embarrassing reason, especially when your team kit has white shorts. Plus there's a chance to relive some of the greatest hits from Motty as he hangs up his sheepskin and heads for a life of domestic bliss. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original music written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Incidental music and sounds courtesy of freesfx.co.uk under creative commons license. This episode contains additional voices from Sean Allsop, Anthony Laming and Ciaran Saward.

The defeat to Brighton was the equivalent of a massive coronary for one Arsenal fan on this weeks Our Tune. And it's not just the supporters all this is affecting. Arsene Wenger pops up on X Factor, then talks about getting naked. And while Arsenal fans get it in the ticker, Antonio Conte gets it in the neck, but amongst it all, the unexpected death of Davide Astori brings out the best of football from Fiorentina. On The Left Side is written and presented by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. All other music and SFX courtesy of freesfx.co.uk and licensed under creative commons. For more Funny Football, silly soccer and comedy nonsense, go to OnTheLeftSide.co.uk

We go a bit Radio 4 at times today, thanks to the farce that is VAR, a system so bad it makes sense it’s being used in the world cup. And as the weather closed in could Twitter be the real reason why Wembley cost £800 million to build? And as well as a spot of shoddy journalism and a splash of Motown, we have what could be the most wonderful voice in football. Though we also have Jim singing again, so, you know, Swings and roundabouts.   On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original music performed by Katalina Kicks with their kind permission. Other music and sfx courtesy of freesfx and creative commons licensing.    

The first bit of silverware has gone with Man City taking home the carbo.. the caribou.. the carabababo... the Leauge cup, but Gary Neville thinks Arsenal just walked over and handed it to them. Then walked back. Very, very slowly. Once again, this has prompted calls for Wenger Out, and amongst the names that have been put forward to replace him is a rather familiar character. And this time next year we could all be going on holiday as finally football has decided to have a sit down and a cup of tea for a week or two round February next year. On The Left Side is written and presented by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. All other SFX and music c/o freesfx.co.uk under creative commons license. This was our 150th episode. Thanks for listening and supporting us so far!

The greatest love story of last season could become the biggest break up story of this one, as Jose forgets all about his expensive Frenchman Paul Pogba. And is the food in Spanish McDonalds really worth getting in trouble with the Police for? Finally the new Swansea manager wants to take you on a picnic, but leave you feeling hungry. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune is written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Incidental music and SFX courtesy of freesfx.co.uk and covered under creative commons licensing.    

It's Funny Football Podcast time again as Wigan Athletic knock City out of the FA Cup with a goal from the mighty Will Griggs (who is clearly still on fire). That's not all though as Pep Guardiola and Sergio Aguero get a bit "flighty" off the pitch too... Imagine if Jose had done that eh? We also go in search of the greatest football fans on the planet... and may well find them! On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original theme tune "National Hero" was written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Additional music and SFX from freesfx.co.uk and licenced via Creative Commons.

On the latest Funny Football Podcast, we ponder how the tabloid newspapers might report the sad retirement of Hull City defender Ryan Mason, wonder if Ronaldo might actually be a wizard and look at a social media faux pas from the Manchester City PR team... all in under 8mins. Enjoy the podcast. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original theme tune "National Hero" was written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Additional music and SFX from freesfx.co.uk, BenSounds.com and licenced via Creative Commons.

Another bite-sized podcast full to the brim with "Funny Football" stuff from the Premier League and beyond. This week we see a dark side to Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, hear Gary Neville drop some rhymes with Pep Guardiola and spot some unexpected genitalia in Huddersfield Town's match with Bournemouth. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original theme tune "National Hero" was written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Additional music and SFX from freesfx.co.uk and licenced via Creative Commons.  

Can Patrice Evra give West Ham a kick up the face, much like he did to one of the Marseille fans? Or is his signing purely political? Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez is back in body, if not in mind and soul, but is the real reason he's been missing the roadworks on the M6? And is Joey Barton the voice of feminism in football? (SPOILER ALERT: No. No, he's not). Once again, we start off asking questions like these and get distracted by other things.  On the Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Original theme tune written and performed by Katalina Kicks, incidental music and sound effects courtesy of freesfx.co.uk and licensed via creative commons.

It's all about hair, organised crime and sleep deprivation at Chelsea this week, as Bakayoko still has no idea how to win fans over. Thankfully, we have Harry Kane to distract us from all that, and any cheap gags about the Delle Ali sextape. Please note, this episode does not to do any cheap gags at Delle Ali's expense. We're saving up for a really expensive one on the next show. On The Left Side is written and produced by Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Theme music written and performed by Katalinakicks.com      

  Today proves that football currently has more money than sense, as there was a lot of transfers and a whole lot of stupidity over the last year. The problems could all stem from education, especially given the nightmare vision of a school we are given by SkySports. But on the bright side, it gave us an excuse to have another singsong. On The Left Side is Written and Produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Incidental music and sound effects courtesy of freefx.co.uk and is covered under creative commons license. Guest contributions this episode include the marvellous Tony Laming, and 2 parts of the Allsop family.

Who wants to be Phil Neville? We spot a weakness in his skill set as he again proves his inability to count, but he tries to dig himself out of a hole with some impressive claims. Claims that sound much better than the sexist comments on his twitter feed. Speaking of feeding, Mourinho has the munchies and is hungry for a bite of Alexis’ orange. We think. Actually, we’re not sure what Jose is on about. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson. Really. Ant actually wrote some funny bits this time. If you didn't laugh, those were the bits Jim wrote. Theme music courtesy of Katalina Kicks and incidental music and SFX, courtesy of Freesfx.co.uk and music under creative commons license.

Could there be trouble as the top English manager in the Premier League this season is confronted with his past in a scandal absolutely nobody is calling #Wormgate and we ask how good Andy Carroll would be if he never got injured, and if he could be the makeweight in a swop deal with daytime TV show Countdown? And we jump on a call to a God amongst men, as Kent Roger Solheim tells us all about naming his baby in honour of his club. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Other music and SFX courtesy of freesfx.co.uk and creative commons licensing.  

Marco Silva is the 7th Premier league manager to be sacked this season, and the second because of Everton. Harry Redknapp is having a pop at those funny foreigners again, and Alexis Sanchez is finally in Manchester, where he's feeling romantic. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio.  

Just what has got Antonio Conte pulling his hair out? And why has Alan got a bee in his bonnet, or more to the point a V, an A, and an R?We get a sneak preview of a future football chant as Andy Carroll pulls a sicky, and in doing so a muscle or two, and the newspaper calculators go into overdrive with the Sanchez transfer. Plus Richard Osman finally makes it onto our show after being on everything else on the TV.   Enjoy the podcast and don't forget to now. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for . The OTLS theme tune 'National Hero' is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Additional music from and SFX supplied by .  

There are lots of numbers flying around as Sanchez is poised to leave Arsenal. But what shirt will he be wearing in the next few weeks? And more importantly, apparently, what number will he have on the back of it?We also find out where footballers go on holiday, and, as he takes on the mantle as Wales manager, we wonder if Ryan Giggs’ past will come back to haunt him. Not that one. The other one. But we might make a joke about that. Again. But hey, at least there’s no Wayne Rooney gags this time. At least I don’t think there are. Don’t worry. We’ll do one next time.   On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Theme tune "National Hero" is written and performed by Katalina Kicks. Incidental music and sounds courtesy of Abrupt Audio and freesfx.co.uk

We discover that the number of managers with backgrounds of being bad managers, far exceed those of BAME managers across the Football League. And wonder if the FA are only able to address one 'ism' at a time? eg if they are not being racist then is it ok for them to be sexist? There’s heartbreak at Liverpool with the departure of Philippe Coutinho but the pain is eased with what could be the greatest football song ever, made with rice. Pep Guardiola and Neil Warnock shine a light on what it costs to play football in the modern game - bones, and bodies. And we pitch Elton John what could be the greatest ever sporting musical… On The Left Side is written and produced by Jim Salveson and Ant McGinley for Abrupt Audio. The theme tune "National Hero" is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Incidental music and SFX courtesy of Freesfx.co.uk and use of Creative Commons.

We’re not sure the new Swansea manager fully understands the concept of the transfer window as he is off down the fish market. Elsewhere, the Mayor of Liverpool is off down the cop shop as he’s worried about Ross Barclay. Meanwhile Coutinho is off to start a new life in Barcelona while a new dawn comes in the form of Video Assistant Referees. Who may or may not have been watching Eastenders. But the future of football is not futuristic enough as we test it against HAL 9000, the computer from 2001 A Space Odyssey.   On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio.   The theme tune “National Hero” is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Music and SFX courtesy of freesfx.co.uk

We look at some of the biggest surprises in the football rollercoaster that is the transfer window, find out the secrets of Arsenal's finances, discover a player guaranteed to get you maximum points on scrabble, play classical music alongside football chants, cast our minds back to the time that Real Madrid wanted Alan Pardew, and learn that Mourinho isn’t going anywhere, if only because he can’t be bothered. Also getting a mention in this show: Falkirk, West Ham, Chelsea, David Beckham and Posh Spice (sorry), Andy Carroll, The Lowry Hotel, Alan Partridge, and Jim's crappy house. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Theme music is written and performed by Katalina Kicks and appears with their kind permission. Incidental SFX and music care of www.freesfx.co.uk

Jose Mourinho looks set to appear on a new TV game show, but will he still struggle to get points? Liverpool have just bought the world's most expensive defender, and given that it took longer to get him than it did to make all the Lord of the Rings movies, maybe they should also sign Vincent Kompany to do their accounts. And Jeff Stelling gets ranty about the New Years Honours List, while Sam Allardyce talks sense. On The Left Side is written and produced by Ant McGinley and Jim Salveson for Abrupt Audio. Music courtesy of Katalina Kicks. Incidental music and SFX courtesy of freesfx.co.uk