FOOTBALL PODCASTS WORTH LISTENING TO

Nowadays we are bombarded with a multitude of podcasts one can listen to during your commute or your workout and football is no exception. With so many to choose from, it can be a bit of a minefield finding the best ones. Here is our take on the best football podcasts.

D. Ray Morton, 28th March 2015.

The Guardian Football Weekly

This one probably jumped into a lot of peoples' heads immediately and it likely is the best all-round football podcast if you only catch one or two a week. It gets released on Mondays and Thursdays and is hosted by everyone's favourite, James Richardson (@acjimbo), the old host of the massively popular Gazzetta Football Italia which used to air on Channel 4 throughout the '90s (when Serie A ruled the world!). AC Jimbo, as Richardson is nicknamed, is usually joined by a few of The Guardian's football writing staff. Irishman Barry Glendenning (@bglendenning) is featured regularly and his dry sense of humour blends wonderfully with Jimbo's quips, pun and often hilarious euphemisms. Other regulars include perma-happy Football Manager junkie Iain Macintosh (@iainmacintosh), serious West Ham fan Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg), husky-voiced Arsenal enthusiast Amy Lawrence (@amylawrence71) and narrative-weaving Championship expert Simon Burnton (@Simon_Burnton). Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) occasionally features and is something of a treat to listen to with his expansive take on the unpredictable world of football. Foreign expertise is regularly provided by James Horncastle (@JamesHorncastle) (Italy), Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) (Spain), Raphael Honigstein (@honigstein) (Germany) and Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) (France). If you only get the chance to listen to one football podcast, make it this one.

Listen to it here: http://www.theguardian.com/football/series/footballweekly

Some of the Football Weekly crew with host James Richardson on the far right. A great bunch of lads!

The Times The Game

A bit less light-hearted and a touch more in-your-face, The Times' football podcast is hosted by the great Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti), the Italian loudmouth who is not afraid to ask the tough questions and shoot down weak, ponderous opinions. Being a huge fan of professional wrestling he takes something of a promoter/manager's "heel" persona and inflicts it on his guests. It is released once a week on Mondays and mainly covers the English game. Regulars include the grumpy voice of reason that is Matt Hughes (@MattHughesTimes) and qualified female referee Alyson Rudd (@allyrudd_times) who offers top insight when it comes to those officiating howlers so talked about in the Premier League. Sometimes a shouting match but nearly always entertaining, check it out.

Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/the-game-podcast

ONE World Sports Beyond the Pitch

Beyond the Pitch, or BTP for short, is little less known than the two already mentioned but this American-based soccer podcast is thorough and well-researched thanks to its host with the booming voice, Antö (@rossoAnto). The pod covers a wide range of topics and is usually split into several sections with various experts being interviewed. Although a lot of US and Asian football is covered due to ONE World Sports' audience, many European clubs are also discussed in long, in-depth segments and are well worth a listen.

Listen to it here: http://www.beyondthepitch.net/

BBC World Football Phone In

A real one for the football hipsters here, BBC's long-running World Football Phone In is a must listen for fans of the global game. Hosted by Nigerian-English Dotun Adebayo (@dotunadebayo) and usually featuring South American football encyclopaedia Tim "Legendinho" Vickery (@Tim_Vickery), there is a wealth of knowledge offered here which cannot be found in other pods. You can actually come away from it thinking your understanding of the game has went up several notches. All manner of topics are discussed as they take the calls of late night football-obsessed listeners. Definitely worth checking out for a more far-reaching take on all things global soccer.

Listen to it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wf

The Sound of Football

What catches the attention here right away is that strangely familiar intro music. Scratching your head wondering what it is? You might be surprised to know that it is the theme music from the retro football game Striker which was available on the Super Nintendo back in the early '90s. Established in 2009, the podcast is described as "improvised" and the conversation generally revolves around broad topics concerning the game, so one can listen to the backlog of these and find plenty of enjoyment. Jan Bilton (@JanBilton), Terry Duffelen (@terryduffelen) and Graham Sibley (@grahamsibley) are the regulars and they offer a more grown-up, considered approach than the nauseating, sophomoric din that is its overrated rival podcast The Football Ramble. Definitely worth a shot if you want a roomy discussion rather than the usual weekend update stuff or fools screaming across each other.

Listen to it here: http://www.sofpodcast.com/

Irish Times Second Captains Football

The Second Captains lads do like a photo op but they do make a very entertaining football podcast

This is certainly the go-to Irish football podcast. Presented by Eoin McDevitt (@eoinmcdevitt) with analysis from Ken Early (@kenearlys) and injections of humour from Ciaran "Murph" Murphy (@saveciaranmurph), the format revolves around Ken's "Report on Sport" followed usually by two segments featuring discussion with various football experts from around Britain and the continent. The banter flows smoothly and the pod stands head and shoulders above other Irish efforts like the heavily-clichéd Back Page Football and the crudely-produced The Final Third. Like The Guardian's pod, it is released twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays and also features an all-sports sister podcast. Highly recommended.

Listen to it here: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/second-captains