The Baby Boy Byfield Award for 2025 (with Joe Stephenson)

Ever tried to sum up a football year with a single name? That’s the mischievous magic of the Darren “Baby Boy” Byfield Award, and we’ve got its creator, Major Joe Stevenson, walking us through the 2025 edition with all the wit and precision it deserves. We open the hood on how a joke-turned-tradition captures the sport’s cultural memory better than any official honour: it isn’t about form charts or medals, but about who felt absolutely of-the-moment—peaking in the headlines, the memes, the pub chat, then slipping back into the pack.We trace the award’s roots from a throwaway tweet into a festive calendar marker, revisiting why names like Brian Deane, “Actually Good Chris Wood,” and Ben Brereton Díaz landed so hard. Then we dig into the 2025 group stage: big names beside cult curios, Women’s Super League stars alongside viral flashes, and those impossibly specific labels that make you grin—“Manchester City’s Frank Lampard” energy applied to a new crop. Expect sharp cases for and against contenders like Marcus Rashford “at Barça,” Scott McTominay, Dan Burn, Semenyo, Everton’s Jack Grealish, Mary Earps, Chloe Kelly, Hannah Hampton, and Sam Kerr, with a frank look at recency bias and the real criteria: who defined the year.We also dive into the delicious chaos of the Gimmick Battle Royal, featuring still‑unemployed Henry Winter, the big‑haired United fan, and a Graham Potter face swap—because modern football memory lives online as much as on the pitch. Can a manager like Big Ange fit the Byfield mould after a year of whiplash highs and lows? Should non‑players ever win? We make the case, challenge lazy picks, and celebrate the award’s charitable backbone, where witty donations fuel real impact.Vote, reminisce, and help bottle 2025 in one unforgettable name. If you enjoyed the episode, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—then tell us your Byfield winner and why.