All The Footballs

At Winchester College, for centuries past the boys have played their own footballing game. A few years ago Charlie went to watch it be played in the school's beautiful surrounds by today's young crop of Wykehamists. He reported back in this episode and Dan & Henry shared their thoughts on this complex and entertaining ancestor of the modern professional codes. 

The world's only award (which we know of) for best footballer in the world across all footballing codes returns for the 2022 addition. The panel discuss the best footballers of the previous annum and announce who the selectors have chosen as Footballer of the Year for 2022. The nominees are: Lukhanyo Am, Sharks & South Africa (Rugby Union) Seb Bechara, Catalans Dragons & England (Wheelchair Rugby League) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (American Football) David Clifford, Fossa & Kerry (Gaelic Football) Max Duggan, TCU Horned Frogs (American Football) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (American Football) Kylian Mbappe, PSG & France (Association Football) Beth Mead, Arsenal & England (Association Football) Lionel Messi, PSG & Argentina (Association Football) Joel Selwood, Geelong Cats (Australian Rules Football) Ruby Tui, Canterbury, NZ Sevens & New Zealand (Rugby Union, Rugby Sevens) Leah Williamson, Arsenal & England (Association Football)

Charlie kicked off the latest round of featured code episodes by visiting the Scottish Borders and watching the centuries old and storied game of Jedburgh Hand Ba'. 

For the fourth and final part of our Review of 2022 series, Charlie was joined by our favourite rural rugby nutter John Tucker. John seemed to be clearing out his cattle shed at the time, but hey when you need to talk rugby it just can't wait!

World roaming Aussie Kurt Thiele is on the line from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand and reminisces with Charlie over the highlights of 2022 from the biggest winter sport the Great Southern Land has to offer. 

Whether you call it soccer or football, the second part of our Review of 2022 focuses on Association Football. Dan and then Maggsy joined Charlie to discuss the key moments in the world's biggest sport from the year just gone. 

We kick off our Review of 2022 series with Dan & Charlie discussing the year just gone in Ireland & America, for Gaelic and American Footballs. 

The panel and friends review the best footballers of 2021 in order to crown the Footballer of the Year across all footballing codes the world over. The nominees are: Brianna Davey, Collingwood FC (Australian Rules Football) Antoine Dupont, Toulouse & France (Rugby Union) Max Gawn, Melbourne FC (Australian Rules Football) Will Jordan, Crusaders & New Zealand (Rugby Union) Simon Kjaer, AC Milan & Denmark (Association Football) Kieran McGeary, Tyrone (Gaelic Football) Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals (American Football) Vivianne Miedema, Arsenal & Netherlands (Association Football) Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham & Serbia (Association Football) Mohamed Salah, Liverpool & Egypt (Association Football) Emily Scarratt, Loughborough & England (Rugby Union) Tom Trbojevic, Manly Sea Eagles & New South Wales (Rugby League)

The panel and a wider group of their football fan friends celebrate the start of a new award - the Footballer of the Year - to crown the best player of football sports across all codes, the world over, in 2020. The nominees are: Beauden Barrett, Blues & New Zealand (Rugby Union) Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (American Football) Brian Fenton, Dublin (Gaelic Football) Sarah Fuller, Vanderbilt University (American Football & Association Football) Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund (Association Football) Maro Itoje, Saracens & England (Rugby Union) Dustin Martin, Richmond FC (Australian Rules Football) Paul McShane, Castleford Tigers (Rugby League) Cameron Munster, Melbourne Storm & Queensland (Rugby League) Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (American Football) Kevin Sinfield, Retired / Fundraiser (Rugby League) Hannah Southwell, Sydney Roosters & New South Wales (Rugby League)

Charlie introduces the panel to that most antipodean of footballing codes, Australian Rules Football and the pre-existing indigenous Australian game of Marn Grook. 

Charlie, Dan, Maggsy and the (self-proclaimed) King of East Prawle, John Tucker, talk through British traditional mob football games, and in particular the old, riotous and excellent, Royal Shrovetide Football, which occurs annually in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Charlie gives us the history of the oldest known footballing sport, the Chinese game Cuju, as well as its Japanese cousin Kemari.  

Charlie & the team kick off this new podcast by tackling a brief history of all the footballing sports.