Booked and Abandoned

Booked & Abandoned is BACK for Season 2!

We tried to book Peter Schmeichel. He's still celebrating 1999. So instead, we got someone who actually returns our calls, former Football Fern and professional keeper Pam Yates.

From representing New Zealand to coaching the next generation at Eastern Suburbs, Pam's been there, done that, and saved most of it. We dive into life between the posts, playing abroad, the evolution of women's f...

That’s a wrap on Season 1 of Booked and Abandoned!

A short and sweet finale episode where we look back on our favourite moments, top guests, and the weirdest places this little podcast has taken us. There’s also a cheeky teaser for what’s coming in Season 2 if our guests ever turn up.

Huge thanks to @OratiaUnited for giving us a home base to record from, and to Mike Hadnett Photography for letting us borrow so many stunning snaps alo...

Paul “Pirate” Rothsay steps in as Paul Gazza steps out (literally… to hospital)

This week, we’re joined by the man, the myth, the pants-dropping icon himself - Pirate, aka Paul Rothsay. From gritty street footy in the UK to gale-force games in Dunedin, he’s seen it all.

Expect:

A four-yard miss that still haunts him

Pre-match rituals you’ll wish you could forget

A pitch invasion… by his own trousers?

Bryan Robson bailed. But Riccardo Ball? He showed up and showed off. The voice of NZ football joins us this week from The Rock to Sports Nation and now… us.

We talk:

18-1 drubbings

Life behind the mic

A few liver strains

And the odd broken toe

Hit play, raise a glass, and enjoy the man who actually answered our call.

Captain Fantastic who?

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Jonno Ross joins us for a big chat about football community inclusion and what it means to truly live and breathe the game. From his days as a keeper, managing Mt Albert Ponsonby, to writing for Friends of Football, he shares what goes on behind the scenes and why supporter culture matters.

He’s also a man known for using an impressive amount of tape and we get into that too.

This was our first virtual episode so the audio’s not perf...

Booked and Abandoned flips the script this week as the birthday boy himself, Andrew McKenzie, jumps from host to guest. With Scott joined by special guest-host Brenden Child (yes, our very first guest, we’re sentimental like that), it’s time to unpack the podfather’s origin story.

From dodgy keeping to German embassy drama, it’s everything you never knew you needed, including one very Lineker-esque moment we definitely didn’t plan.

G...

Robbie Graham is on the pod this week, and if you know Auckland football, you know the name. A MAP icon, long-time keeper, captain, and yes, somehow also the penalty taker.

We reached out to David Seaman who never replied, but it worked out better because Robbie showed up with stories that genuinely deliver.

From saving goals to scoring them, dodgy Europa League trips in Baku, and the real story behind NZ’s win over Bahrain, it’s all...

This week on Booked and Abandoned, we're joined by Max Whitehead — Oratia United's First Team forward, law student, and all-round machine.

Max takes us through his footballing journey from Northland FC to the Wellington Phoenix Academy and now leading the line at Oratia. We talk discipline, bodybuilding, balancing a law degree with first-team footy, and what it takes to chase big goals both on and off the pitch.

This isn’t someon...

From Valencia to Papatoetoe – Kim Beale Joins the Pod.

Sir Alex might’ve bottled it, but we’ve upgraded the dugout with grassroots coaching royalty: Kim Beale. From leading Papatoetoe United to shaping young talent through Soccer Plus NZ and the Valencia Foundation Academy, Kim’s building more than just game plans, he’s building futures.

We chat about taking kids to Spain for the football experience of a lifetime, running teams on he...

Neil Warnock ghosted us... so we found the Kiwi version – and he brought a lawnmower. Mark O'Donnell has coached half of NZ, managed everyone else, and tells stories like your uncle at the pub (but better). Expect: Ice baths, wild transfers, and tales that probably need a disclaimer.

It’s grassroots gold – boots, beers, and all.

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After a couple of weeks off (life, aye?), Booked and Abandoned returns with a cracker of an episode. This week, we’re joined by Stu Roberts - a proper New Zealand football journeyman with over 500 senior games, 100+ goals, and, yes, an appearance at Old Trafford. That Old Trafford. Eat your heart out, Beckham.

While David ghosted us again (he’s probably off filming another documentary), Stu showed up and brought three decades’ worth...

We almost landed Jürgen Klopp this week… but instead got someone with more local flavour and he returned our calls.

Daniel Eisenhut — new Oratia United head coach — joins us to chat grassroots footy, coaching chaos, and why Auckland rain builds character. Plus: the wildest pre-game ritual yet, risking death for the Warriors, and what we would've asked Klopp (had he not ghosted us).

Tune in — the Spezi’s still cold.

When Paolo Maldini bailed, Stuart Greenaway stepped up – and honestly, we think we got the better deal. A former Northern Ireland U17 international, Stuart brings stories from the pitch, tackles that could split timelines (including one that left his groin with a Harry Potter like scar), and his current work coaching the future stars with Total Football Technique in Auckland.

We talk grassroots glory, coaching philosophy, and the fi...

Hos...

If you missed the first leg, well… good luck. This is part two, and context is everything.

Diego Maradona was technically unavailable… mostly because we forgot he was no longer with us. Classic admin fail.

But don’t worry—we’ve still got a living legend: Steve Cain! From Coventry City FC to top-level management, he’s done it all. Now, as Director of Football at Oratia United FC, he’s shaping NZ’s football future.

In this second leg, w...