The Game
The thinking fan's football podcast, providing previews and reviews of all the action - every Monday and Thursday. Listen to the best of The Times and The Sunday Times journalists as they cover the biggest sport on the planet; from winners to losers, who's in and out on the transfer roundabout, tactical developments, data analysis and the dreaded VAR. Hosted by Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson alongside special guest appearances, the team bring you the latest on the Premier League and the EFL, as well as a front-row seat to international tournaments including the Champions League, European Championships and World Cups. We know football isn't life and death. It's much more serious than that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Tom Clarke is joined by Alyson Rudd, Gary Jacob and Tony Cascarino to continue the build up to the new Premier League season which is less than two weeks away!
Bruno Guimares has signed for champions Arsenal, we ask what impact the Brazilian will have on the Gunners midfield and we herald the return of experienced and sensible transfers after they shelled out £75 million for the 28 year old.
One Brazilian in the door, but ano...
Tom Clarke check's in with the Times Chief Sports reporter Martyn Ziegler who brings us right up to speed with all the latest surrounding under pressure FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
He remains in charge.....for now, following an emergency meeting in Morocco, but he has apologised for his handling of the FFE proposals which rocked the football world last week.
Martyn explains why Infantino won't go away without a fight an...
What next for Gianni Infantino and FIFA?
Tom Clarke is joined by Alyson Rudd, Tom Allnut and Tony Cascarino to discuss what the future holds for the controversial FIFA President after a number of FA's across Europe publicly withdrew their support for him following his attempt to sell off a stake in the World Cup.
We ask if we have really seen the end of this story for good and compare the similarities with UEFA's introductio...
Another huge day in the biggest story in football - Tom Clarke is joined by Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter at The Times and the man who broke the news of FIFA's plan to sell stakes in the tournament.
In this special, snap episode Martyn offers an update on who has spoken out against the plans, why they will not proceed and whether it could be the end of Gianni Infantino as FIFA President.
What a dramatic day! Tom Clarke is joined by Alyson Rudd, Tom Allnutt and James Gheerbrant to discuss FIFA, Gianni Infantino and their plans to sell the World Cup.
The panel call for action and a strong response and before we could finish editing we got that strong response, as UEFA announce they will boycott all future FIFA competitions - Tom rejoined the show to give us the latest.
As if that wasn't busy enough, in part two...
Tom Clarke speaks to The Times Chief Sports reporter Martyn Ziegler - following his exclusive story in detailing FIFA president Gianni Infantino's plans to offer 'stakes' in the World Cup.
What are the plans? Why does it matter and what happens next?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Game is back on tour, speaking with Pete Rutzler who is following Chelsea (and Spurs) down under. The Blues have been spending big, will there be any out goings and how will new manager Xabi Alonso deploy his new talent?
Ian Whittell is in America following Liverpool's tour and saw their first preseason game against Sunderland. Who caught the eye, how is Iraola adapting and will there be more signings?
After the break Tom Clarke ...
While the World Cup has been on there has been plenty of transfer activity in the Premier League. The record fee has been broken twice by Elliot Anderson to Man City then Morgan Rogers to Chelsea - so is £100 million now the going rate for a midfielder?
Spurs are spending big, Villa are selling big and Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool have done nothing big ... yet.
There have been managerial changes at Fulham and Forest and i...
Well, it is finally over. World Cup 2026 didn't get the final it deserved but it was a fabulous festival of football.
Tom Clarke, Tony Cascarino, Gregor Robertson and Tom Allnutt assess the final - a disgraceful display from Argentina but a footballing triumph for Spain.
Then we pick our team of the tournament, reflect on England and hear from Tom Allnutt who suggests England players could learn from Spain by producing players ...
Well, if the final is as much as fun as that we're in for a treat.
England beat France 6-4 in a frankly bonkers match to take the bronze medal and finish third, their best World Cup performance since lifting the trophy in 1966. Tom Clarke is joined by Matt Lawton and Ian Whittell who offer their thoughts on whether this helps ease the pain for Thomas Tuchel and what it means for France.
And then it is onto the big...
It's time, for the biggest game of the tournament, France vs England... well, we tried. But whilst the world might not be excited about the third-place play-off, we have still got loads to talk about.
Tom Clarke is joined by Jonathan Northcroft in Manhattan to discuss England's footballing DNA, what 'shocked' him about the Argentina defeat, thoughts on the final and more nonsense from FIFA.
Tom also chats to our E...
Did Thomas Tuchel tell his players to sit back and defend, or were they just not able to maintain their pressing...the England inquest is gathering pace.
There seems unity of opinion that manager Thomas Tuchel has questions to answer. Will he step forward or will the FA wait until their review is complete ?
Tom Clarke chats to Matt Lawton for the latest on Tuchel's future and Martin Samuel discusses England's wider prob...
In the end England fell shore, again. One up with half an hour to go England sat back, ceded ground then succumbed as Argentina seized the initiative and scored two late goals.
Where did it go wrong this time? Did Tuchel lose his nerve, was it all down to Messi do England have an inferiority complex?
Jonathan Northcroft and Paul Hirst bring immediate reaction from the ground before Tom Clarke, Gregor Robertson and Aly...
Two camps, two journalists, both predicting England wins. What could possibly go wrong?
Tom Clarke is joined by Jonny Northcroft in the England camp and Paul Hirst in the Argentina camp to discuss the second big semi-final and gets the latest news and predictions.
In part two Tom is joined by Gregor Robertson to discuss Spain's impressive win against a disappointing France and ask what went wrong for the favourite...
He's a World Cup star and one of the best in the world but Kylian Mbappe's leadership has shone at this World Cup, on and off the pitch.
Martin Samuel joins Tom Clarke to discuss the France forward and preview their semi-final with Spain.
Martin also offers his thoughts on Jude Bellingham, Thomas Tuchel and why he believes England can beat Argentina.
How do England beat Argentina? Both teams looked exhausted after their quarter final wins, will recovery be the key? Gregor Robertson thinks the battle is out wide, Tom allnutt thinks Argentina have more in the tank.
Does the post game spat between Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham really matter, Tony Cascarino thinks it is a sign of a healthy dressing room?
In the first semi-final France play Spain. France are the dominate...
That was tense! England beat Norway thanks to another brace from Jude Bellingham and possibly a bit of help from a spider cam.
Tom clarke is joined by The Times head of Sport James Restall and Gregor Robertson for immediate reaction to England reaching a World Cup semi final.
In part two Paul Hirst was there on another tough night for Argentina. They're through to face England but they made hard work of beating Switzerland. ...
Four Times journalists, four assertions that England are favourites. But can Thomas Tuchel's side deliver?
Tom Clarke talks to Matt Lawton and Tom Allnutt about England v Norway and also hears from Alyson Rudd - the writer who backed the Norwegians to win the tournament - about any conflict she may feel for this one.
The Tom Tom Club also analyse Spain's win against Belgium and debate whether they need to improve ...
The hype and excitement is building for England's quarter-final with Norway and our Chief Football Correspondent Jonathan Northcroft can see a route to the final for Thomas Tuchel's side.
In part two he joins Tom Clarke to discuss the latest news from the England camp and the emergence of Anthony Gordon as a vital player. Tom also shares his worries about the England stars who are one booking away from missing a potential ...
We've reached the business end of the tournament. Some big names have fallen by the wayside but no really big shocks. We have six European teams, Morocco from Africa and Argentina from South America.
Belgium have been 'deeply average' at times; Spain haven't really got going.
England, a dramatic result in Mexico aside haven't looked convincing. Norway have proved them selves legitimate dark horses.
Argentina are street wise, the...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.