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BONUS CLUB: I'M NOT THE BAD GUY Welcome to Bonus Club, where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have finished discussing Jimmy Tarbuck's approach to television and Pep Guardiola's approach to football, and can finally get back to the important business of talking about whatever they fancy. Three clips. Three completely different starting points. And absolutely no guarantee that any of them will still be relevant ten minutes later. As ever, this is where the conversation gets a little looser, the tangents get longer and someone inevitably finds themselves having to explain why they're not the bad guy. Clips Steff: Best Instagram Running Account https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcTtddkNvPg/?stkn=aTBsZXl1c3gzcnBu Elis: Charlie Nodding https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdygXQgAbTy/?stkn=c2NrM2pwNWJ5b3Y0 Mike: Rashid https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcrFLrWMDep/?igsi=dDA5ajdyYmQ2OXI3 Running. Nodding. Rashid. And someone insisting they're not the bad guy. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and supporting The Socially Distant Sports Bar. It's your support that allows us to keep making these episodes and sharing the conversations that might otherwise never make it out of the studio. Enjoy!

Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We've been back through our archive of episodes and we've selected our favourite stories, anecdotes and funny bits. If you're new to the pod, then feel free to use these as a jump off point to find your way around our earlier episodes. This clip is taken from "Episode 293: George Lewis" 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this week's Socially Distant Sports Bar with Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero. This week we're taking a trip back to the golden age of television game shows, before heading into the tactical revolution that has changed football from the Champions League to the lowest reaches of the non-league pyramid. Two very different approaches to sport. One involving meticulous tactical planning. The other involving Jimmy Tarbuck and a set of rules nobody appears to understand. Documentary of the Week (Sort Of)Steff: Full Swing In place of the usual documentary, Steff has unearthed an absolute gem from the golden age of British television: Jimmy Tarbuck's Full Swing. It's a glorious car crash of a golf-based, general knowledge-adjacent game show, featuring celebrity contestants, questionable production decisions and a format whose rules the audience are apparently expected to work out for themselves as the programme unfolds. If the idea of Jimmy Tarbuck presiding over a golf quiz that appears to have been designed during a particularly long lunch doesn't make you want to watch it immediately, we're not sure this is the podcast for you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6svRbCgDm8w&t=45s Book of the WeekElis: The Spectre of Pep — How Guardiola Haunts Modern Football by Jon Mackenzie Elis brings in Jon Mackenzie's fascinating examination of Pep Guardiola's influence on modern football. From his tactical philosophy and obsession with controlling space to the way teams across Europe's biggest leagues have adopted versions of his approach, the book explores how one manager's ideas have fundamentally changed the way the game is played. And it's not just the elite. From Manchester City to the lower reaches of non-league football, everybody now seems determined to play out from the back, regardless of whether the centre-half is entirely comfortable with the idea. Has Guardiola made football better? Or has he simply made everyone believe there's only one correct way to play it? Plenty for Elis, Mike and Steff to get stuck into. https://link.amazon/B0aGXHEoU Jimmy Tarbuck and Pep Guardiola. Two men who have approached the organisation of sport in very different ways. Thanks for listening. And if you want more from The Socially Distant Sports Bar, including exclusive episodes and extra content, join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/distantpod 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another week at The Socially Distant Sports Bar, where Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero once again prove that talking about sport is entirely optional on a sports podcast. This week, Mike reveals how his habit of leaving his audio recorder running might eventually prove to be his downfall, the boys uncover some deeply unpleasant Roman bathroom techniques that will put you off your dinner, and Mike explains just how far he'd be prepared to go if someone offered him a bit of land. And it's quite a length. There's also the small matter of ham radio enthusiasts. Those bloody hams. Eventually, sport manages to force its way into the conversation. Mike brings us the extraordinary photographic memory of LA Rams head coach Sean McVay, Steff provides further evidence that Tony Pulis knows absolutely everyone in football, and Elis revisits Tony Sibson's wonderfully honest assessment of his defeat to Marvin Hagler in 1983. ClipsMike: Sean McVay https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdINQ3SSp9w/?stkn=MW1mNXplaTQyNHNzdQ== Steff: Tony Pulis Knows Everyone https://x.com/nozza_/status/2102743956207370391?s=61 Elis: Tony Sibson After Losing to Marvin Hagler https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18PhbK458m/?mibextid=wwXIfr Roman toilets. Ham radio. A suspiciously ambitious land deal. And Tony Pulis knowing everyone. Sport. Eventually. Thanks for listening. And remember, if you want even more from Elis, Mike and Steff, including extra episodes and Bonus content, you can join us at: https://www.patreon.com/distantpod 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We've been back through our archive of episodes and we've selected our favourite stories, anecdotes and funny bits. If you're new to the pod, then feel free to use these as a jump off point to find your way around our earlier episodes. This clip is taken from "Episode 160: Parking The Bus" 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Bonus Club, where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have dealt with the serious business of Rory McIlroy, sporting pressure and books about surfing and can now get back to the important stuff. There are also three more clips to get through. Elis brings us the simple pleasure of a lovely little try, Mike heads to Barry RFC for some good old-fashioned rugby and Steff introduces the boys to Soft Play. Where the conversation goes from there is anybody’s guess. Clips Elis: Lovely Little Try https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdeaYN3xiZR/?stkn=Y3N0aTR6aHpzcHhy Mike: Barry RFC — Back to Basics 😁 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdlwJ0GoHjN/?stkn=MWFsMTg4bHkwbmhnbQ== Steff: Soft Play https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdhPP-5OTtj/?stkn=MTAwd2JjbjNhd2t5cQ== Rugby. Soft Play. Moustaches. That’s why you pay the big bucks. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and supporting the podcast.

This week’s Socially Distant Sports Bar with Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero sees Mike choosing the Documentary of the Week.And it’s a story that took more than two decades to reach its conclusion. Documentary of the WeekMike: Rory McIlroy — The Masters Wait Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait traces McIlroy’s relationship with Augusta National from watching Tiger Woods win there in 1997 to arriving as a 21-year-old capable of winning the tournament himself. What follows is a story of talent, expectation, heartbreak and missed opportunities as the Masters becomes the one prize McIlroy needs to complete golf’s career Grand Slam. The documentary explores the mental burden of repeatedly returning to Augusta, the weight of global expectation and the ticking clock as McIlroy arrives for his 17th attempt to win the Green Jacket. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0GPXXCNN2 Book of the WeekSteff: It’s Only Drowning by David Litt Steff’s choice takes us from the golf course into the water with David Litt’s It’s Only Drowning — a funny, thoughtful memoir about learning to surf and the peculiar combination of fear, failure and obsession that comes with trying to get better at something that regularly dumps you into the sea. https://link.amazon/B0ail8xno For more of Steff’s book recommendations and reviews, follow @distantbookshelf on Instagram. Owain’s ChallengeSteff’s mate Owain from The Running Channel is taking on Ephraim’s North to South Wales Challenge. If you’d like to support him and donate: https://givestar.io/gs/ephraims-north-to-south-wales-challenge?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaAUwxp9wZG9mAmZkaWQWUO464ncYiar-yUbqQJHbEkGRzIhKsmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp2wZb_2BYw_cnAko3qNDsPSb0Kvz9zL8TAmio-e0r7ROcd_X1eSCY2D_YQFh_aem_3rXA_KnYlcle250i9Kk5dg Golf, surfing and running the length of Wales. An unusually sporty second half by our standards. Thanks for listening. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another week in the life of the world’s most fearless podcasters at The Socially Distant Sports Bar, as Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero once again manage to just brush the shoulder of actual sports chat. Mike tells the tale of an unexpected night on the town with Chemical Tommy — and the fairly inevitable consequences — while the boys tackle one of the great technological questions of our age: If AI is so clever, why can’t it make your laptop turn on faster? Eventually, sport does make an appearance. In the clips this week, Elis brings us the universally funny sight of a bloke getting kicked in the bollocks, Mike returns — again — to Vince Lombardi for a genuinely inspiring story, and Steff has the sheer, uncomplicated joy of a kid discovering that running very, very fast is brilliant. ClipsElis: Bloke Gets It In The Bollocks https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdhKiJ_uUAc/?stkn=cTh1aGVrY2Ftb3li Mike: Lombardi. Again. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdcOe-7gIcq/?stkn=MXNuM3ZpNGJjZHd5ag== Steff: Fast Kid https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdNUm5SARql/?stkn=aXZyZ2lrM3U5N29m Chemical Tommy. Artificial intelligence. Vince Lombardi. And a kick in the bollocks. Donate to Steff’s mate Owain from The Running Channel https://givestar.io/gs/ephraims-north-to-south-wales-challenge?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaAUwxp9wZG9mAmZkaWQWUO464ncYiar-yUbqQJHbEkGRzIhKsmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp2wZb_2BYw_cnAko3qNDsPSb0Kvz9zL8TAmio-e0r7ROcd_X1eSCY2D_YQFh_aem_3rXA_KnYlcle250i9Kk5dg Sport. Sort of. Thanks for listening. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We've been back through our archive of episodes and we've selected our favourite stories, anecdotes and funny bits. If you're new to the pod, then feel free to use these as a jump off point to find your way around our earlier episodes. This clip is taken from "Episode 120: That's Earnie From the Two Ronnies" 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS CLUB — MORE TOM CRAINE We had Tom Craine in the studio. We talked for too long. Excellent news for Bonus Club. After Parts 1 and 2 of this week’s guest episode, there was still plenty left from our conversation with Tom — so rather than doing the professional thing and editing it into oblivion, we’ve kept the extra bits for the Apple gang. With the clips out of the way and absolutely no requirement to get anywhere in particular, this is the looser end of the conversation: more stories, more tangents, more Elis and Tom, and Mike and Steff discovering what happens when you put two-thirds of Oh What A Time... in the same room as two-thirds of The Socially Distant Sports Bar. Yes, we know Elis is in both of those fractions. Tom’s new podcast Last Match Then Bed is a love letter to Championship Manager 97/98 — late-night saves, wonderkids, terrible transfers and the entirely rational belief that you could have done a better job than most Premier League managers because you once took a Conference side into Europe. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and allowing us to keep the bits that sensible podcasts would cut out. Enjoy.

Tom Craine is still here Which is excellent news for us and slightly less good news for anyone hoping this podcast might eventually become a tightly controlled discussion about sport. This is Part 2 of our guest episode with the comedian, writer and co-host — with Elis James and Chris Scull — of Oh What A Time... Tom has also launched Last Match Then Bed, a new podcast dedicated to the game responsible for millions of people knowing far too much about obscure Scandinavian footballers: Championship Manager. Having got ourselves warmed up in Part 1, the conversation continues through football, the 1990s, sporting nostalgia and the moments that seemed completely normal at the time but become increasingly peculiar the further away from them we get. Including: Kinkladze v Southampton, 1996 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fkVWNB0Vt3Q Diana Ross’s World Cup penalty, 1994 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAKsGT9-XB0 World Cup Balloon Keepy-Uppies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r-gedgyZXI If you haven’t listened to Part 1, start there first. This will make slightly more sense. And if two parts of Tom Craine still aren’t enough, we kept some of the conversation back for Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts. Go and find Last Match Then Bed wherever you get your podcasts. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve got a guest in The Socially Distant Sports Bar this week as comedian, writer, podcaster and Elis James’ other podcast friend Tom Craine joins Elis, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero. Tom already spends a significant amount of his working life with Elis on the brilliant history podcast Oh What A Time..., alongside Chris Scull. Now he’s launching another podcast based around one of the great threats to productivity, relationships and exam results of the late 1990s: Championship Manager. Last Match Then Bed sees Tom return to the legendary Championship Manager 97/98 database, attempting to manage his way to glory with the help of a different celebrity assistant manager each week. So naturally, we get stuck into football, nostalgia and the sporting moments that live permanently in your brain. Across our chat with Tom: Kinkladze v Southampton, 1996 One of those goals that seemed perfectly reasonable when you were playing Sensible Soccer, but considerably harder when attempted by an actual human being. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fkVWNB0Vt3Q Diana Ross at the 1994 World Cup Opening Ceremony An enormous stadium. A global superstar. A penalty. A goal designed to split apart. What could possibly go wrong? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAKsGT9-XB0 World Cup Balloon Keepy-Uppies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r-gedgyZXI This is Part 1 of our chat with Tom. Part 2 follows on Friday — and if you want the extra material we kept back from the conversation, Bonus Club subscribers on Apple Podcasts can hear that too. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We've been back through our archive of episodes and we've selected our favourite stories, anecdotes and funny bits. If you're new to the pod, then feel free to use these as a jump off point to find your way around our earlier episodes. This clip is taken from "Episode 123: The Party Line" 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Special OneIn this week’s The Socially Distant Sports Bar, Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have a documentary and book which take us into two very different stories of coaching, leadership and sporting history. Documentary of the WeekElis: Mourinho Elis chooses Part 1 of the new Netflix documentary about José Mourinho, tracing his journey from working alongside Bobby Robson at Barcelona to announcing himself to English football with that extraordinary first spell at Chelsea. Before the fallouts, sackings and rather more complicated chapters that would follow, there was the young Mourinho: ambitious, charismatic, tactically obsessive and rapidly becoming The Special One. https://www.netflix.com/title/81762073 Book of the WeekMike: Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader by Tony Collins Mike brings in Tony Collins’ fascinating account of Roy Francis, one of the great overlooked figures in British sporting history. Born in Cardiff and raised in Brynmawr, Francis went on to play rugby league for Wigan in the late 1930s before moving into coaching. At Hull, he became the first Black professional head coach in British sport, pioneering new approaches to coaching and training while confronting the racism of the era. It’s a remarkable Welsh story, a rugby league story and an important piece of British sporting history that deserves to be far better known. https://link.amazon/B0azGPvXt Two very different coaches. Two very different eras. And plenty for Elis, Mike and Steff to get stuck into. Thanks for listening. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more! If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇 🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS CLUB Welcome to Bonus Club, where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have finished with this week’s documentary and book and are free to head off wherever the next three clips take them. Mike has found evidence of the Lions doing it right, Elis transports us back to Bermondsey in the 1970s, and Steff introduces us to an Italian tennis guy — which is precisely as much information as you need before pressing play. As ever, the clips are really just an excuse for another round of stories, tangents, memories and conversations that go somewhere none of us expected. Clips Mike: Lions Doing It Right https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbu6taxhVE5/?stkn=MXJpem8yc3ZoM2EyNw== Elis: Bermondsey in the 70s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wHdTU4dw568&pp=ugUHEgVlbi1HQg%3D%3D&ra=m Steff: Italian Tennis Guy https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaFMdMlMvl6/?stkn=czRtNXMyMmFuczBw Three more clips and absolutely no guarantee that the conversation at the end bears any resemblance to the one we started with. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and supporting the podcast.