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The Football Ramble: The Podcast That Never Stands Still

Published on April 16, 2021

The Football Ramble was started in 2007 by Luke Moore, Marcus Speller, Pete Donaldson and Jim Campbell. The original four recorded in Luke’s flat and grew to become the most popular independent football show largely through word of mouth and listener enthusiasm. The Ramble was (and to this day remains) a genuine alternative to mainstream Football coverage – providing its listeners with fresh and uniquely hilarious takes on this often ridiculous sport.

Marcus Speller is one of the 4 original hosts of Football Ramble

Over the past three years, the Ramble has undergone some significant shifts. Starting in the summer of 2018, after about 10 years of weekly episodes, the Football Ramble began releasing shows daily and gradually welcomed four new presenters to its roster: Jules Breach (BT Sport, talkSPORT) and Andy Brassell (BT Sport, BBC) in the 2018/19 Season, and Kate Mason (Sky Sports) and Vithushan Ehantharajah (The Independent) in the 2019/20 Season. Since 2018, the Football Ramble has committed itself to diversifying its voice in a considered and thoughtful way. The show remains entertaining and fun, retaining its original intimacy and irreverence while also bringing football podcasting into the 21st Century.

“We felt it was really important for the largest independent football show in the UK to be genuinely representative of football fandom at large,” Luke enthuses. “We have also never been frightened of change or modernity.”

Jules Breach (BT Sport, talkSPORT) joined the podcast in the 2018/19 Season, and Kate Mason (Sky Sports) in the 2019/20 Season.

Welcoming Jules, Andy, Kate and Vish to the team was a conscious decision to expand and diversify the podcast’s scope – one that has enriched the Ramble’s feed. The Ramble entertains without shying away from the thornier topics, from tackling heavier issues such as racism and misogyny in football media and fan culture to ongoing feuds between Jules and Vish (as well as Pete’s never-ending procession of cryptic games).

“Vish and I got on instantly when we first met, we have a brother-sister type friendship,” Jules laughs. “On one Ramble he refused to sing the theme tune from The OC and let’s just say I hammered him for it, ever since then people think he’s scared of me and that I bully him – but it’s all love really.”

Vithushan Ehantharajah (The Independent) came onboard in the 2019/20 Season.

The Ramble’s eight hosts are united by their passion for football and a shared inability to take themselves too seriously. In amongst reactions to all the sublime and the ridiculous from the latest fixtures, you’ll find Jules teaching you swear words you didn’t even know existed and Andy somehow bringing everything back to his remarkably extensive knowledge of Dutch footballers-turned-rappers.

“Jules, Kate, Andy and Vish ‘get’ the Ramble. They always have, and the show is now the best it’s ever been,” Luke adds. “We feel really privileged to have been able to diversify the show’s voices, chiefly because they’re all so good and provide fresh and entertaining takes on the game we love.”

In this football show – like any chat with your mates – anything goes.

Listen to Football Ramble on the Stakhanov website, ACAST, and SPOTIFY.