Lockdown Football Commentators: Recent Episodes
Irish Sports Network
European football news, interviews, retro and whimsy from football commentators Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai, plus regular guests looking at the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, La Liga, Serie A, Belgian Pro League, Eredivisie, League of Ireland, women's football, the world game... and even the Premier League.
Added countries covered so far have been Korea's K League, Estonia, Denmark and the Faroes. Come on in, you might enjoy it...
Ciara Mageean's third European Championships medal has been roundly celebrated today, and rightly so.
For the Portaferry athlete, success in Munich follows her glory from Amsterdam in 2016 and Glasgow in 2019.
Will Downing's lookback on the big night begins with the closing stages of Mageean's 1500 metres final:
Rhasidat Adeleke has made more history for Ireland, taking fifth place in the 400m final at the European Championships in Munich, breaking her own Irish record in the process.
50.53 seconds is Adeleke's new milestone, taking 0.17 off her previous mark set in the Big 12 Championship in May.
She's been telling Will Downing about the significance of her display.
Ireland's two finalists in the men's 5000 metres have been enthusing about their European Championships experience in Munich.
Brian Fay of Raheny Shamrock came eighth, while European cross-country silver-medallist Darragh McElhinney of UCD and Glengarriff was 16th.
Speaking to Will Downing, McElhinney says he can only prosper by competing against the biggest names.
Ireland's two finalists in the men's 5000 metres have been enthusing about their European Championships experience in Munich.
Brian Fay of Raheny Shamrock came eighth, while European cross-country silver-medallist Darragh McElhinney of UCD and Glengarriff was 16th.
Fay is keen to keep competing in front of huge crowds like the ones seen in Munich, as he's told Will Downing.
Thomas Barr has made it through to Thursday night’s semi-finals of the men’s 400m hurdles at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.
The bronze medallist from the previous Europeans in Berlin fought off a challenge from Dutch hurdler Ramsey Angela to win in 49.49 seconds, though both were well clear of the rest. Barr’s fastest time this season is 49.15.
He's been speaking to Will Downing about his morning victory.
Ireland has a new sporting hero - Israel Olatunde has broken the Irish 100m record in finishing sixth at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.
His time of 10.17 seconds is 0.01 faster than the mark from 2007 of Paul Hession.
Israel has been speaking to Will Downing.
(PIC: Athletics Weekly)
Rhasdiat Adeleke has got through to the women's 400m final at the European Athletics Championships in Munich, finishing third in her semi-final.
She's told Will Downing it's a lot about self-belief, after not originally planning to be at the Euros.
Brendan Boyce has scored a creditable tenth place at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.
It continues his run of top-ten finishes at every Championships he has competed in, but Boyce feels he is capable of medals.
He's been speaking to Will Downing:
Ciara Mageean is through to Friday night's final of the women's 1500 metres at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.
She finished second in her semi-final behind Sofia Ennaoui of Poland, having led at the front for much of the race.
Mageean will be coming face-to-face with Laura Muir again, who won when Mageean took silver at the Commonwealth Games a fortnight ago
Fionnuala McCormack has finished seventh in the marathon at the European Championships in Munich.
The twice European Cross-Country champion was in the lead group all the way through until the final five kilometres - she led at various points of the race.
Ann-Marie McGlynn was 28th, with Aoife Cooke 34th, and both have different reasons to be satisfied with their displays in the high noon Munich heat.
(Pic - Athletics Ireland)
Fionnuala McCormack has finished seventh in the marathon at the European Championships in Munich.
The twice European Cross-Country champion was in the lead group all the way through until the final five kilometres - she led at various points of the race.
Fionnaula has told Will Downing she's happy - but could be even happier.
(Pic - Athletics Ireland)
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
Phil Healy's fourth place in the women's 400 metres has been the best Irish result so far at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Torun.
Nadia Power reached the semi-finals of the women's 800, with Mark English and 18-year-old Cian McPhillips doing the same in the men's 800. Sarah Lavin has a Sunday semi-final coming in the women's 60 hurdles.
And Sean Tobin is into the final of the men's 3000m on Sunday.
A brilliant Saturday morning in Torun at the European Indoors for Ireland's Sarah Lavin and Sean Tobin.
Lavin is through to the semi-finals of the 60m hurdles, another lifetime best of 8.06 seconds, beating the mark of 8.13 set in Madrid a couple of weeks ago.
She's been telling Will Downing it has the feeling of a comeback season:
A brilliant Saturday morning in Torun at the European Indoors for Ireland's Sarah Lavin and Sean Tobin.
Lavin is through to the semi-finals of the 60m hurdles, another lifetime best of 8.06 seconds, beating the mark of 8.13 set in Madrid a couple of weeks ago.
Tobin, who were regularly see competing on the Grand Prix circuit in the vest of his club Clonmel AC, is through to Sunday's final of the men's 3000m, fifth in his semi-final in a lifetime best 7:47.71 - qualifying among the fastest losers.
Israel Olatunde finished fourth in his heat of the men's 60m, and speaking to Cathal Dennehy is happy to gain valuable experience:
A brilliant Saturday morning in Torun at the European Indoors for Ireland's Sarah Lavin and Sean Tobin.
Lavin is through to the semi-finals of the 60m hurdles, another lifetime best of 8.06 seconds, beating the mark of 8.13 set in Madrid a couple of weeks ago.
Tobin, who were regularly see competing on the Grand Prix circuit in the vest of his club Clonmel AC, is through to Sunday's final of the men's 3000m, fifth in his semi-final in a lifetime best 7:47.71 - qualifying among the fastest losers.
He's been telling Will Downing about his path to Sunday's big decider:
French striker Yann Kermorgant found fame and played most of his football career in the EFL Championship, but his career almost never happened at all.
Kermorgant won the Championship with Bournemouth and League One at Charlton, reaching the Championship play-off final with Reading and the semis with Leicester - but serious illness only saw him turn professional at the age of 24.
In an in-depth interview with Lockdown Football, Kermorgant speaks about - - losing four years of his teenage life to leukemia - being frozen out during his first six months in England with Leicester City and that Panenka penalty in the play-offs - winning League One with Charlton but seeing the club hit the buffers under disastrous owner Roland Duchatelet - his Championship-winning season at Bournemouth and the non-start of his Premier League career - playing under Nigel Pearson, Chris Powell, Eddie Howe and Jaap Stam - his premature retirement due to the French football lockdown
With Will Downing, Stephane Jauny and Mark Rodden
Ian Baraclough joins Will Downing after his appointment as Northern Ireland manager, after three successful years as NI U21 boss that saw the most successful European qualifying campaign ever, including an away win over Spain.
And commentator Michael Clarke fills in the background behind the move.
On June 25th 1982, Northern Ireland scored their famous victory over Spain at the World Cup in Valencia.
38 years on, Gerry Armstrong reflects on the famous night on the Med, Northern Ireland's run to the second phase, his playing days at the top of the First Division with Watford and in Spain with Real Mallorca, plus the La Liga greats he commentated on with Sky Sports.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
The Premier League's back like it's never been away. Controversy! Intrigue! David Luiz! Roy Keane being angry!
Will Downing and Stephane Jauny cast their Hawkeye on the opening weekend of the Premier League's big comeback.
As the Turkish SuperLig comes to British and Irish television for the first time in the throes of a thrilling four-way title race, Emre Sarigul of Turkish-Football.com joins us to run the rule over this season's Championship contenders.
And with Bayern Munich claiming their eighth Bundesliga title in a row, how healthy is that for German football?
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
Former St Patrick's Athletic, Middlesbrough and Ireland defender Curtis Fleming talks at length about his new role as Punjab FC boss in India's I-League, how life has been like during the recent shutdown, and openings for black managers in England.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden and Stephane Jauny.
It's the big kick-off in Spain's La Liga as Barcelona resume two points clear of Real Madrid, and there's discussion of Sevilla's win over Real Betis in El Gran Derby.
Turkey's star-studded SuperLig is back - a thorough look at all the runners and riders.
There's a profile of Pep Guardiola's new assistant manager at Manchester City, Juanma Lillo - considered to be one of the best football coaches in the world.
Plus the most detailed discussion of Therese Johaug that there has ever been in a football podcast.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
Conor McGregor is the subject of a new biography just released in France.
"Conor McGregor: Obsessions" is written by Irish-based French journalist Charles Thiallier, who has previously reported on McGregor for L'Equipe.
On the eve of the announcement of McGregor's third retirement, Thallier has been speaking to Will Downing about how the project came about, the many interviews performed for the book, and what picture emerges of the man himself.
Portuguese Liga commentator Con Murphy joins the crew at the end of the first week back in the Primeira, ponders the future of Irish clubs in the League of Ireland including his beloved Shamrock Rovers, and recalls the dynamic 90s radio football coverage of Century Radio and Capital Gold, with a look at Poland's Ekstraklasa too.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай).
This week, Eric Molloy and Markus Poom on their footballing adventures in Poland and Estonia, as Stomil Olsztyn push for promotion to Poland's Ekstraklasa and Flora Tallinn look to retain their title in a top-flight where half the teams are from the capital.
Eric Molloy grew up in Carlow, and after spells at home with FC Carlow, Arklow Town and Wexford FC, won the OFC Champions League and played in the FIFA Club World Cup with Team Wellington, before this season's move to Poland.
Born in Derby, Markus Poom followed his legendary goalkeeping father Mart Poom while playing at the Rams, Sunderland, Watford and Arsenal. Now 21, the next gen Poom has already won the Estonian League crown twice with Flora, and is a full international.
Both speak about how the coronavirus crisis has upset their season.
With Will Downing, Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай), Mark Rodden and Stephane Jauny.
With the Portuguese Primeira about to resume with a tight title race, Lisbon-based Tom Kundert of PortuGOAL.net joins us to look forward to the concluding rounds, and why Portuguese sides have slipped in Europe recently.
And Dmytro Dzhulai (reluctantly) recalls Shakhtar Donetsk's weekend win over Dynamo Kyiv to go 16 points clear in Ukraine, their ninth title in 11 seasons within grasp.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай).
Lisa Fallon reacts after being named the new manager of London City Lionesses.... Ireland international Claire O'Riordan is hoping to keep MSV Duisburg up in the Frauen Bundesliga, while fellow ex-Wexford clubmate Eric Molloy is looking for promotion in Poland with Stomil Olsztyn.... And we hear from Søren Højlund Carlsen about how AGF Aarhus brought thousands of virtual fans into their empty stadium as football resumes in Denmark.
With Will Downing, Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай), Mark Rodden and Stephane Jauny.
The full 45-minute interview with Eric Molloy will run next week.
France are world champions at a time of domestic dominance by PSG.
Ligue 1 commentator Matt Spiro joins the team to look at the Mbappe generation's potential for future success, the foundations of which he looks to explain in his new book "Sacre Bleu: From Zidane to Mbappé - A Football Journey".
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
Jaap Stam kicks off a busy show to speak to us about his new challenge at MLS side FC Cincinnati.... Aet Süvari of ETV explains the new precautions needed to cover the Estonian League... Ligue 1 commentator Matt Spiro reflects on French football's lockdown... Rob Palmer of Sky Sports on his commentary career and his 90s breakfasts with Alex Ferguson.
With Will Downing, Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай) and Stephane Jauny.
Celtic have clinched their ninth successive Scottish Premiership title as the season has been cut short, while Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski have resumed where they left off in the Bundesliga - and so have their clubs Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Commentators Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай) look back at the weekend's worldwide football action, plus Ireland's dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Romania in Italia 90.
As the Bundesliga resumes this weekend, world feed commentator Dan O'Hagan joins Will Downing, Stephane Jauny, Dmytro Dzhulai and Mark Rodden in looking at how Germany made it happen.
Plus the ending of the Belgian Pro League, the Austrian leaders face punishment for returning to training too early, and a look at the classic Belgium v USSR World Cup 86 clash, the Soviet Union's subsequent run to the Euro 88 Final, and Ireland's 1974 win over them.
Which commentators have you enjoyed listening to down through the years?
Football commentators Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai discuss their choices, including Jimmy Magee, Barry Davies and John Motson (none of whom are guests)
Plus a look at the epic 1982 World Cup semi-final between France and West Germany - the Night of Seville.
What’s it like playing under new safety rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus?
We hear the changes to the matchday experience from from Spanish defender Osmar Ibáñez of K League contenders FC Seoul, a Player of the Year candidate last season.
Plus 46-year-old Faroes-based Hungarian Geza Turi of champs KÍ Klaksvíkar brings the curtain down on his playing career, as league action in South Korea and the Faroe Islands finally kicks off.
Korea's K League becomes the largest league to return since the coronavirus shutdown, and Paul Williams of The Asian Game joins the usual crew after the opening game got five million worldwide viewers on Twitter and YouTube.
Also this week - Premier League invited to play in Australia - Bundesliga to resume next weekend - Belgium on the brink of shutting down - Derby County's Ireland U21 international Jason Knight - Ireland's Italia 90 draws with Egypt and the Netherlands
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny, Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
Ligue 1 is over and PSG are champions again, Antoine Morin of BeIN Sports joins from Paris about the implications.
Also - "Project Restart" aims for Premier League action in June - Marouane Fellaini's bid to keep old club Standard Liege afloat - The drama of France-Brazil at Mexico 86 - Coventry City's exuberant FA Cup triumph in 1987
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
Michael Robinson's life as a footballer and broadcaster are recalled as the team are joined by Sky Sports La Liga commentator Rob Palmer and Gaby Ruiz, who worked on air alongside Robinson on Spain's Canal Plus and Movistar for over twenty years.
Plus a look back at Ireland's Italia 90 opener against England as TG4 kick off their World Cup Gold series.
With Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай)
With Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill departing Northern Ireland and All-Island League plans are revealed, commentators Michael Clarke and Trevor Welch join Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai.
Trevor looks at the career of the late Dave Bacuzzi, and reflects on George Best's short spell at Cork Celtic in the 1970s.
Contributors - Will Downing (Virgin Media Sport / ESPN Africa / Belgian Pro League) Mark Rodden (Virgin Media Sport / ESPN Africa / Eurosport / Belgian Pro League) Stephane Jauny (ESPN Africa) Dmytro Dzhulai / Дмитро Джулай (Setanta Ukraine / UA: First Ukraine State TV) Michael Clarke (BBC Northern Ireland / Virgin Media Sport / Lisburn 98FM) Trevor Welch (Virgin Media Sport / 96FM)
Football news and opinions during the sport's shutdown with commentators Mark Rodden, Will Downing, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай).
In this edition - - Eredivisie cancelled with no champion - French football wants to resume with both Cup Finals - Newcastle United's Saudi takeover bid - England boss Phil Neville to leave before women's Euros - Football books for an overseas audience
Football commentators Mark Rodden, Will Downing, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai on this week's non-appearance of football.
In this edition - - Norman Hunter RIP - Marcelo Bielsa and his moulding of the 2020 Leeds United - Erling Haaland's sensational season with Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund - Further top teen prospects: Mohamed Ihatarren of PSV, Jeremy Doku of Anderlecht and Rennes' Eduardo Camavinga - The memorable 1990 FA Cup Semi-Final double-bill - China's Guangzhou Evergrande set to build the world's biggest football stadium
Football commentators Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny, Dmytro Dzhulai and Will Downing talk about all the football that's not happening right now.
In this edition - - Scotland's season held-up as Dundee's vote goes missing - Barca-gate - six directors quit Camp Nou - Germany, Holland and Belgium could come back soon, but Standard Liege might not - Jimmy Greaves' pre-Spurs, pre-TV, early days in Italian football - Tributes to Peter Bonetti and Radomir Antic - Robbie Keane's Ireland future - or not
Stephen Kenny replaces Mick McCarthy as Ireland football manager three months early.
Football commentators Will Downing, Mark Rodden, Stephane Jauny and Dmytro Dzhulai (Дмитро Джулай) talk through the implications and potential of a new era in Irish football, plus...
- Belgian Pro League ends early, Club Brugge will be champions
- European leagues shutting up shop
- UEFA's warning to leagues not resuming
- The lure of live football from Belarus and Tajikistan