The Rest Is Politics: The Rest Is Football (Trailer)

Hi there, Alistair Campbell here, without Rory Stewart for once. And don't worry, this

is not an emergency podcast. It's a quick message from the team at Goal Hanger, the producers

of the rest is politics. Now, as you know, Rory Ish and I very much share a joint passion

for football. And we're very pleased to announce that the gaffer, Gary Linnaker, is hosting

a brand new football podcast that is launching this week. Alongside Alan Shearer, the Premier

League's record all time goalscorer and Micah Richards, no less, called the rest is football.

I wonder where they got that from. We can find out because I'm actually joined by the

gaffer now, Gary Trific, the rest is football. Yes, very excited, looking forward to get

going. Hopefully we'll compete with you, Chaps, and at the top of the charts.

Well, God, don't knock us off, please. I mean, everybody else has tried, but I'm quite

worried about this one. I think this could be quite good. Are you going to be able to

do stuff that you don't necessarily do on Match of the Day?

Well, of course, we can do everything we want. And on Match of the Day, it's kind of restricted

in terms of the length of chat we can do. That's never a problem, of course, on podcasts.

We can reminisce, which is something we don't do on Match of the Day, tell our stories from

the past. We can have immediate reactions like you do, the urgency podcast, possibly.

If should a big transfer happen, maybe Harry Kane will leave very shortly and Alan Shearer

will be running around celebrating probably if that happens. So anything like that we

can do. I perhaps give my opinion more than I would when I'm hosting a show on television.

So that might be liked or might not be liked by somebody, depending on whether they agree

with your opinion or not.

So do you think you might give Alan and Mike a bit of a political grilling over the ownership

of their clubs from time to time?

I think there's every possibility of that. It's mostly an MV, but...

Yeah. There we are. The rest is football is going to address the biggest talking points

from all the weekend's games. And above all, I guess, get to grips with what makes players

tick, because the thing you've got to say about all three of you, you have performed

at the highest level.

We have all played with lots of experience, particularly with Alan and myself. And with

Mike, he's kind of fresh from the dressing room, really. Knows so many of the players

that are currently playing today. I think we want to just give people a regular kind

of update into things, see how things are going, talk about football. There are some

very good podcasts out there about football, but I don't think there's a monster one. There's

nothing that competes with the rest is history or the rest is politics, which for a country

that's football mad seems a bit strange. Lots of journalistic-led podcasts, which do okay

and they're interesting. But obviously, we can add a little bit more than that with our

experiences off the game and having played, as you said, at the highest level.

Yeah. I think you guys could become competition. And I'm a bit like you, Gary. I think I'm

probably even more competitive than you.

Maybe.

And I did once play in a charity match with Alan Shearer. He is horribly competitive.

I thought you were going to say Diego Maradona again because you never mentioned that.

I never ever talked about that.

Here's a 10-minute taster for our listeners from the very first episode. The rest is football,

which is out today. Enjoy it.

Hi, I'm Gary Linneke and on Monday, the 7th of August, a brand new podcast is coming your way

with me, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. It's going to be called The Rest is Football

and the three of us are here to tell you a bit more.

So, Alan, Micah, why are we doing it? But first, actually, before we say why we're doing it,

for the benefit of those that are just listening to this podcast and can't see Micah's quite

magnificent tyre. In fact, I don't know how to describe it. We've got a pair of kind of grey

trainer boots with long, white and black stripe socks, a little bit new castle Alan.

Right colours, anyway.

And then how would you describe that outfit?

So, what would you call that pinstripe, would you?

Sort of a pinstripe with orange dots and red and blue and white stripes, short.

Yeah, swimming shorts as well. So, you know, if we go for a dive later on.

Yeah, okay.

Can do that.

And then it's sort of a matching shirt.

It's like a not a matching shirt.

It's like a light pink with stripes and blue and creases.

Well, yeah, I mean, it's a lot going on. I look magnificent, but he's gone safe again,

isn't he?

What the fuck?

Top round.

Is it pajama?

This is what you call cool gear, you know what I mean?

They've got the pumps and then the socks.

Glad you didn't disappoint us.

You know, obviously we've worked together for some time now and we thought this was

too good an opportunity to miss and we all love football.

We love talking about football.

We love having a laugh about football and that's what we're going to do, isn't it?

I think the timing's right, isn't it?

We want more insight, don't we?

We want the stories, so I think it's a great time.

You have a few stories.

I've got a few stories, I serve you.

And Mike has blown all his money all summer, so he needs the cash.

I've been paid for this, yeah.

You've been paid for this?

Well, not yet, no.

No, I was going to say.

I thought it was for fun.

This is just a service.

It's a service to the people of the country.

It's a service, yes.

It's what they need.

What they earn for.

Yeah, exactly.

We'll have a laugh.

I think that's pretty much guaranteed.

We'll talk about everything, won't we?

Breaking stories, transfers, results, however, whatever they happen.

But I think we can guarantee we'll have a few laughs along, will we?

I'm sure you know this, but I've got a few podcasts to the podcast business and

we've never mentioned it before.

Why do you have to mention them?

Talk to them in the country, is it?

Well, the rest is politics and the rest is history.

Hence the name, the rest is football.

It's our brand, in a way.

And if we need to get competitive and kind of put those two podcasts in there,

to be fair, set some high standards, aren't they?

Very good, aren't they?

How can we keep up with that?

Oh, Micah.

Yes, what do we need?

We need to burst onto the scene.

Okay, I've said that before.

The first thing we need to do and actually what we want really is to give football fans

a regular podcast, a couple of weeks at least, discussing all the big stories,

the breaking stories, say, managers getting the sack, big transfers,

possibly someone like Harry Kane leaving Tottenham.

Oh, look at him!

I've got my driver's hat ready, ready to take him down myself.

Drive into the air.

When do you want to lift, Harry?

What about you, the guy?

You can have an opinion now, can't you?

Absolutely.

Are you going to be talking with us and sharing your opinion?

Sharing my opinion, sharing my stories.

Yes, which hopefully will be valued by both of you.

No comment?

No comment at all.

And also, we want to engage with you.

We'll have Q&As and we'll take on board your questions.

What do people want, though, in a podcast?

What do people want to hear?

Well, I think people, well, in all sorts of...

Podcasts are very niche business.

It can be very small.

You can cater for a certain amount of people,

but I think we want to do the whole football experience, don't we?

We want to talk about what's going on at the time.

We want to reminisce a little bit sometimes.

We want to tell our stories, our experiences,

our knowledge of what it's like in dressing rooms.

And, you know, I think our podcast can be unique in that front,

because, well, you and I have a lot of experience,

and you have youth on your side,

and you've obviously played with the wrong people.

How old are you now, Gary?

I'm just a question.

I'm 62, mate.

No, you're looking very well.

And you?

Some would well, aren't you?

Some would well.

You some would well.

I'm 35.

35, yes.

I was in his 50s now.

Oh, what are you, Al?

53 next week.

Next week, we'll have a special cake for you.

What day is it?

What day is your birthday?

13th of August.

Wow.

Just before the start of the season.

Wow.

Yeah.

That must have played occasionally the other day of the season,

on your birthday.

A lot of the times, yeah.

Yeah.

A lot of the times, yeah, so.

You scored your birthday, no?

Come on.

Hated.

I hated pre-season.

Did you?

With a passion.

It actually used to spoil the last week of my holiday.

Because I couldn't run.

Yeah.

Could you not?

Everyone used to give me some.

Have you ever seen him play?

Of course he couldn't run.

Yeah, but he was always a fit lad.

He was in great shape, wasn't he?

Well, I just couldn't run.

And everyone used to think I was taking the piss and being lazy.

Because I was 30 or 40 yards further back from the group that way.

I was exactly the same.

Was you?

Yeah, I was exactly the same.

I was going to say, we were sprinters, but you weren't even that either, were you?

Really.

You were my prime.

Because I couldn't run long distance, though.

Sometimes you did those cross-country runs.

Yeah.

And I remember actually, actually,

it's the one thing I felt quite bad about during my career.

We played it when I was playing at Tottenham.

After the World Cup in Italian 90, I was kind of shot.

And we used to run this.

We used to train at Mill Hill.

We used to have this big area.

We'd run around the outer perimeter a couple of miles.

And we had to do two laps.

And on the first lap, we started.

I was already kind of behind everyone else.

I just couldn't do that long distance stuff.

And I actually hid behind a bush.

I hid behind a bush on the first lap.

And then when they joined me again, just as they went past me, I just jumped out.

And I was still last.

Shut up.

I was still last.

And it's true, but Terry Venable's got wind of it.

And he pulled me into his office and he went, Gary, that's not really the case.

And I actually went, Terry, I know, I'm sorry.

Honestly, I'm sorry.

I should have done that.

But yeah, I had my worst season.

Who grassed you up, though?

I don't know to this day.

You always used to get all the fit guys who was like Sprint.

I used to laugh at you and I used to show, get the fucking balls off.

Say how good you are.

What about you, Mikey?

Look at the size of me carrying this around the track.

No chance.

I was always last.

Why?

Yeah, I was always last.

Yeah, but Sprint.

Sprint's I was always first.

Yeah, same, same.

We've got something in common then.

We're all shit at running long distance.

You don't need to be long distance.

We're absolutely.

None of us are midfield players.

No, no, exactly.

Yeah.

So what did you used to do during the summer?

Are we talking?

Do you have holidays in the summer?

There was one summer.

Obviously, we've talked before about my rendezvous, let's say.

But there was one summer I went to Aya Napa.

Do you remember?

I don't know if it was that in you lost time as well.

I know.

I know Aya Napa.

It was a party place.

I know, yeah.

Basically, it's like what?

No, not that old party.

It's like the kids are doing now, Zanti.

They go to Zanti, don't they?

It was Aya Napa back in the day.

It was R&B, hip-hop, house.

And I just remember going there and I was steaming for the whole week.

I was drunk.

Do you know what I mean?

It's your downtime, isn't it?

You have a few drinks and whatnot.

Well, then one of the days I started feeling a little bit weary.

And I can drink.

I mean, I'm rarely drunk.

I know what I'm doing.

I just I just I just felt like someone wasn't right.

And then the doctor came to the, he was staying like a villa.

And it's when swine flu was swine through.

Swine through.

Swine flu was rife.

Do you remember?

Do you remember?

I think you can say it about a little bit.

You got swine through.

So we're all sat here.

Swine through.

We're all in the rocks.

So like we were six mates.

I'm like, we're all feeling like ropey because we've been drinking.

So the doctor's coming like past and my mate goes and said, oh, you're fine.

So he's checking us.

You know, I didn't know what he did.

He did something like check your heart, check your,

put your stuff in ears and took some blood tests.

And he said he was fine.

And then my next mate, he said he was fine.

And I was in the middle, but I'm sweating.

I'm thinking, please, because like pre-season,

like pre-season starting the week after and then it comes to me.

And you know, like when he's got an assistant with him

and he's whispering to an assistant, you just know for a while, it's me.

And then I had to stay there quarantined for two weeks.

Swine flu.

Swine flu.

Hang on, I need a question.

Who did you catch swine flu?

Well, basically it was that thing.

He said, you might not want to know that.

I don't know.

I don't know.

He was kissing.

I don't know who was kissing.

I was a horrible person, you know what I mean?

He was kissing a swine.

And then I was on a balcony.

And then I was, I just went to some fresh air and said,

don't leave the room or whatnot.

And basically there was paparazzi just waiting for me.

I had this big like tissue wipe of my nose.

And then I got back to England.

I was just looking for a house.

I remember I was going to look at Robbie Savage's house

and he wouldn't let me in because he thought like I was going to.

Contagious.

Yeah.

So.

But you'd already done your quarantine.

I'd already done my quarantine.

I've done my quarantine for about a month.

But that was one of my worst memories on holiday.

Which season was that?

Where were you at the time?

I was at Man City.

Oh, all right.

Yeah.

Not so long after I exploded, you know.

It looks like you've exploded.

This summer's not that good.

Oh, do they not have any?

Do they not have any?

Do they not have any?

Come on, get closer for these gugs.

Come on.

Look at this.

By the way, do they not have any fucking irons

in the hotel either?

They've got more creases than that on your face.

Do we have to be very sharp at times?

Well, you know.

Well, this is the sort of thing we can expect.

Of course.

On the rest is football.

So we kick off for real on Monday

with the first episode proper.

We'll be asking who's seriously going to challenge Manchester City.

Will Harry Kane still be around to break Alan Shearer's record

and what on earth is going on at Chelsea?

And much, much more.

It's going to be a belting season

with the Euros on the end of it.

Loads to discuss.

Don't forget to subscribe now wherever you get your podcast

and we'll see you there.

So there you go.

Three real pros at work together.

If you enjoyed that, you want to hear the first episode

in its entirety.

Just search the rest is football wherever you get your podcast.

Make sure you listen to the rest of politics as well.

Click subscribe and away you go.

Machine-generated transcript that may contain inaccuracies.