EPL Talk

Episode 64 features an interview with Ian Plenderleith, football author and writer who has lived in the States for approximately 10 years and has a unique perspective about how the American brand of the game compares to soccer in the UK. You may be surprised by some of the things he has to say. During the interview, Plenderleith shares his observations about a recent trip to England and how the experience compared to MLS, what his thoughts are regarding why American investors are buying clubs in England rather than building new ones in America, whether the abundance of Premiership soccer on TV in America has hurt MLS or not, and much more. Listen to the interview now.

Episode 63 features an interview with ESPN co-commentator Tommy Smyth. During the interview, Smyth gives us his preview of the Champions League matches, discusses how he came up with his catchphrase ("the bulge in the auld onion bag"), the most memorable match he's ever called, whether English club teams will dominate European football in the years to come, and much more including his memories of following soccer in America since the 1960s. Plus we feature an interview with Kevin Jones about the impact of the Premier League in the Far East, and much more. Listen to the interview with Tommy Smyth or subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast at iTunes.

The debut episode of the EPL Talk Video Podcast features a behind-the-scenes tour of the GolTV studios and the "American Soccer" TV show in addition to an in-depth interview with GolTV commentator Ray Hudson. During the vodcast, take a walk through the GolTV studios, see the control room, and go on the set of the "American Soccer" TV show. Plus watch an exclusive interview with Ray Hudson as he discusses the differences between La Liga and the Premiership, his thoughts on Newcastle United's season, what Major League Soccer can do to enhance the experience for TV viewers, and much more.

Episode 62 features an interview with John Williams, author and director of the Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research. During the interview, Williams shares his thoughts on the recent crowd trouble involving English fans in Europe, whether he thinks safe standing could work in England, his memories of travelling with England fans in Spain during the 1982 World Cup, his thoughts about the new ownership of Liverpool FC, plus much more. We also discuss the exciting news about a new video podcast project involving Ray Hudson. Listen to the interview with John Williams now.

In episode 61, The Gaffer interviews Oliver Tse from SoccerTV.com where he makes a major announcement regarding his site, and reveals some fascinating facts about the history of his site and the state of soccer on U.S. television. For example, Tse reveals the average TV ratings for a Premiership match on TV in America, which soccer league gets higher ratings than the NHL, his thoughts on whether ESPN would contemplate airing Premier League matches in the future, when Fox Soccer Channel and GolTV may move to HDTV, the chances of new soccer networks becoming available, and much more. Listen to episode 61 now.

Episode 60 features an interview with Simon Kuper, famed author of "Football Against The Enemy" and writer for The Financial Times. The episode also celebrates the one year anniversary of the EPL Talk Podcast. During the episode, Kuper tackles many topics including the rise in popularity of the sport in the United States, the significance of the growing appeal of the Premier League around the world, his favorite football memories, the most surprising fact about the beautiful game, and much more including news about a new show from EPL Talk that's scheduled to debut in May, 2007. Listen to episode 60.