Football Weekly: Christmas Mailbag Special (Dec 24, 2025)

Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson, John Bruin
Theme: Answering Listener Questions, Festive Reflections, and Panel Banter

Episode Overview

This Football Weekly ‘Extra’ edition is the annual Christmas mailbag special, recorded in the spirit of the season with humour and warmth. Host Max Rushden, joined by regular panellists Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson, and John Bruin, fields questions from listeners, reminisces about football's highs and lows of 2025, dissects predictions, shares personal stories, and delivers trademark wit. The show is sprinkled with festive messages from the extended football podcast family.

Key Topics & Discussions

1. Annual Highlights & Lowlights

[03:26–07:55]

• Biggest Moments of the Year
  • John Bruin: Missed the best game of the year (the 4-4 on Monday) due to "Twelfth Night" but calls the Europa League Final a true low:

    "It was the day that Ange Ball decided to just get it launched, and Manchester United played a brand of Imodium football." (05:03)

  • Jonathan Wilson: Celebrates underdog victories; highlights Sunderland's playoff win, Palace winning the FA Cup, Aberdeen lifting the Scottish Cup, and Union Saint-Gilloise winning the Belgian League after 70 years:

    “In terms of a one-off occasion... the best in my lifetime [for Sunderland]” (06:20)

  • Barry Glendenning: Cherishes Sunderland’s moment and Ireland’s match against Hungary:

    "I think the highlight was the precise millisecond I realized Tommy Watson’s injury time winner was going to curl inside the post." (06:42)

  • Max Rushden: Describes the emotional release of Palace fans winning their first major trophy; notes unforgettable viral moments from fans, especially during Scotland’s dramatic qualifier:

    “There was this moment where Palace fans knew they’d won the FA Cup … complete relief … but it wasn’t done yet.” (07:55)

2. Mid-season Predictions Review

[09:31–12:21]

• Regrets & Brags: What They Got Right…and Wrong
  • Barry: Stands by his calls, even if Everton being relegated looks “clearly a mistake.”
  • Jonathan: Admits Sunderland’s surge surprised him, blames “regression to the mean” for getting it wrong.
  • John Bruin: Predicts Arsenal for the title, says he’s “not angsting” yet, stands by other picks, calls Man United “absolutely rubbish”:

    “It’s just this grim sort of ship sailing into murky waters that get murkier and more miserable.” (12:28)

3. Grand Club Narratives: Spurs & Man United

[13:05–14:19]

• Status & Expectation
  • Wilson on Spurs: Not really that big despite “Super League 6” posturing:

    “They’re not a big club. Come on, grow up. Big stadium, lovely stadium.” (13:05)

  • Wilson on United: Only three managers ever won the league; hard club to manage unless you’re a “genius":

    “List of managers who failed at United is way bigger than who succeeded.” (14:19)

  • Bruin: Mocks the ‘three-manager’ stat; says it’s just their long-lasting successful managers, not a real critique.

4. Canonical Podcast Lore: The ‘Wilson Scenario’ and More

[15:21–18:45]

• Wilson tries (and mildly fails) to clarify his infamous VAR law flaw scenario:

  "It's not a quirky thing that happens. This is an obvious flaw in the laws..."

• Barry’s ‘Glendenning Scenario’:

  “I celebrate a wonder goal, knacker my cruciate, and the goal is ruled offside. So the goal doesn’t stand, but the injury does.” (18:45)

5. Festive Messages From the Panel & Friends

[19:11–23:04, 42:11–46:06]

• Short, warm messages from regular and guest contributors; highlights include Mark Langdon’s detailed, meat-heavy Christmas dinner, and Barry’s perennial jibe at Chelsea fans for claiming to be in the title race:

  “In particular the Chelsea fans who for two years in a row have told me they have been in a title race and for two years in a row I’ve told you back that you are not … You PIAY motherfuckers.” (20:32)

6. Football Reforms: Listener ‘Fixes’ for The Game

[23:11–26:22]

• The panel eviscerates various suggestions:
  • Wilson:

    “They’re terrible. Your mates are terrible. Get better mates.” (24:46)

  • John Bruin & Barry riff on the idea of only Portsmouth being banned from goal celebrations, leading to jokes about sullen trophy lifts.

7. FIFA Peace Prize: Who Gets It Next?

[26:54–29:26]

• Barry suggests Infantino or even Tommy Robinson, tongue firmly in cheek. Wilson touts Trump, John Bruin ‘predicts’ Mohammed bin Salman will win it in 2033:

  “In the spirit of brown-nosery … FIFA awards the Peace Prize to its own president.” (27:40)

8. Managerial Sack Race—By 2031

[29:26–32:07]

• How many Spurs and West Ham managers will be sacked before Universal Studios Bedford opens? Guesses cohere around 7–8, with plenty of tangential musings about cross-over appointments (Ange to West Ham, Graham Potter to Spurs) and rides at Universal.
  • Notable quote:

  “On that Jaws ride ... if you look the other way, that’s where Steven Spielberg’s office is. But no one ever sees him because everyone’s looking the other direction.” (32:15)

9. Inverting the Pyramid: Who Actually Read It?

[33:12–35:10]

• Wilson lists Sean Dyche, Craig Levein, and David Pleat as confirmed readers, relays Dyche quoting the book in a press conference:

  "He did say it was a very good read, that was his exact phrase. So I’ve always had a lot of time for Sean Dyche." (33:38)

• John Bruin jokes Jonathan is “hated in Scotland” for inspiring the infamous 4-6-0 formation.

10. Best Football Books: Panel Recommendations

[35:25–41:59]

• Jonathan Wilson recommends:
  • “States of Play” (Miguel Delaney)
  • “Among the Thugs” (Bill Buford)
  • “Helmut Schön” Autobiography
• Barry Glendenning:
  • “It’s Only a Game” (Eamon Dunphy)
  • Michael Calvin’s football writing
  • “Staying up” (Rick Gikowski)—behind the scenes at Coventry City
• John Bruin:
  • “Football is a Funny Old Game” (Saint and Greavsie):

    “It gives you a nice taste of 60s London, 60s football from Jimmy Greaves.” (39:51)

11. Most Nonsensical Interviews

[47:58–54:59]

• Memorable awkward or baffling interview moments:
  • Jonathan: “Darius Vassell was pretty bad ... The one I remember just for being completely needlessly chippy ... was the Carlisle manager, Paul Simpson.” (49:20)
  • Max: Ian Rush couldn’t hear his questions, Mel B walked out mid-recording:

    “Still left to get some chicken.” (51:15)

  • John Bruin: Matthew Flamini and Clarence Seedorf “would only talk about the health products they were sponsoring.” Bizarre moment with Nigel Adkins reciting “The Man in the Glass” poem at a presser.

12. Personal Footballing Glories: The Panel’s Best Goals

[57:01–63:58]

• John Bruin: Scored a hat trick on LSD at university:

  “It was a fantastic experience.” (57:22)

• Wilson: Finally scored his dream Ronnie Whelan-style curler in a college game—complete with cameo from a young Rory Kinnear walking past.
• Max: Executed a Gianfranco Zola–esque volley in an amateur match.
• Barry: Retells his legendary header—a story the pod has mythologized over several years:

  “I leap, hang in the air ... close my eyes, arced my neck and flung my head at the ball... It arrows towards the goal…” (62:53)

  • This year, Barry claims the goal stands (wasn’t an own goal), in a nod to pod tradition.

13. Reflection on Running, Progress & Moderation

[65:29–67:45]

• Listener Tom writes in inspired by Barry’s running updates, recounts his own post-surgery running journey and stresses the value of celebrating small milestones.
• Barry reveals his own half-marathon efforts, his honest exchange with a nurse about drinking, and ponders the modern definition of a 'binge’:

  “Now, four pints is a binge. It’s woke nonsense, Max.” (67:31)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Chelsea fans:
  • “Chelsea fans … for two years in a row have told me they were in a title race, and for two years in a row, I’ve told you back that you are not … You PIAY motherfuckers.” – Barry Glendenning (20:32)
• On goal celebrations (for Portsmouth):
  • “If anyone smiled at the trophy lift, we’re taking it away from you.” – Barry Glendenning (26:12)
• On football predictions:
  • “You can’t really change them. Everton is clearly a mistake, I had them 19th.” – Barry Glendenning (09:31)
• On personal milestones:
  • “Running sucks, it really does suck. But I…haven’t smoked in 19 months... I’ve raised over £21,000 already, which is mind-blowing.” – Barry Glendenning (65:29)
• Festive advice:
  • “If your football team gets a good result, don’t get too excited because they’ll only have a bad result next time.” – Seb, guest contributor (45:02)
• Christmas message:
  • “Every Football Weekly day is Christmas Day and every statement on the pod is a message of peace and goodwill.” – Barney Ronay (46:46)

Timestamps for Core Segments:

• [03:26] – Panel’s biggest football highlights and lowlights of 2025
• [09:31] – Predictions review and regrets
• [13:05] – Big clubs: Tottenham & Manchester United
• [15:21] – Wilson Scenario and festive VAR confessions
• [19:11] – Listener holiday messages
• [23:11] – Football ‘reform’ ideas and critiques
• [26:54] – Who should win FIFA’s Peace Prize?
• [29:26] – Managerial sack race through 2031
• [33:12] – Who’s read “Inverting the Pyramid?”
• [35:25] – Recommended football books for Christmas
• [47:58] – Most baffling interviews
• [57:01] – The best goals scored by the panel
• [65:29] – Listener Tom on running, Barry’s half marathon journey

TL;DR Summary

• Hosts answer listener mail with a blend of football expertise, nostalgia, and irreverence.
• Biggest joys: underdog victories, Palace FA Cup win, Sunderland’s rise.
• Regretful predictions: Everton’s survival, Sunderland’s surge.
• Extended metaphors for Spurs’ and Manchester United’s status.
• Lore expanded: Wilson/Glendenning scenarios, Barry’s mythic headed goal.
• Fuss over dubious football reforms, the farce of FIFA Peace Prizes.
• Recommendations for football books and the confession of never reading them.
• Warm, cheeky, and at times cathartic, it’s the Football Weekly community at its best.

For New Listeners

This episode is a smorgasbord of football banter, anecdotes, and listener engagement, perfect for anyone who wants to dip into the heart and humour of Football Weekly. Great for catching up on 2025’s football stories, laughing at the panellists’ storytelling, and getting book recommendations—even if you don’t care who wins the Premier League.