Football Between The Lines. Another podcast about the beautiful game. Brought to you by Dan Cook of the infamous HLTCO twitter account, and Flav Batemen of The Fighting Cock podcast and James and Flav for Now... Football Between The Lines is a twice weekly podcast, blending well-rounded football opinion with emotional and somewhat reactionary punchiness.The well rounded balanced opinion versus the emotional somewhat reactionary opinion. You don’t need another football podcast in your life, but you should listen to Football Between The Lines anyway.Twice weekly reaction podcast to biggest talking points that week through the season - an...
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Sep 29, 2026 · 56:20
What would a meaningful punishment for Manchester City actually look like? This week on Football Between the Lines, we get stuck into City’s financial case, debating points…
Sep 22, 2026 · 55:08
We thought Arsenal might run away with it, but Manchester City have other ideas. We discuss Brighton’s statement win, whether Maresca has the stronger squad and why Brighton or…
Sep 14, 2026 · 51:47
The Manchester derby delivers another VAR argument, but are Manchester United’s problems the bigger story? We debate Foden’s red card, Bruno’s role in it and whether City look…
Sep 7, 2026 · 59:21
Flav and Dan react to a chaotic Premier League weekend, including the controversial disallowed goal in Tottenham’s draw with Nottingham Forest, Gabriel’s challenge on Emi…
Aug 31, 2026 · 54:46
Are Arsenal already good enough to win the Premier League, and if they somehow add Julián Alvarez, is the title race basically over before it has properly begun? We also look at…
Aug 24, 2026 · 52:50
Flav deals with the fallout from Spurs' nightmare opening weekend against Brentford, while Dan tries to make sense of Palace's problems after defeat at Everton. We ask whether…
Aug 17, 2026 · 53:17
Are Arsenal already perfectly placed to dominate again? What happens to Manchester City after Pep Guardiola and Rodri? And has anyone got the faintest idea what a footballer is…
Aug 11, 2026 · 49:46
We get into the increasingly ridiculous world of transfer rumours, why supporters are being driven mad by endless links and whether the people spreading them should be held to…
Aug 4, 2026 · 58:02
Has the football world finally reached breaking point with Fabrizio Romano? Gareth and Dan explore why the transfer guru's influence is being questioned, from failed "Here We Go"…
Jul 27, 2026 · 49:22
The summer transfer window has exposed just how complicated football's financial rules have become. We break down why clubs like Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Newcastle are…
Jul 22, 2026 · 58:26
We look back on the World Cup after Spain lifted the trophy, discussing England's semi-final exit, Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions, FIFA's growing influence, the expansion to…
Jun 3, 2026 · 56:46
This week we dive into Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat, why so many rival fans seemed to enjoy it, and whether the reaction says more about modern football culture than…
May 25, 2026 · 57:20
We talk through the emotional aftermath of Tottenham surviving relegation, why the relief from players and fans felt so visceral, and how Roberto De Zerbi instantly changed the…
May 22, 2026 · 56:51
We talk through the bizarre culture around England squad announcements, why everything gets leaked before a ball is kicked, and whether Thomas Tuchel’s strange selections might…
May 18, 2026 · 1:03:04
This episode we're talking about everything football has become and everything it still gets right. Adam Wharton’s mum becomes an away-end icon, Manchester City can’t fill their…
May 15, 2026 · 50:21
We get into Southampton’s bizarre spying row, the possible fallout for the play-offs and whether one bloke filming behind a tree is worth a £100m risk. There’s also VAR chaos in…
May 11, 2026 · 54:25
We’re back to talk chaos in the National League, West Ham nearly giving Spurs a favour, the VAR call that may have changed everything, and the strange emotional gymnastics of…
May 8, 2026 · 50:04
Palace are one game from a European final, Forest get absolutely pumped by Villa, and somehow the Premier League has created a scenario where teams might actually benefit from…
May 5, 2026 · 1:04:21
We’re back after a bit of a break and there’s a lot to get through. We talk Spurs finally turning up away at Villa and what’s changed under De Zerbi, while Palace fans start…
Apr 27, 2026 · 58:00
We start with Spurs winning a game but somehow still end up asking what’s actually going on, after yet another serious injury adds to a worrying pattern. From there it spirals…
Apr 23, 2026 · 50:54
We start with the chaos at Chelsea after Liam Rosenior’s exit and ask who is really to blame. We get into the financial mess, the ownership model, the sporting directors, the…
Apr 20, 2026 · 55:42
Dan’s back from Florence and feeling human again, so naturally we get into European away days, football getting in the way of drinking, and why Spurs are absolutely definitely…
Apr 13, 2026 · 51:23
We get into a mad weekend of football, from Spurs losing again at Sunderland and edging closer to relegation, to Arsenal wobbling under pressure and Man City suddenly looking…
Apr 10, 2026 · 51:38
We start with Palace battering Fiorentina and somehow end up in a full blown existential chat about football. Glasner’s leaving, VAR’s ruining everything, PSG remind us what the…
Apr 6, 2026 · 58:47
Dan’s back from Lake Garda and we somehow go from holidays and football burnout to Chelsea players chatting too freely on international duty, Spurs handing Roberto De Zerbi the…
Mar 27, 2026 · 46:02
Dan's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CsykjycxHhDfWAbSfxNXZ?si=d5btK_oJSGO1idRV0DqzDg&pi=k852UlC2SW2ps We veered all over the place on this one. We got into the fuss…
Mar 24, 2026 · 1:00:04
We start with the most unexpected question possible: what song would we want played at our funeral? From there it spirals nicely into Tottenham’s latest collapse, Palace’s…
Mar 19, 2026 · 46:49
This week we spiral through football tattoos, cursed fan behaviour and the strange clarity that comes with a proper relegation scrap. We chat Spurs showing signs of life, the…
Mar 16, 2026 · 54:19
We’re back after missing Thursday and, for once, it doesn’t feel like total despair. A draw at Anfield has somehow shifted the mood, even if the table barely has. We get into…
Mar 9, 2026 · 50:52
We start with Palace beating Spurs and what that game revealed about just how bad things have got. From there it turns into a proper spiral through relegation fears, whether the…
Mar 5, 2026 · 44:22
We get into Dr Tottenham vs Charity FC, whether anyone actually wants it (players, managers, us), and why football feels like it’s simultaneously life-or-death and deeply stupid.…
Mar 2, 2026 · 54:41
The world feels like it’s on fire, our timelines are chaos, and somehow we still have to talk about football like it’s normal. We get into Arsenal winning ugly and why set pieces…
Feb 26, 2026 · 48:16
We’re bouncing from Palace’s biggest night of the season vibes to Spurs doomposting in about 30 seconds, which feels about right. Dan’s convinced this European run might not come…
Feb 23, 2026 · 48:17
Tottenham lose 4-1 to Arsenal again as Igor Tudor takes charge for his first game and the North London derby delivers another brutal reality check. We break down why Spurs were…
Feb 17, 2026 · 58:56
We start with The Overlap aftermath, Arsenal fans asking for “respect”, and why rivalry means you’re not doing favours for anyone. Flav makes the case for relegating Arsenal…
Feb 12, 2026 · 50:30
Not much to talk about, apparently, so naturally we end up on Spurs sacking Frank, Forest binning Dyche at 1am, and why football owners are absolute chaos merchants. Then we…
Feb 9, 2026 · 49:12
We start with Harvey Elliott’s Villa loan mess and how trigger clauses can stall a player’s season. Then it’s Liverpool vs City, a ridiculous free kick, a brilliant game, and…
Feb 5, 2026 · 53:48
We get into the Eddie Howe in vs out noise after Newcastle go out of the League Cup, and why match-going fans and online fans sound like they’re watching different sports. We…
Feb 3, 2026 · 51:33
We kick off with deadline day frazzle, Palace doing business late because we’re watching the market rather than dictating it, and the Mateta to Milan saga that died on medical…
Jan 29, 2026 · 54:06
We love the Champions League format and why, despite the moaning, it’s producing absolute mayhem. From the Goal Show chaos to Benfica’s wild win, Mourinho staying relevant, and…
Jan 26, 2026 · 54:42
The title race is properly alive, Arsenal fans are booing while still top of the league, and we’re sat here trying to work out when football became this emotionally unstable. We…
Jan 23, 2026 · 57:02
We’re fresh off The Overlap and straight into the chaos. Chelsea’s “yes man” manager chat, the weirdness of them not nailing a proper shirt sponsor, and why multi-club ownership…
Jan 19, 2026 · 55:59
We get properly stuck into one of those episodes where everything spills out. Palace chaos, Glasner torching his own job, Spurs being utterly miserable, VAR now missing blatant…
Jan 15, 2026 · 1:00:30
We’ve had a week of it. Villa fans came for us in numbers after The Overlap dragged up an old Big Six debate clip, so naturally we’ve now got a lifelong vendetta. Then we spiral…
Jan 12, 2026 · 57:57
In this episode we confirm Dan’s okay after a short break, then dive straight into Crystal Palace’s humiliating FA Cup exit and why it may be the worst performance in the club’s…
Jan 8, 2026 · 55:31
This one starts with numbness and ends somewhere between catharsis and chaos. We talk about the unspoken contract you sign with your football club for life, why some fans walk…
Jan 2, 2026 · 58:46
We start with Spurs and quickly ask a bigger question. When football gets this dull, what are fans meant to cling to? We talk Thomas Frank, clean sheets that feel joyless, away…
Dec 29, 2025 · 1:02:48
We’re back after Christmas and Dan’s had the full festive experience: Palace losing, kids being sick everywhere, and the dreaded norovirus tidal wave arriving mid Christmas…
Dec 22, 2025 · 52:11
We try to do the grown-up referee chat and still end up saying John Brooks had an absolute mare, even while admitting Spurs deserved the two reds. Then we get into why this…
Dec 18, 2025 · 49:09
We’ve got the most chaotic story of the year from AFCON as Cameroon somehow end up with two managers and two squads, with Samuel Eto’o doing Samuel Eto’o things. Then we get into…
Dec 15, 2025 · 47:38
We’re back and Dan’s fresh off Dublin with approximately 45 pints of Guinness in his system, so naturally we start with European away days and end up in some properly dark…
Dec 11, 2025 · 47:06
In this one we sit down with Rory Jennings to get properly stuck into the Salah saga, the idea of legacy, and how tribal we all get when footballers cross the line. We talk…
Dec 9, 2025 · 59:22
In this one we get stuck into the Salah vs Slot saga, Carragher’s eight-minute monologue and whether a player can ever be bigger than Liverpool. We talk about the racism…
Dec 4, 2025 · 59:59
We get stuck into a mad midweek of Premier League football: Fulham nearly coming back from 5–1 down, Romero’s scissor kick at Newcastle, Villa turning it round at Brighton,…
Dec 1, 2025 · 56:20
In this one we properly spiral about hating football, from Spurs fans booing Vicario and life under Thomas Frank to Glasner calling out the Palace board and what European…
Nov 27, 2025 · 46:03
This week we roped in Ben Bowman while Dan swans off to Strasbourg, and started with the obvious question, what is actually happening at Liverpool. We go through Arne Slot’s…
Nov 24, 2025 · 46:12
In this one we try to process a pretty grim week: Spurs getting slapped in the derby , Arsenal looking like they might actually walk the league and Chelsea quietly sneaking into…
Nov 20, 2025 · 59:05
In this one we try to talk ourselves into some kind of calm before the North London derby, chat about Spurs away form under Thomas Frank and how Arsenal have turned into a…
Nov 17, 2025 · 1:04:06
In this one we start with the calm of the international break and end up in total Irish bedlam, talking Troy Parrott’s last minute winner, what following your country actually…
Nov 14, 2025 · 1:07:28
England chat, WhatsApp group politics and the way Sky and others keep dumbing football talk down into shouty clips. We get into Ivan Toney’s Saudi wages and whether he solves…
Nov 12, 2025 · 42:02
We sat down with Tom from Back of the Net to talk Iraola’s brave style, smart recruitment, and how Bournemouth keep improving after losing a whole back line. We get into Bill…
Nov 10, 2025 · 1:10:27
We dive into City’s demolition of Liverpool, the Van Dijk disallowed goal, and Doku’s star turn. Arsenal drop points at Sunderland, the long throw ad board saga gets an airing,…
Nov 6, 2025 · 1:04:08
We get stuck into a wild week of goals from Van de Ven, Son, Dan Burn and Thierry Small. We talk Coventry’s stadium singalong, why North London Forever sets us off, and the messy…
Nov 3, 2025 · 1:04:25
We get into why grit still wins in a hyper tactical league, from West Ham’s fightback over Newcastle to Freddie Potts grabbing his shot. Spurs at home, whether players should…
Oct 30, 2025 · 55:10
Palace stroll to a professional 3-0 at Anfield and the fallout is spicy. We dig into Arne Slot’s selection, the “kids” narrative, and why Palace keep giving Liverpool nightmares.…
Oct 27, 2025 · 1:09:17
We dig into Sheffield Wednesday’s slide into administration, why governance failed, what a 12-point deduction means, and how fans and administrators can rebuild. We then head to…
Oct 23, 2025 · 54:35
We start with The Cure, Monaco memories, and whether Steve Parish will ever pick up. Then we get into the big one: the collapse of Villarreal vs Barcelona in Miami and the…
Oct 20, 2025 · 56:09
We open on Nottingham Forest’s latest swerve: Ange Postecoglou out after 40 days and Sean Dyche poised to take over, with Evangelos Marinakis at the heart of the chaos. We break…
Oct 17, 2025 · 54:29
Adam McKola from Stretford Paddock joins to dig into Manchester United’s season, why patience still exists in the away end, and what INEOS need to fix. We get into Amorim’s…
Oct 16, 2025 · 1:06:24
We chew over this weekend’s fixtures and ask whether Liverpool vs Manchester United is still the cultural earthquake Sky sold us. We revisit the golden-age needle of Arsenal v…
Oct 13, 2025 · 51:12
We get into the weeds on international breaks, FIFA’s plan to condense windows from 2026, and the push to stage domestic league games overseas. We talk Newcastle, Kieran…
Oct 10, 2025 · 1:04:19
Gerrard’s blunt take on England’s golden generation, the Bellingham family narrative, and where Jude should actually play. We swap Mourinho tales, ask if Ratcliffe is backing…
Oct 7, 2025 · 1:04:31
A packed one. We get into what makes a first European away so special, the long-throw towel saga and whether an eight-second rule for throw-ins makes sense, Jack Grealish’s…
Oct 2, 2025 · 52:08
With Dan away on Palace’s European adventure, Rory Jennings jumps into the hot seat with Flav for a lively, wide-ranging episode. The lads trade first-away-day stories in Prague,…
Sep 29, 2025 · 1:02:48
Palace make it 18 unbeaten with a delirious 90+7 winner over Liverpool, and we unpack what’s changed under Glasner, whether the run is sustainable, and where the ceiling really…
Sep 25, 2025 · 1:01:07
A lively run through Graham Potter chaos on Football Twitter, West Ham’s managerial pivot, Arteta’s press conference cringe, the XG culture war, Liverpool’s late-goal aura vs…
Sep 22, 2025 · 1:00:19
Palace are 17 unbeaten in all comps: so why does nobody talk about it? Dan and Flav go deep on MOTD’s blinkers, Glasner’s impact, Liverpool’s grinding perfection, and Arsenal’s…
Sep 18, 2025 · 59:31
Derby chaos, social media limbs and football’s new kick off tactic. We relive Millwall versus Palace from inside the home end, the police lines and the penalty shootout. We get…
Sep 15, 2025 · 59:14
Team sheets in number order are melting brains, and it’s not just a design quirk. We dive into why clubs do it and why it’s awful for fans. Then the big one: Manchester United…
Sep 12, 2025 · 1:05:09
We start with ticket chaos from Radiohead to the World Cup, then dig into FIFA’s dynamic pricing and what it does to real fans. We relive Spurs’ StubHub era, talk loyalty points,…
Sep 9, 2025 · 49:53
We react to Nottingham Forest sacking Nuno Espírito Santo and the looming Ange Postecoglou links, weigh up whether Ange can adapt, and debate what Forest might look like in…
Sep 5, 2025 · 59:53
Flav and Dan react to Daniel Levy’s exit, weighing two decades of off-pitch success against a passive, reactive footballing culture that never translated into trophies. They…
Sep 2, 2025 · 1:06:01
Deadline Day delivers peak chaos as Crystal Palace dominate the narrative. We unpack the Marc Guehi to Liverpool saga, Glasner’s hard line, and the PR fallout if a captain leaves…
Aug 28, 2025 · 53:52
We cover a packed week of football, starting with Palace’s nervous Conference League qualifier and reflecting on Rangers’ disastrous 9-1 defeat to Brugge. We debate Celtic’s…
Aug 25, 2025 · 1:01:57
In this episode of Football Between the Lines, we dive into the chaos at Selhurst Park as Palace and Forest clash on and off the pitch. We talk about the fallout from Dan’s…
Aug 21, 2025 · 53:55
We break down one of the most painful transfer sagas in recent Spurs history as Arsenal swoop in to sign Eberechi Eze. We talk through how Levy’s dithering left Tottenham…
Aug 18, 2025 · 58:26
This week, we dive into a packed weekend of football drama. From Darren England’s controversial VAR call at Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace’s remarkable unbeaten run under…
Aug 15, 2025 · 54:08
In this episode, we dive into the return of the Premier League with all its anticipation, drama, and absurdity. From Kieran Bowie’s outrageous volley to the merits of scrapping…
Aug 12, 2025 · 25:28
Crystal Palace’s first-ever European adventure has taken a bitter twist. Three months after winning the FA Cup, they’ve been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference…
Aug 11, 2025 · 53:46
We break down Crystal Palace’s Community Shield win over Liverpool, from Dean Henderson’s penalty mastery to Justin Devenny’s remarkable rise from the Scottish lower leagues. We…
Aug 7, 2025 · 56:13
We dive into Manchester United’s surprise spending spree, questioning how a club with no European football can shell out so much under PSR constraints. We also unpack the…
Aug 2, 2025 · 53:22
We break from our usual Monday slot to bring you an early episode packed with big talking points. We kick off with Alexander Isak’s push for a Liverpool move and how it compares…
Jul 31, 2025 · 55:26
In this episode, we react to a North London Derby being played in Hong Kong, and reflect on the meaning and commodification of tradition. We explore the financial crisis…
Jul 28, 2025 · 44:00
Today’s pod features reaction to England’s women winning 2025, Palace’s impending appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Morgan Gibbs-White’s perplexing new contract…
Jul 24, 2025 · 54:58
Today’s podcast sees Dan & Flav discuss Liverpool’s transfer business, whether that makes them runaway title favourites and the potential of Isak still leaving Newcastle. There’s…
Jul 21, 2025 · 1:05:45
Today’s podcast covers Marcus Rashford’s imminent move to Barcelona, Ekitike seemingly being all set for Liverpool, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Alexander Isak and plenty…
Jul 17, 2025 · 1:00:15
After recording a full episode for you on Monday only to see the internet fail and the whole thing go up in the smoke, the lads are back today. They discuss the ongoing problems…
Jul 10, 2025 · 47:11
Today’s podcast kicks off with the latest explainer from Dan regarding Palace, UEFA & Lyon. The lads then move on to a discussion about West Ham and their supporters’ general…
Jul 7, 2025 · 58:25
Today’s FBTL sees Flav & Dan discuss the Thomas Partey charges, Arsenal’s ongoing transfer business, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s suitability to Premier League clubs, Jamal Musiala’s…
Jul 4, 2025 · 51:06
Today’s podcast begins with discussion of the tragic news concerning the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre. Flav & Dan also chat about the latest twists concerning Lyon…
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