Shows
The Old SchoolEpisode 67: Dr. Shelita-Cannon Hoey & Dr. Marvin RaineyWe welcome Dr. Shelita Cannon-Hoey and Dr. Marvin Rainey to discuss their new book on transformational, instructional, and servant leadership within schools. Musical credits:"Turning Back" Steven Bourgeois Out of the Darkness ©2004 All rights reserved "Blues" Steven Bourgeois and Wyeth Tvenge from Jazz Duo ©2004 All rights reserved
2023-08-2649 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 275: Last Night In SohoThe football: It's our last show, live in London (slightly edited for content like movies on ITV in the 1990s, but still self-indulgently long). We're joined by Nedum Onuoha and an audience of well-wishers to send you off into a future without SPM. There are multiple middle class heckles, some essential beepings out of inappropriate words, and by the end even the odd something in the eye as we say goodbye after five and half years of podding.
To you all, wherever you are, and to whichever level you let us into your lives, thank you. It was about football...
2022-07-271h 59Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 273: The Ajax ExodusThe football: At time of recording, three players key to Ajax's recent success had already left during this transfer window, with potentially at least another three heading out (maybe all to Manchester United) before it's over. Rory is annoyed about the financial and demographic realities that has led to another exodus, and wants to tell us why. Steven prepares a whole string orchestra's worth of tiny violins...
LIVE SHOW TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!! Head to https://myticket.co.uk/gigs/set-piece-menu-live-london-2021-12-16-19-00 to join us on 20th July at 21 Soho in London
Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2022-06-291h 01Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 272: Soccer Story Memory LaneThe football: Some Set Piece Menu nostalgia. You miss Andy Hinchcliffe, we do too. So in response to requests to revisit some of his stand out 'Soccer Story' moments, Hugh, Rory and Steven introduce a trip down memory lane. Whether it was crustaceans in the bath at Bellfield, Mrs Big Ron's platter of Kit-Kats or the injury that finally ended an entirely sufficient career, Chinch never failed us when a tale from his playing days with all adult behaviour and libel-worthy details removed was required.
2022-06-221h 02Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 270: Nedum OnuohaThe football: Did Hugh say he'd written a book? Well just in case you missed it, he takes the opportunity of Rory and Steven being distracted by a combination of covid and foreign travel (not both at the same time) to chat with the subject of said book. Nedum Onuoha is a former Manchester City, QPR and Real Salt Lake footballer with a tale to tell about his career and those with whom he shared it, but Kicking Back is about so much more. This conversation focuses on the so much more.
So now we have TWO plugs:
The book...
2022-06-0151 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 267: Au RevoirThe football: March 2020 was football's hiatus, January 2022 is ours. With changes afoot in the SPM family, and a relaunch expected later in the year, we thought we'd give you all a bit of a break. Consider it an extended deadline if you haven't yet listened to all the episodes, a cheat code for your homework. We will return, and if you have any strong opinions about how we look when we do (that we can either ignore or take as our own), send them to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
We remain on social media - @setpiecemenu - and could well pop...
2022-01-2643 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 261: Being At The Game vs Watching The GameThe football: What's the difference between watching a game on TV and being at the stadium itself? A listener poses the question, and we try not to sound too snobby in our response.
The food: Steven is eating a clementine, which prompts Rory to reveal he and his family are lessening their food footprint, which means no more bananas.
Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/en-gb/stores/set-piece-menu-podcast
2021-12-1554 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 259: Is English football as special as it thinks it is?The football: After Paul Merson wondered whether Ralf Rangnick's lack of experience in English football might make him an inappropriate appointment by Manchester United, we ask if English football has an identity problem. In other words it doesn't really have one, and that's why there's no reason for Rangnick to have experienced it...
The food: Steven has a hangover so severe he can't even eat the pain au raisin he bought from Euston Station.
LIVE SHOW TICKETS: We are in London's Courtyard Theatre for a 5th anniversary live show on Thursday 16th December, and you can be there too!
Click...
2021-12-0150 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 258: What YOU Don't Realise About Commentators...The football: In the unforeseen absence of two of our number, we fill their places with people who actually know what they're talking about. Peter Drury and Conor McNamara are some of the finest exponents of the art of commentary, and there's also Steven; together we have a conversation about what people don't realise about the life and craft of the person you might listen to a lot, but not know a lot about.
The food: Hugh is struggling with his voice - which he insists is down to something spurious called Cooing Disease - and so is on a...
2021-11-241h 00Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 257: Is international football more exciting than we thought?The football: The qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup may well end up delivering familiar countries to the finals, but in getting there has it shown us that international football might have more of something than the best of the club game: jeopardy?
The food: Steven has stolen four Viennese Whirls from his partner Katie. Rory, a great lover of biscuits, reveals he's never even had a Viennese Whirl.
LIVE SHOW TICKETS: Here's the link to click on for tickets for our London Live Show, celebrating 5 years of SPM - https://myticket.co.uk/gigs/set-piece-menu-live-london-2021-12-16-19-00
...
2021-11-171h 02Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 255: Loans, lower league partnerships, or leave the kids alone!The football: After the last round of the EFL Cup (yes we were organised enough to make a plan then and save it for this week's round) Pep Guardiola talked of his young Manchester City bucks benefiting more from playing Wycombe every week than taking on someone their own size. We cycle through the possible solutions to the conundrum Pep poses, some of which Pep won't like.
The food: Steven has been showered with gourmet gifts from his kindly neighbours during his forced period of Covid-related isolation. The descriptions of home made beef pie, lamb curry and M&S-made Colin...
2021-10-2758 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 245: Siege MentalitiesThe football: Siege mentalities, or more pertinently, fake ones. Why has what once might have been a genuine management tactic turned into little more than a media trope, happily seized upon by managers looking for a distraction, and players looking for motivation.
The food: Steven is at his parents' house, and has enjoyed a lengthy barbecue, plus chocolate cake, all in celebration of his brother's birthday. He also insists his only beer is that of the low-alcohol variety, but the others will take some convincing of that.
***MERCH is available at teepublic.com - just search for SPM or Set...
2021-08-2559 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 239: Hot Takes and Takeaways (Euro 2020 Edition)SPM 239: Hot Takes and Takeaways (Euro 2020 Edition) by Rory Smith, Andy Hinchcliffe, Steven Wyeth, Hugh Ferris
2021-07-121h 10Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 238: The 32-team Euro(s)The football: Rory has an idea of how an expanded Euros could be expanded further, to include 32 teams. He's very proud of it, but clearly can only really commit to its principles once he's workshopped it (had it pulled apart) by his pod colleagues. Step forward Steven, Hugh and Chinch to consider, a little too fully, the plight of Luxembourg.
The food: A cardamom knot, which is part of Rory's bourgeois breakfast.
Email us at setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2021-07-071h 06
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 237: Rose Tinted Glasses of Tournament NostalgiaThe World Cups and Euros of our youth are acclaimed through the rose tinted spectacles of nostalgia. In our mature years we are much more likely to find fault. What distorts our memories in favour of historical tournaments and subsequently raises expectations to an unreasonable level for their modern day equivalents?
Plus, in a variation on the theme, a Soccer Story about Chinch not narrated by Chinch. And Steven deputises as host with Hugh cashing in all acceptable excuses for an absence in one go.
Email setpiecemenu@gmail.com or find us on social media: @setpiecemenu
2021-06-301h 00Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 235: Footballing Fathers & SonsThe podcast where four friends - presenter Hugh Ferris, writer Rory Smith, commentator Steven Wyeth & pundit Andy Hinchcliffe - talk football over food.
This week: footballing families and the impact a successful player has on their offspring's chance of success.
In what seems an increasingly incestuous industry, is a legacy talent a help or a hindrance and does nepotism give a youngster an edge when tough judgements are made about a talent’s potential for fulfilment? And does a genetic disposition and exposure & opportunity ultimately trump a similar talent that lacks the benefit of privilege and contacts?
Plus if you’re t...
2021-06-1656 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 234: The Value Of TrophiesThe football: Do trophies have a different value depending on who wins them, how often, and whether they are claimed by a player that's also associated with individual achievements? Harry Kane has a chance to move from a club that hasn't won anything to one that wins everything, but will those potential future achievements have the same value to him as breaking the Premier League, or England goal-scoring record at some point in his career?
The food: Steven, who according to the MailOnline is living in a no-go area for white people, is forced to eat a dish which is...
2021-06-091h 17Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 233: Two Things Can Be TrueThe football: After Pep Guardiola seemed to lean into the very narrative that appears to annoy his acolytes more than any other for the Champions League final, we discuss whether something being pre-determined also dictates that it should be the singular cause of any outcome. Did Pep overthink his team? Or did they just play badly? Or, more importantly for this episode, do we have to understand that two things can be true?
The food: Chinch and Steven discuss the relative merits of florentines with either milk or dark chocolate, in what proves to be the most alienating of all...
2021-06-021h 01Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 227: The ESL S**tshowThe podcast where four friends - presenter Hugh Ferris, writer Rory Smith, commentator Steven Wyeth & pundit Andy Hinchcliffe - talk football over food.
The football: The Super League, blink and you'd have missed it. The ambitions of the owners of the self-proclaimed elite clubs to revolutionise European football wasn't well planned, was terribly executed and a PR disaster for all involved. What will be the consequences, what punishment should they face and what, if anything, will anyone learn?
The food: Wherever Chinch goes, so does his plug-in lunchbox. And that's left a stench of fish pie on gantries from Elland...
2021-04-2156 min
The Old SchoolEpisode 3: TVs, Token Rewards, & Sesame StreetMusical credit:Steven Bourgeois (piano) and Wyeth Tvenge (bass)"Blues"From Jazz Duo©2004 All rights reserved
2021-02-2050 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 218: GOATsThe football: Why the obsession with crowning someone as the GOAT? And not even just the GOAT of a particular sport, but an overall GOAT for all sports? Steven is annoyed by the discussion, particularly because it involves Tom Brady; Rory thinks the discussion is pointless; Hugh attempts to have the discussion anyway.
The food: We have had more listener suggestions of local food banks as we continue to ask for you to give generously to those who are struggling to find food right now. Any that mean a lot to you please send to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
We have...
2021-02-1757 min
The Old SchoolEpisode 2: On Educational TechnologyMusical credit:Steven Bourgeois (piano) and Wyeth Tvenge (bass)"Gnu Waltz"From Jazz Duo©2004 All rights reserved
2021-02-1439 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 216: Managers' teams or players' teams?The football: Why are some teams defined by the success or otherwise of the man who leads them, and why is the story of others told through the prism of their players? Whose fault is it when things go wrong? Who is the chief architect of their triumphs? We discuss if there are managers' teams, and players' teams, and what it says about them.
The food: After an email last week that wondered whether you might like to donate food to those more in need than the four of us during lockdown, a listener has made the first suggestion: a...
2021-02-0355 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 212: Why is everyone talking about Leeds?The football: Whether it's because of Marcelo Bielsa's philosophy or the official club twitter account, it seems everyone is talking about Leeds. We ask why, and answer that question by, inevitably, talking about Leeds.
The food: The pandemic has denied Hugh his normal Christmas cake, traditionally baked for him by his aunt. So into that void steps Steven's partner Katie, who appears to have nailed it first time.
Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Twitter and Facebook: Search setpiecemenu
2021-01-061h 07
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 198: Seriously. WTF is going on?The football: Can anyone please tell us what the **** is going on in the Premier League? Three rounds of fixtures, and a plethora of goals, mistakes and handballs. Oh, the handballs! We, as ever, attempt to answer our own question, while making sure Steven has enough time to rant about the handballs.
The food: Hugh is particularly pleased with himself as he's eaten a vegan burger for the first time. Just one of the many cool things from three years ago he's only now catching up on.
Don't forget to enter your selection into the SPMPLPL! Head to tinyurl.com...
2020-09-301h 18Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 195: The Football PyramidThe football: Is the pyramid that has so long been the structure of English football still secure? The new season is about to start with the prospect of lower league clubs playing without fans, something that was considered financially unviable just a few weeks ago, and if some of the bricks at the bottom of the pyramid start to crumble, that would dictate the whole building is under threat. But does the Premier League's relative strength even in the face of a pandemic suggest it doesn't need those clubs who might have previously provided part of the foundation of their...
2020-09-091h 14Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 194: What we learnt about matches with no fansThe football: As plans were being made for the post-lockdown return of football, many the apocalyptic prediction was made about how the game would suffer without fans being allowed to attend the matches, but have we, the players, and broadcasters come to terms with behind closed doors quicker than we expected, and has that led to us learning something surprising about all three?
The food: Chinch parades an avocado, banana and lime loaf baked by his step-daughter. It leads to him being very confused about the difference between a fruit and a vegetable.
This week Chinch has set you a...
2020-09-021h 06Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 193: The Champions League Last Eight (that was good, so let's not do it again)The football: This year's Champions League last eight tournament had everything we'd expect of the final stages of club football's elite competition, apart from ties played over two legs. If it worked so handsomely, why is it so unlikely to happen again? Rory decides to answer this question by comparing European football to an electric car.
The food: Steven has "eaten out to help out" by returning to the Didsbury Deli for coffee and bacon butties. By doing this when everyone else is on zoom, it transpires the only person he's helping out is himself.
All emails to setpiecemenu@gmail...
2020-08-2658 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 192: Pep TalkThe football: After three (chaotic, mistake-ridden and VAR-affected) exits in three Champions League quarter finals in a row, we try and work out why the best manager of a generation can't get it done in Europe. Is the narrative about Pep Guardiola 'overthinking' things true? Why are Manchester City's knockout games chaotic, mistake-ridden and VAR-affected? And why does Guardiola make significant tactical changes before each one? It's time... for a Pep talk.
The food: Rory lovingly describes his homemade cookies, flavoured with toffee, an ingredient that is apparently only available because he now owns a toffee hammer.
Emails to: setpiecemenu...
2020-08-191h 17Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 191: Elite players who have become elite managersThe football: After Juventus took a punt on Andrea Pirlo, a man of legendary status and undoubted elite playing career, to take on their manager's job having had no experience, we consider how rare it is that a world class player becomes a world class manager. Having realised that, as a result, coming up with a (trademarked) SPM Select XI would be a fairly easy task, we do exactly that.
The food: Chinch has broken free of his Cheshire shackles to return to Portugal for the first time since the pre-pandemic era, and he's showing off by having some of...
2020-08-121h 11Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 190: The lessons and legacy of the coronavirus pandemic, and will football just ignore them all?The football: Covid-19 forced football to think differently about the way football is played, run and financed, but will the game learn any of those lessons? Can the only legacy of the lockdown and restart really be five substitutes? We discuss the things that should stay, should go, and should have been given more consideration.
The food: Freshly returned from a trip to Bergamo, Rory reveals the tale of two lunches from his final day in Italy. The second, the one he was eventually culturally satisfied by, is described as: 'ham, field mushrooms and some sort of quite soft cheese...
2020-08-051h 16Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 189: The 3rd Annual Hot Takes And TakeawaysThe football: Many traditions have been delayed in this unique Premier League season, but this is the one you've all been waiting for the most. The 3rd Annual Hot Takes and Takeaways episode brings together our typically jumbled but hopefully consistent (ie: repetitive) thoughts about the last 11 and a half months of Premier League football. And yes, we mention VAR.
The food: Steven is on holiday in Devon, and so regales us about the glamorous first breakfast of his summer break. Upsettingly, it includes a pastry in plastic.
PLUS: We reveal the winner of the Set Piece Menu Premier League...
2020-07-291h 20Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 188: The Obsession with RecordsThe football: Why the sudden obsession with records, and attempts to devalue achievements if milestones aren't simultaneously broken? Has modern football discourse become overwhelmed with the idea (to quote coach Coach Reilly in Mighty Ducks) that "it's not worth winning if you can't win big"? The phenomenon we're calling GOATism (TM Rory Smith) applies to teams and players, especially emerging talent, which finds itself burdened with comparisons to icons before their careers have had a chance to mature.
The food: Hugh arrives at Steven's with Krispy Kreme donuts for all, plus the Wyeth offspring. A generous gesture, somewhat undermined by...
2020-07-211h 03
Purple Radio On DemandYellow. #10 Hugh FerrisAfter a short hiatus, Gabriel returns to talk to Hugh Ferris, BBC Sport, World Service, Radio 2 and Manchester City FC matchday presenter and anchor. Hugh made his name in broadcast media on Manchester-based radio, before working on the 2002 Commonwealth Games, numerous Olympics and Paralympics (including anchoring BBC Sport's coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympics) and gaining the rights to interview Sir Alex Ferguson one-on-one each week in the mid-Noughties.
Hugh is also the presenter of the highly successful Set Piece Menu Podcast, a podcast that seeks to achieve a more intellectual and holistic view of the big football q...
2020-07-1658 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 187: The Relegation Flake OutThe football: Why have the Premier League's current bottom three so far appeared to show very little fight in their fight against relegation? Norwich are down after losing every game since the restart, while both Aston Villa and Bournemouth have taken until their most recent game to register a first win after the hiatus; not really any typical dramatic against-the-odds victories, or scrapping for a vital draw, and, as a result, dwindling hopes of avoiding the drop. So why has this relegation battle been anything but?
The food: For Andy, Hugh and Steve, some elite level croissants. For Rory, originally...
2020-07-1559 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM Bonus: MCFC FFPA special bonus pod to discuss the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to overturn Manchester City's two-year European ban. It's the MCFC FFP UEFA CAS pod of acronyms.
Usual pod still coming on Wednesday!
2020-07-1321 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 186: ProfessionalismThe football: Reunited in person for the first time since the lockdown, we talk about professionalism. What do we expect of players, and what do they expect of each other? Are footballers held to higher or lower standards than the rest of us, and has it changed over the years? Expect a lot of talk about the Ndombele/Mourinho conflict at Spurs...
The food: Is actually cooked and eaten by all four of the pod crew, and it is the Wyeth special of poached eggs and smoked salmon, with a spinach garnish. All very predictable and pre-lockdown you might think...
2020-07-081h 12Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 185: DesireThe football: How important is desire? With Liverpool's Premier League title being the product of good data and good decision-making, how much of a role did desire play? Could they have succeeded without the relationship between Jurgen Klopp, his players, and the Kop, and how easy will it be to sustain?
The food: Chinch bucks his recent trend of appalling food choices by parading a wrap filled with jumbo fish fingers, tartare sauce, and home-grown chard and rocket. He, of course, played no part in the making of it.
Get in touch with the podcast via setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2020-07-011h 09Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 184: Did we miss the actual football, or the paraphernalia that surrounds the games?The football: Now the Premier League has returned, have we realised we missed the conversation around football, rather than the football itself? Is the game only partly about the games, and is the football entertainment complex fuelled by much more?
The food: An early morning recording means coffee is the only thing being consumed, although who figured that would lead to the great cinnamon sprinkles debate. Whose side are YOU on?
Thanks for all your emails, keep them coming to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
And don't forget to check out our YouTube channel, just search for Set Piece Menu!
2020-06-241h 08Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 183: The Premier League is back... but is it still the best?The football: The Premier League returns this week, but given that its marketing sells the league as 'the best in the world' primarily because of the full crowds at its games, will the brand be damaged by the behind closed doors matches that we'll see for the rest of the season at least?
The food: Hugh's brother-in-law was 40 at the weekend, and his wife and daughter baked him a cake, a large slab of which is produced as evidence. Rory disapproves of the lack of icing.
Thanks for all your emails, you can send them to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
We're...
2020-06-171h 06Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 182: SPM Live! (It's Not Live) Part 2The football: Listeners from all around the world (including Swindon) join the four friends to talk football in the second edition of our live (not live) show. Once again, a Select XI is chosen to ask questions, and once again they're mostly better than ones the pod team would ever think of.
The food: Another listener is asked to provide us with details of their most recent meal, and another listener makes Chinch's culinary habits appear more normal than he'd previously been given credit for, by revealing he's just had a peanut butter sandwich.
All your emails can be sent...
2020-06-101h 11Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 181: SPM Live! (It's Not Live) Part 1The football: We are joined by a live audience over zoom, a Select XI of which ask questions to the team. Some of those questions are deeply thoughtful; one of them is about hair colour.
The food: A listener is chosen to reveal their most recent meal. It's Chinch-in-lockdown-level simplicity: a can of spaghettios with meatballs.
Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com, and have a look out on twitter and facebook for some videos!
2020-06-031h 20Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 180: Dressing Room DynamicsThe football: We discuss how the dynamics of a dressing room have changed over the years, and ask if there can there be a dominant force, or whether cliques are now more prevalent. Chinch walks us through some of those who might fall into either of those categories, while talking altogether more than we expected about Carlton Palmer.
The food: Still in lockdown, the food we're eating isn't particularly noteworthy, apart from Chinch's further reliance on hot dogs, which he now reveals he's eating once a day.
Thanks for all your emails and tweets! You can send the former to...
2020-05-271h 08Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 179: The Youth/Maturity ParadoxThe football: With fame and fortune thrust upon them at such an early age, elite footballers have an opportunity to experience things outside of work that most of us can only achieve a lot later in life. Buying cars and houses, getting married and having children, are all affordable and manageable when you're a successful young player, at a time when you're not traditionally considered mature. We discuss how a youth/maturity paradox has developed, particularly at the top of the game, and how we should be more understanding of how players have to deal with it.
The food: After...
2020-05-201h 16Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 178: A question for the Premier League: "What are you doing?"The football: The team asks a question of the Premier League, and it's simple. "What are you doing?" Amidst relative clarity elsewhere, the Premier League seems to be awash with indecision regarding a possible restart post-pandemic, and while the constitutional makeup of the league makes its position harder than most, why does there appear to be such an inability to forge a path forward?
The food: Still in lockdown, the food offerings are becoming more and more unimpressive. Steve cooks eggs, Rory has soup, while Chinch is forced into the rare position of having to make his own lunch. After...
2020-05-131h 13Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 177: The Influence of FIFA and FMThe football: Lockdown has taken real football away, but for many a football fan, it has provided more time for virtual football. For closing in on three decades, Football (previously Championship) Manager and FIFA have not only been entertaining us, but particularly for younger generations, offering a gateway into the game. We discuss (at great length, suggesting we are as addicted to our own voices as millions are to the two games) how they have affected and influenced us, and football.
The food: Macaroni cheese, prepared by Mrs Hinchcliffe for her granddaughter. The dish can also be eaten by adults...
2020-05-061h 18Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 176: The Set Piece Menu DraftThe football: The SPM Draft. The team each attempt to pick a team's worth of players, following the rules of a draft. Which positions are prioritised, and what strategies are adopted as players come off the board? There is a lot of bickering, and bullying of Hugh, who despite doing all the work to prepare for the draft, turns out to be terrible at it.
The food: Steven is responsible for this week's food the rest of the pod crew can't eat. It's a cheese, chorizo, ham and red pepper omelette, which his family apparently very much enjoyed.
Let us...
2020-04-291h 07Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 175: The (still prospective) Newcastle United TakeoverThe football: We discuss the what, who and why now of the potential takeover of Newcastle United in large part by the Saudi Arabian royal family's sovereign investment fund. With all football, never mind the Premier League, in a state of some financial uncertainty, is this proof that money remains king, regardless of those who might be concerned that the deal represents another example of 'sportswashing'.
The food: A banana and pecan cake, baked by Hugh, and because of the lockdown, entirely eaten by Hugh.
Thanks for all your emails, and we hope you're staying safe.
Send any correspondence to...
2020-04-221h 03Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 174: Football needs one voice, and better accountantsThe football: The coronavirus pandemic has revealed two truths about football, particularly in England, that were perhaps previously hidden. Some of those within the game might be a little too self-serving, and many clubs' finances are very fragile. So the team suggests that football needs one voice, and better accountants.
The food: Lunch in four different places. One is simply an apple and a twirl, while another is pitta bread filled with turkey, avocado, egg and salad. You'll probably be able to guess who is responsible for those two at least...
Thanks for all your emails and tweets! Continue to...
2020-04-151h 09Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 173: The SPM European Super LeagueThe football: It's time for the SPM ESL. After many requests to speculate which teams might fill a European Super League, and the (kinda) successful precedent of our reset Premier League in pods gone by, it's time for us to use our trademarked criteria to pick the 20 clubs that'll doubtless annoy everyone. Remember: geographical spread!!!
The food: Steven has stockpiled successfully enough to still have some bagels and bacon, which leads to bacon bagels.
Send any emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Or tweets to @setpiecemenu
2020-04-0853 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 172: The Football Conversation (Part 2 - Fans v The Media)The football: Part two of our conversation about conversations. In this episode we talk about the erosion of trust between fans and the media, and lay blame squarely (if not equally) at the door of both.
The food: A coconut cake, which Hugh is a little disappointed with, but Steven still eats very loudly.
Email us at setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Twitter: @setpiecemenu
2020-04-011h 05Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 171: The Football Conversation (Part 1 - Fans v Fans)The football: Part one of two about how fans talk about football, or as is becoming more apparent, everything but. Why do fans engage with others fans less about the game, but more about, as Marina Hyde put it, football-adjacent topics? And how is this a symptom of a greater malaise in the sport, and society?
The food: Sandwiches from Burton Road Bakery, consumed in record time, particularly by Rory, even though he didn't get the crawfish he asked for.
Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Tweets to @setpiecemenu
Part 2 about fans and the media comes next week!
2020-03-2550 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 170: Football's Future In The Coronavirus PandemicThe football: Such is the fast-moving nature of the coronavirus situation, last week's pod was rendered out of date pretty quickly, but that's not going to stop us making the same mistake again this week. We consider how and when the postponement of all football might eventually be resolved, with several hastily-constructed solutions offered.
The food: Fudge. Perfect for a crisis, and still available in shops. Plus kit-kats, and a 'promise' from Steve of something more substantial, one as vague as the date we'll all have football back in our lives.
Thanks for all your emails (setpiecemenu@gmail.com) and...
2020-03-171h 02Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 169: Football's Response To The Coronavirus OutbreakThe football: Behind closed doors, a temporary postponement, or a full cancellation? We discuss how the coronavirus outbreak might affect the rest of the European season, and potentially Euro 2020, and ask how much football's response, particularly in England, has been shaped by its desire not to lose money.
The food: Biltong. South African dried, cured meat which has been provided by Hugh, although he'd already polished off around 75% of it prior to the pod recording.
Please keep all your emails coming in to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
And post us a 5-star review on iTunes!
2020-03-111h 00Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 168: MLSThe football: As it enters its 25th year, and with a new team partly owned by David Beckham, we talk about MLS. Is it still encumbered by the negative narratives that has dogged its past; or with an aggressive expansion, competitive consistency, and better stadium solutions, should we take MLS more seriously? And if we aren't, is that our problem, not theirs?
The food: Rory has been on his travels, so we welcome him back with something that screams Manchester: some salami from his favourite Italian deli.
Thank you for all your contributions to this episode via email (setpiecemenu@gmail...
2020-03-041h 07Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 167: Preparation and MindsetThe football: With the season about to enter its most crucial stage, how important is the preparation the players do, and the mindset they're in ahead of big games? Is it more mental than physical, and how is it affected by the manager, either in training, or with what he says to the media?
The food: Hot cross buns. Given that the provision of said seasonal snack is universally popular, there is a surprising amount of discord about how they should be presented.
Send your emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com and please head to iTunes or wherever you get your...
2020-02-261h 05Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 166: The Likeable Footballer XIThe football: Is there a footballer in the team you hate that you don't hate that much? Which player rises above the tribal fury of the age to remain likeable, even if he turns out for your rivals? We attempt to collate, and then arrange a team which appears to contain far too many diminutive Spanish playmakers.
The food: York Fruits. A blast from everybody's past, provided by Hugh, and devoured by everyone else, leaving not nearly enough for Hugh's wife Gemma.
Our weekly request for emails can be responded to thusly: setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Also please head to iTunes...
2020-02-1958 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 165: Do the Cups still matter?The football: 2020 has been almost exclusively spent considering the enduring value of England's domestic cup competitions, and so we thought we'd weigh in. Do they still matter, and what do they mean to clubs, players and fans in the modern era?
The food: Rory delivers baked eggs, that have previously appeared on the pod, but in their Mexican form, so he's not repeating himself.
Please give us 5 star ratings and senselessly sycophantic reviews on iTunes!
Also send us an email, literally about anything, to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2020-02-121h 04
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 164: Do professionals enjoy playing football as much as amateurs?The football: Do professional footballers actually enjoy playing the game as much as amateurs? Us mortals love a kick about, and if we're lucky enough, scoring a rare goal. But if those activities and achievements are your job, and part of your daily routine, does it thrill as much?
The food: Steven has been inspired by his local haunt the Burton Road Bakery, and delivered some impressive chicken, mozzarella and red pesto toasted sandwiches.
Email us! setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Rate us! Head to iTunes and give us five stars!
2020-02-051h 04
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 163: CaptaincyThe football: Captaincy. What makes a good captain, how much does the on- and off-field role differ, and why was English football accused of obsessing about the role too much by Fabio Capello? Also, we reveal how many games for which Chinch had the role. Hint: He's had both more England caps, and indeed wives.
The food: Stroopwaffles. Yes, not for the first time. Hugh's wife has been to Holland with work before and brought back this Dutch delicacy for the pod crew. But this time they're APPLE flavour. So there.
Send us an email on setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2020-01-291h 00
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 162: CharismaThe football: Charisma. Can a manager be successful without it? And what forms does it take in football beyond the dictionary definition? We talk about all the people you're thinking about now, and also Nigel Pearson.
The food: Crumpets. The offer of savoury or sweet toppings by Hugh produces one single answer: bacon. The accompaniments vary however; with cheese (Chinch), maple syrup (Rory), and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (Steve, obviously) chosen by the team.
Get in touch via email on setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2020-01-221h 04
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 161: Is the media coverage of Manchester City and Liverpool different?The football: Does the media treat Manchester City and Liverpool differently? Is there an #agenda against or for either when you compare the coverage of the two? We consider the complaints made by fans and suggest what the remedies might be.
The food: Cake, in duplicate. Rory's made a St Clement's cake, which makes a first appearance, while there's a return for the Ferris family Christmas cake, which Hugh has very much not made.
All emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com and please head to iTunes and give us a 5 star review!
2020-01-151h 06
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 160: After the Premier League power shift of the last decade, what will the 2020s bring?The football: The last decade brought about a significant power shift in the Premier League, so what are the chances of the 2020s providing more of the same? We consider that predictions of Manchester City's continuing dominance have already turned out to be wrong, so it's likely that everything we say in this episode will be wide of the mark too.
The food: Pastries, provided not by Andy, but by his step-daughter Carly, who insisted on going to Budgens so she could sneak in a cheeky smoke on the way.
2020 is the year of rating and reviewing. Or at least...
2020-01-0858 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 159: Unfulfilled Potential XIHappy New Year from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: New year, new you, old us. Instead of looking ahead to a prosperous 2020, we are filling the final of our festive pod slots with the culmination of an idea we had at the end of 2019, by bringing together your suggestions for a not-yet trademarked Select XI of players that didn't live up to their hype.
NB: We are dissatisfied with one player, so your help is still needed...
The food: Just like millions of households all over the world, we are...
2020-01-0137 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 158: Festive Football Fun!Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu!
The football: Following a frankly below-average summer outing for the SPM Football Fun quiz, the clamour* has grown for a Christmas special edition, to both entertain you all, and provide easy content for us. Hugh dips back in to his question-a-day calendar to ask an advent-suitable number of 24 for our three intrepid contestants. Will Rory win again? Will Steve be able to answer any without speaking with his mouth full? And most importantly, will Chinch engage with the process at all? Find out with Set Piece Menu's Festive Football Fun!
The food: A Christmas...
2019-12-2333 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 157: What do we mean by 'great'?The football: If we accept we use the word 'great' too much, when should we use it? What do we mean when we talk of a player as 'great', or even 'a great', and while we're at it, should we perhaps find a better way of describing a goal as a 'great' goal?
The food: Two sweet treats. One is a home-made non-beetroot brownie lovingly made by Nicky Hinchcliffe; the other is shop-bought off-brand stollen hurriedly purchased by Hugh.
Contact:
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
@setpiecemenu
facebook.com/setpiecemenu
2019-12-181h 02
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 156: Unfulfilled PotentialThe football: Which players have failed to live up to the hype they received when they were teenagers? Why are they considered the next best thing in the first place, and what are the reasons things turn out differently to those high expectations? And, most importantly, can we get a Select XI out of it?
The food: Rory provides bacon sandwiches that are definitely now in the top 10 of all SPM bacon sandwiches (the other top nine are all courtesy of a Mrs N Hinchcliffe)
Send in your suggestions for our Unfulfilled Potential Select XI to @setpiecemenu or setpiecemenu@gmail...
2019-12-111h 02
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 155: Do we talk about managers too much?The football: In a world where some clubs are making it increasingly clear the manager's role is decreasing in significance, why then do we talk about them so much? Why do we hang on their every word, and why are the club's narratives driven so much by their successes and failures?
The food: Cinnamon swirls that prove so tasty that Rory's wife Kate comes to grab one after hearing about them from upstairs.
Send us an email to setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Send us a tweet to @setpiecemenu
2019-12-0458 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 154: What makes a club a crisis club?This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: When is a club genuinely a crisis club? The word is used too often to describe a short term lurch into misfortune, but is a crisis club actually one more disposed to a longer period of malaise and underachievement? What is the blueprint of a crisis club, and is it one that doesn't have a blueprint?
The food: Not satisfied with catering for the masses at the live show, Nicky Hinchcliffe has provided a hot pot (somehow even better than the last one...
2019-11-271h 10
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 100: And it's LIVE!This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. And this time they're doing it live!
The 100th Episode Spectacular is upon us, as a room of (actually paying) guests join Andy, Rory, Steven and Hugh as part of the Manchester Podcast Festival.
The football: It Must Have Been Love... But Is It Over Now? We discuss if the enjoyment we get out of football is now outweighed by the things we don't like about it - and wonder if there might even be a need for us both to go on a break...
2019-11-2059 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 153: Referees - do we expect too much or are they letting us down?This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What the script said was not supposed to be a VAR episode... turned into a VAR episode. But there's more too! We ask if the new technology has highlighted a problem with referees, or whether it's shown that we expect too much of the officials.
The food: Steven cooks a chorizo and red pepper omelette, while Hugh brings some left over birthday cake.
Contact:
@setpiecemenu
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
facebook.com/setpiecemenu
2019-11-131h 04
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 152: Re-evaluating managers we *might* have been wrong aboutThe latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it time we admitted we were wrong about some managers who have confounded our preconceptions? There's been a lot of Brendan Rodgers bashing, but his Leicester team are flying high; meanwhile Marco Silva - once the hipsters' choice - can't seem to make it work at Everton. Time for some SPM re-evaluation.
The food: Much to Rory's disgust, having been away from us for a little while, it's another duty free offering from Hugh. Turkish delight from Crete. So Cretan delight then.
...
2019-11-061h 01Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 151: Should support be unwavering?The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Should support be unwavering? Inspired by recent events at Southampton and Arsenal we discuss how and when the patience of fans justifiably cracks. Is it acceptable to beat an early, and hasty retreat in anticipation of a debacle, or send a clear and obvious message to a player you feel is underperforming? And on the subject of clear and obvious, how can we ignore the sudden VAR overcorrection!?
The food: Never previously have we actually recorded at breakfast time, so Steven...
2019-10-301h 00
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 150: How do players do amazing things?This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: A sequel to last week's pod, we ask how players do such remarkable things in an environment most of us couldn't imagine, with expectation levels we've never faced.
The food: We're chez Hinchcliffe, and you know what that means. Nicky treats us to a two-course brunch which is indeed a remarkable thing produced despite high expectation levels.
Don't forget to buy your tickets for the 100th Episode Live Spectacular! We will be part of the Manchester Podcast Festival on 13th November, and you...
2019-10-231h 07
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 149: Why do footballers do stupid things?We are back with the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Why do footballers do stupid things? A number of recent incidents have brought a player's off field actions into a spotlight that seems to reveal some pretty poor decision making. Is it because they're footballers, or are these human frailties amplified by unique circumstances and scrutiny.
The food: Fajitas, created by Steve, completely devoured by everyone else.
Plus: Rory wanted to thank you all.
@setpiecemenu
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/setpiecemenu
2019-10-1657 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 148: Do you need to be an activist, or is being a supporter enough?This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it sufficient to simply support a club, a league, or a type of football outside the mainstream, or do you have to actively promote and proselytise to not be considered part of the problem it faces? Our case study is women's football, but our conversation is about much more.
The food: Doughnuts. Not the expensive type found in a branded refrigerator at the local supermarket, but the cheaper ones just next to it.
DEVELOPING STORY: We are, at last, doing our 100th...
2019-09-2558 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 147: Why do players make mistakes at international level that they don't for their clubs?This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: After high profile mistakes in recent months by England international defenders, we ask why players tend to make the kind of errors for their country that they wouldn't for their clubs, and whether it's because of the coaching they're getting at club level is the best it has ever been.
The food: A stir-fry. Not prepared prior to the pod, but afterwards, because Hugh is concerned about juggling recording equipment and a very hot wok.
BREAKING NEWS: We are, at last, doing our 100...
2019-09-181h 08
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 146: Players So Underrated They're RatedWelcome to the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Which players are so underrated they're rated? Whether they're at an unfashionable club, or play in an unfashionable position, or they buck an expected trend, some players are described as underrated so much that they've become the opposite.
We make some suggestions, and now we'd like your help in creating an SPM select XI!
Send your players to @setpiecemenu or setpiecemenu@gmail.com
The food: A delightful BLT, or BL, or B, depending on your taste. Preceded by that most traditional...
2019-09-111h 05
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 145: Time-warping Past Players Into The PresentThe latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How would some of the best players from yesteryear fared in today's game? Did some have the skillset to survive, or are their talents non-transferable?
The food: Lemon drizzle cake, shop bought by Rory, but presented in a way to suggest otherwise.
Get in touch with subject suggestions, soccer stories and Out of Context Reacher passages:
Twitter @setpiecemenu
Email setpiecemenu@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/setpiecmenu
2019-09-041h 05
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 144: Can football sustain the 92?This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: In the context of Bury and Bolton's dramatic fight for financial survival, we ask if the Football League can sustain all of its professional clubs. Surprisingly, solutions are offered. Less surprisingly, nobody will pay attention.
The food: Rory surpasses himself, with a lunchtime spread that would be appreciated by any number of the local delis. Except they won't sponsor us so he went to M&S.
This is your final reminder for the SPMPLPL!
The deadline for entries is August 30th...
2019-08-281h 05
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 143: The EntourageThis is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Entourage. Neymar has one. Messi has one. Hinchcliffe didn't have one. Who are they and do they actually help or hinder a superstar player's career?
The food: Breakfast baps with a selection of fillings in, and this is crucial, home made muffins, provided by the inestimable Nicky Hinchcliffe.
Don't forget to enter the SPMPLPL for the new Premier League season! Head to www.tinyurl.com/setpiecemenu - the deadline is the 30th August at 6pm.
And get in touch with...
2019-08-211h 02
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 142: BettingThe latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Wayne Rooney's impending move to Derby posed some questions about the relationship between football and gambling, so we consider the two increasingly comfortable bed fellows.
The food: Steven has prepared a vegetarian feast, because he was recently visited by a vegetarian, who clearly didn't eat enough of the feast to prevent the need for the disposal of leftovers.
Don't forget to enter your predictions into this year's SPMPLPL! Head to www.tinyurl.com/setpiecemenu NOW!
And you can get in touch with SPM...
2019-08-1456 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 141: New Season Questions, Queries, and QuibblesThis is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We have some questions, queries, and frankly a few quibbles (well, Rory does) ahead of the new Premier League season, so here is our opportunity to ask if there'll be a title race, if VAR is going to work, and whether the new rules (sorry, laws) will make a difference.
The food: Steve's son George gets to decide, so we're having beans on toast. What's good enough for a growing five year old is good enough for us.
MASSIVE NEWS: The SPMPLPL is...
2019-08-0756 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 140: Tactical PeriodisationThe new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Tactical Periodisation. A rather boring name for a vital part of the game. What is it, who came up with it, and how has it essentially become football's common sense approach to training.
The food: Rory provides sandwiches, which are bought from the Co-op in the most testing of circumstances, as his sodden clothes can testify.
Please email us on setpiecemenu@gmail.com
We're also on twitter and facebook!
2019-07-3159 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 139: The Clutch GeneThe latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: The Clutch Gene. Why do some sportspeople produce their best under the most intense pressure and in the most crucial moment? And why did Andy Hinchcliffe have none of those qualities? Our former pro reveals how he felt during the most significant day of his career - the 1995 FA Cup Final - and, spoiler alert: it wasn't good.
The food: To thank us for taking him to the very depths of his footballing career, Chinch has offered to buy us...
2019-07-241h 00
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 138: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 4)The final part of a summer series brought to you by Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We conclude our series on the legitimate voices in football with something that approaches a conclusion (no spoilers here though). After a season that brought these issues almost to boiling point, do we see light at the end of a tunnel we’ve been heading down with a little too much enthusiasm over the last few months in particular, or will temperatures rise even more in the coming years?
Then - the denouement of Fo...
2019-07-1740 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 137: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 3)The third part of the summer special from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We continue the conversation determining who has a legitimate voice in football, asking if it's harder to determine what a legitimate voice is, when we can now listen to so many more of them, and also have so many ways of offering our own opinion.
The food: After eating too many pork-filled pastry items, Rory decides that we should have an episode off, before tackling the daunting amount of cakes that accompany our beige buffet.
Get in...
2019-07-1039 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 136: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 2)This is the latest part of the summer specials provided by Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Part two of our series on the Legitimate Football Voice. We ask where the balance lies between theory and experience. Do former players know everything, and does that come at the expense of those who study the game but have never played it?
The food: Our beige buffet is still going strong, with the sausage-based snacks and crunchy wotsits (carrots) doing very nicely.
Get in touch with the podcast via twitter: @setpiecemenu
Email: setpiecemenu...
2019-07-0347 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 135: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 1)The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Part one of our summer special series of 2019! Over the next four weeks we're talking about legitimate football voices. Why has football discourse become so polarised, fractious and angry, particularly towards the end of last season? We discuss why so many believe there is a lack of legitimacy in voices other than their own.
The food: A beige buffet. Ever had a meeting over lunch in the office? We try to recreate the kind of spread that is provided for such an occasion...
2019-06-2646 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 134: Diego MaradonaOn the longest day of the year the longest wait is over for the new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Diego Maradona. We speak to Asif Kapadia - the director of the movie(out now, go and see it) about the footballing icon, and how his star rose and fell in Naples during a spell with a previously unsuccessful club on the wrong side of Italian history.
The food: Hershey's Cookie and Cream bars. They are the latest purchase from an airport duty free shop, and Asif is...
2019-06-2137 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 129: The 2nd Annual Hot Takes and TakeawaysThe latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Our second annual 'Hot Takes and Takeaways' from the Premier League season. Did we enjoy the title race? Are we surprised by the top four? And should we apologise to Jose Mourinho?
We also reveal our new SPMPLPL champion. Who will it be? And can you remember you entered? (Information can also be discovered without waiting here: tinyurl.com/setpiecemenu)
The food: A continental breakfast suited to the glorious al fresco conditions 'out the back' of Steven's kitchen. Glorious peaches, fresh strawberries, and...
2019-05-151h 04
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 126: Is reinvention the key to ultimate success?Set Piece Menu, the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The reinvention of Lionel Messi (and yes, Cristiano Ronaldo too). Inspired by Rory Smith's New York Times article in the aftermath of Messi's latest masterclass against Manchester United, is the ability to adapt & diversify the secret to long-term success, and a trophy laden career?
The food: Steven rustles up three egg omelettes with ham, chorizo, cheese and spinach.
The correspondence this week includes a first listener supplied Soccer Story. More of the same please to @setpiecemenu on twitter and setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2019-04-241h 01
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 125: Do players care about their surroundings?Enjoy another edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Do players care about their surroundings? After Kevin de Bruyne gave the impression a stadium doesn't matter to him, we ask if bricks and mortar, and the people inside it, make any difference to footballers.
The food: A fine combined effort. Waffles and fruit, courtesy of Steven and Hugh; and triple choc chip cookies and tiffin, courtesy of Rory and his mum.
Get in touch via twitter - @setpiecemenu
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/setpiecemenu
2019-04-1755 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 121: The Modern Football Fan (Part 1)The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Modern Football Fan (Part One). How much has the way you support your club changed? In the era of social media and global fanbases, how is it different to days gone by?
The food: Chicken and bacon baguettes, prepared throughout the show by Steven, who proves he knows a thing or two about what works with guacamole.
Get in touch: @setpiecemenu
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
facebook.com/setpiecemenu
2019-03-2051 min
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 119: Football On Terrestrial TVThe latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Should more football be on free to air television? As La Liga decides to show some of their games in the UK on ITV4, is this a model that other competitions and broadcasters should follow? And without it, is there a chance football could start to lose its cultural stranglehold?
The food: Pastries, provided by Steven, even though he was unable to provide himself to the podcast.
Get in touch with us via twitter @setpiecemenu, or email setpiecemenu@gmail.com
2019-03-061h 04Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 114: Are trophies only for ego?The latest Set Piece Menu: the podcast where a presenter, writer, commentator & pundit talk football over food.
The football: why has the FA Cup lost its prestige among Premier League clubs? Inspired by Mauricio Pochettino's belief that domestic cup success would be little more than an ego-trip, we discuss if the Spurs manager is right, or if a trophy is still more important than the longer-term benefits of consistent Champions League football. And Chinch provides a Soccer Story about Hard Men, a breed of player he most certainly was not.
The food: Steven provides cheese, biscuits & cured meats, but needs...
2019-01-301h 03
Set Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 61: Unsung HeroesThe latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Unsung Heroes. Whose efforts do the team suggest should be trumpeted, while they go under the radar elsewhere?
The food: poached everything, a delightful healthy lunch presented by Steven Wyeth.
Follow us on twitter @setpiecemenu to see how you changed our 'Don't You Forget About Me XI' - thanks for all your suggestions!
Get in touch on email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com
And if you haven't yet we'd be super grateful if you could rate us on iTunes!!!
2018-01-3150 minSet Piece Menu Football PodcastSPM 43 and a quarter: A Best of the rest XIA special bonus edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: we've crunched the numbers on your suggestions and reveal the Best of the Rest XI. Is the team, made up of players from the clubs outside the top 7 biggest spenders, capable of challenging at the top of the Premier League? Chinch produces his tactics board as a visual aid; Hugh, Steven and Rory are deeply unimpressed....
Twitter: @setpiecemenu
setpiecemenu@gmail.com
Do keep the reviews on iTunes etc coming!
2017-10-0217 min
The One Way Ticket ShowCharles Osgood - Broadcast Icon (Part 2)Charles Osgood is a contributor to "CBS Sunday Morning." He was anchor of the three-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning broadcast between 1994 and 2016. He also hosts and writes "The Osgood File," his daily news commentaries broadcast on the CBS Radio Network. Osgood is an experienced journalist and author who is considered one of the best broadcast writers in the business. With Osgood as anchor, "CBS Sunday Morning" reached its highest audience levels in more than two decades, and been three times named the Outstanding Morning Program on television by Daytime Emmy voters. He joined CBS N...
2017-01-3128 minThe One Way Ticket ShowCharles Osgood - Broadcast Icon (Part 1)Charles Osgood is a contributor to "CBS Sunday Morning." He was anchor of the three-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning broadcast between 1994 and 2016. He also hosts and writes "The Osgood File," his daily news commentaries broadcast on the CBS Radio Network. Osgood is an experienced journalist and author who is considered one of the best broadcast writers in the business. With Osgood as anchor, "CBS Sunday Morning" reached its highest audience levels in more than two decades, and been three times named the Outstanding Morning Program on television by Daytime Emmy voters. He joined CBS N...
2017-01-1732 min