Is Scrapping VAR An Option?, The ‘Big Meeks’ Origin Story & Securing A Nando’s Black Card | EP 105

How do you celebrate being given a Nando’s black card? What have Gary and Alan done with the hat-trick balls they picked up during their careers? Who gave Micah his notorious nickname and where did it come from?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the toll professional football takes on family life.
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00:00 – Intro
00:25 – The Masters
03:30 – Chipped Goals
06:25 – Football In The USA
10:38 – Big Meeks Origin Story
12:25 – Day-To-Day Meals
14:28 – Strange Half Time Team Talks
17:08 – Scrapping VAR
22:25 – Different Penalties
24:31 – EURO 2024 Victor Is?
26:50 – Hat-Trick Matchballs
30:30 – Gary’s ‘Comedy Writer’
31:15 – The Toll Of Football

[Music] hello and welcome to the resty football question and answer episode with me galica Micah Richards and Alan sheer um lots of cracking questions this week thanks very much for sending them in um let’s start straight away uh Jeremy Taven we have Champions League football Tuesday and Wednesday and the master starting on Thursday is this the best sporting week of the year we’re recording this on the Tuesday morning prior to the Champions League games um yes yes yes what a weak what a weak do you know what Masters is Mich is that a school teacher if it is you’ll be in trouble soon um it is one of the great sporting weeks of the year though isn’t it you quarterfinals of the Champions League with a couple of cracking games and then Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday stuck by the television set every evening for the Masters can you remember years ago when we I sat there and you said to me I can’t believe you’re working on Master’s Sunday again I’ve made the same mistake again I’m working much the day on Sunday can you believe it you’ve got to you’ve got to plan these things and put them in your diary Alan I know I know oh my God I couldn’t believe it I was thinking I just realized a couple of weeks ago can can you tell me what the OB session is with golf and and for those who love it no disrespect but can you explain please what why you love it so much you can go first Alan trying to get a little white ball in a hall maker that’s [Music] it that’s all and as least shots as possible that’s it that’s it is it g well it it is um but but I don’t know let me try let me try right first and first and foremost it’s it’s a good social game so you can spend hours with a few mates um or people you don’t like if you wish um and you go around and it’s a beautiful walk most of the time um if it’s a sunny day it’s competitive it’s unbelievably difficult um it’s the most frustrating thing on the planet there’s no question about that I think all golfers will will agree with that but when you have a good day when you play well it’s amazing um and there’s there’s I don’t think there’s anything quite like it on on a beautiful sunny day a four five hour walk following a golf ball around playing well is just Jo I heard uh I heard Justin Rose on TV this morning and um I think it was John Watson from the BBC was interviewing and he said what’s the uh what’s the big deal with Augusta and he said it’s like because you’re walking around this Immaculate this place he said it’s like the Chelsea flower Shore and walking around on Immaculate grass where everyone is so respectful and it is isn’t it I mean the the the the color everything else about Augusta is just just incredible yeah it’s beautiful anyway we should move on because this is not the rest is golf not yet it might be by the end of the week um here’s one from David Johnston who says we see very few chipped goals these days not the one or like little dinks over the goalkeepers but goals like Eric cantar versus Sunderland DAV shuker versus schmeichel any thoughts on why I’ve got a couple of thoughts go on one I think a lot of goalkeepers stay a little bit deeper towards their line now and the other thing is goalkeepers are massive now much bigger than they were certainly when I played and and chip was a genuine used to edge of the box if the keeper was on the six-yard box you’d fancy um chipping over him but not so much now they’re all about 6′ five six seven aren’t they this wasn’t quite a chip but youve seen one from about 50 yards at the weekend Bruno Fernandez I know it wasn’t a chip but um yeah I get that I understand that guys yeah and yeah I’ve never really thought of that to be honest um is it that keepers are maybe a little bit more agile I don’t I don’t want to be disrespectful to the old the keepers I I don’t know it’s just a question but the the keepers I used to see back in the days were massive couldn’t really move and and now the positioning of the goalkeepers H is just different I I would say maybe I think the the goalkeeping trade has become more I mean this the training and Everything’s changed isn’t it I suppose I mean they the you know the game evolves in all positions itol go and people get bigger stronger quicker fast you know better technique better thing everything is better because the pitches are better and all that kind of stuff as well and maybe that’s another thing you don’t play in a quagmire anymore so you could imagine trying to jump out of thick mud get your feet off the ground you do quite well um but I don’t know if there’s any um science behind it other than probably size I would say I mean Peter Shelton’s about six foot um and he was the best I in certainly English goalkeeper that I saw him when I when I was growing up and I actually played with him as well um whereas nowaday I think I think Casper schme was only just over six foot as well but um and so I don’t know what it is but I think size mainly cuz most of them are enormous so it’s bloody difficult to chip them yeah I don’t know that when you go back in my D and you look at at what I don’t know schmeichel I mean he’s he’s a man Mountain Peter schmeichel isn’t he I don’t think he’s I wouldn’t say is above 6162 Peter would you a bit bigger than that isn’t he yeah maybe no there’s some big ones but I’m you know I think generally human beings just get bigger don’t they I think that’s a fact generally over the period what do I know about that shut up um Dan Francis as a Brit living in the US I’ve noticed a real increase in the popularity of real football over here uh partly I think due to shows like Rex and and Ted lasso partly due to the excellent Premier League coverage do you ever see a time when the US men’s team will be genuine International contenders or do you think the other sports here will always take the best athletes well Allan you’ve just been there yeah I mean the in the interest over there is uh is huge and I’ve I’ve watched it sort of grow over the last 10 years or so um the first time you sort of went there for the Premier League to what it is now I mean it is it is the interest it is incredible whether I mean I suppose as we said it the weekend didn’t we I suppose Messi’s also got to um played a a part in that in a role in that because the the interest in him and Miami and everything else is is is gone off the charts and rightly so because the number of followers that that he’s got then will follow him into the uh into the uh the US so um it’s getting bigger and bigger and bigger whether it’ll let ever be number one sport over there I’m not quite so sure but um the interest is massive I think if if if they took it proper seriously in terms of number one sport like Alex said I think they’d have a massive massive chance because there so America is so diverse as well so you’re not just getting Americans you have people over there from all sorts of back backgrounds if you look at Athletics like Fitness wise strengthwise they can compete if they just had the coaching then then definitely I yeah I would say they could yeah I think also if if they could produce their own superstar that would make a big difference and um there is one coming through that they think I mean I’m always a bit wary about these with youngsters but um apparently Manchester City leading the race to sign um a Wonder kid called cavan Sullivan he’s only 14 he’s already got the nickname Captain America so at the moment he’s said to be um leaning towards Real Madrid uh ra sorry said to be leaning towards um Manchester city rather than Real Madrid Bayern Munich and PSG so uh maybe there’s a superstar coming you um we till he here’s Newcastle are interested in him yeah it’ll run a mile he’ll go where’s that Newcastle right oh we got one of these boys by bench yourself oh this this this is this is pretty brutal this one too sacka foden Palmer I don’t think they mean Arnold Palmer even on Master’s week oh my God who wants to go first oh my God we’re going to get chastised for this one not really because we can we can we can state that they’re all wonderfully talented gifted young players that we’d all like don’t take this seriously anyone okay it’s just a all right I’ll go first I’ll set the standard go on big Meeks by folden bench sacka sell Palmer that’s what I’m going to go with I I I’ll go along with it I’ll go with that as well I think and it it makes me feel slightly queasy to put sacker on the bench and sell arm because who would want to sell a player that good only Manchester City would do something that stupid oh what do you think Alan um bye [Music] for [Music] cell Palmer yeah it’s the exact same yeah same all the same three here’s one for you and I I’m slightly reticent about asking this question cuz I’m who it to to big meats oh I yes I’m I’m a little bit nervous about the answer how did the nickname big meat come about careful Mich there might be kids listening here well there’s a PG version and the PG version is I think it’s self-explanatory is it not what you’re bigheaded I got big guns uh big chest and had a sixpack for about 10 years so yes that’s why they called me big I think it was Joe har who’s who said it big Meeks from when we was young and it just stuck to be fair and then then everyone just started using it and no word of a lie people always ask me that why do you call yourself big Meek I said I don’t call myself big Meeks people call me big Meeks you’ve called yourself big mix loads of times on this podcast say big mix all the time yeah but big Meeks is like a a car cure is that is that the right word of of of oneself isn’t it like I’ve heard you call being called worse big Beeks is not a real person isn’t it big big be is like a version of one of my personalities that comes out when I’m on TV the real mic well you make sure it doesn’t come out on TV okay no want to see that and sometimes it really comes out depends oh no no too much information uh I’ve got another question for you you’re on fire here come on from Elden question for big Meeks god wow uh what are your day-to-day meals to have so much energy and laughter and joy night and day impressive whatever you’re having I need that in my life oh my God chicken chicken chicken I had the best news probably you know you have commercials you get to work for BBC and sky and CBS and League of the rone but the best possible news I could have ever received about two years ago what did I tell say to you a couple weeks ago I’m a chicken connoisseur and I’ve only gone and agreed a Nando’s Black Card yes and for those and for those who don’t know what a Nando’s black card is it means you get free nandos whenever you want my goodness you’re going to be enormous going to be so answers to the question protein they’ll regret that they’ll lose all their profits I’m going to eat about house and home other chickens are available um I mean if you want to sponsor us of course how do you get what is it a a red card it’s a black card a black card and what so where’ you get that from did uh they just got in touch and honestly I was a tweet it was in my old Twitter I tried I’ve been trying to get one of these tell after this episode we’ll all get one I I’ve been trying to get this black card no word of a lie for about 15 years and be rejected rejected rejected and now they’ve finally come to their senses must be the podcast it must be you watch over the next six months you’re going to see him explode get bigger and bigger every single week brilliant um from nazel what’s the strangest halftime team T you’ve ever experienced what a great question that is yeah I I had one with um I think I think I might have told this before on um match of the day top 10 Peter shrieves um the then Tottenham manager and um he’s quite he’s quietly spoken picture he’s really good coach um and he had a slightly high pitched um slightly cotc really even though I think he was Welsh pet sh and um we were playing Wimbledon away and I think we were we were bloody awful in the first half I think we were three or four down at half time we walked around I thought finally he’s definitely going to have to give him everyone a bollock him for this and um he sat everyone everyone was sitting down waiting for his words and he and he just went well boys we don’t appear to be all singing from the same Shan sheet and that was it so I thought that was quite what happened the second off um we were [Laughter] [ __ ] I can’t remember too many half times one full time I can definitely remember half times I’m struggling I mean I’m sure there’s been some full times we’ve all I mean it’s gone crazy in the dress fights and everything as we as we spoken about but half times I can’t remember too many no obviously I’ve told the story about when I uh kicked the uh food and it went all over the the dressing room but do you remember when was that the was it Nando no it wasn’t Nando I want to kick that um while manini was basically it was a away European game I’ve told it this story before but do you remember when we seen platti at the um at Wembley for the the England game vers Brazil and platty goes to me do you remember effing and Jeffy me that day so as I’ve sort of basically kicked all the food pla’s come over to me and he’s the assistant manager at that time and he was going he goes to me you’ve had the best game of your life I don’t even know what the manager is talking about and I’m like to play a [ __ ] off you just basically no we need to we need to get platy on this to for him to tell the story because it was just the the managers absolutely hammered me and platy has tried to get me back on side so he said basically I’ve had the best game ever and that just made me more raging we’ll have to get him on we’ll have to get him on yeah that’s that’s that’s a good shout um Ethan why doesn’t the idea of scrapping V seem to be taken seriously surely getting rid of something that actively makes a spectator sport worse uh while not doing what it was introduced to do in the first place properly should at least be a realistic option is it pride on the part of those in charge that they don’t want to to admit it’s not fit for purpose or a sunk cost fallacy that means we’re stuck with it we’re stuck with it it’s uh they’ve they’ve invested too much into it they need to they need to I mean I know it’s it hasn’t worked anywhere near as well as it should have um or it hasn’t been used like it was told um to us right at the very beginning in terms of re- refereeing in terms of clear and obvious but some of the laws are I mean the lawmakers seriously that’s half the problem is the lawmakers they make it so complicated it’s hard enough anyway for referees but they make it so complicated for them and ridiculously hard at times with the Mad crazy over-the-top laws that should be so simplistic and that’s part of the problem H being one of them obviously hball being one of them I mean I I think the same I think we’re stuck with it they’ve invested not not just um not just in people and time but also a lot of money gone into it you know the setups of everywhere and stuff like that I think it’s just of I think it is a question that they’ve getting the best out of a bad lot I agree with you Alan about um a lot of the Law changes and the the the complicated nature of them now and trying trying to work out situation for every given incident is is absurd yeah um so they need to simplify that um you know said many times on here and elsewhere that I think we should go to an appeal system to at least limit the the invasion of our game um as much as we possibly can um but it’s it’s it’s hard to know because these things you know these things are not in our control and and and the think is the control of our game now is is basically in the hands of referees because they’re the ones that are coming up with the laws of the game now not only officiating them which which is I think is also a shame for referees as well but are we are we a part to to to blam him in that in terms not all Michel we’re not the slightest bit to blame because we’ve we’ve been talking about it you know before and Allan’s exactly right when he said um it’s different to how it we were told it was going to be used so we understand that part but we wanted it didn’t we we wanted it so is is any point turning our back on it right now surely it can only get better it can’t get worse can it but I agree with the actual question I I I don’t like VR anymore I was the one who campaigned for it I think it was a mistake but I I don’t think it’s right to turn our back right now okay well I think I think we all thought it would be something that it’s not but I don’t see how it’s possible for it to be perfect it can’t be because ultimately it still comes down to human beings and human beings make mistakes um there are sides of it obviously um technology-wise goal line technology and I think I think the offside thing will eventually be here that um it’ll be automatic um which is not a b necessarily a bad thing because it will be should be quick um but the other side once it come it can’t be perfect it’s impossible to be perfect and that’s what we wanted and we’ll never know what there’ be a high bar then there’s a low bar then there’s a high bar again and all this sort the last the last thing I’ll say on this is that go back was it four years or whatever how long of it was that it came out and I always go back to this point we wanted it in the in the format that they said the format that they said and told us was they were not in capital letters not going to re referee the games where blatantly that’s happening every single game now and it’s only for the clear and obvious which is clearly not the case they are re refereeing and the decisions that they’re making and overturning are not clear and obvious that what they taught us and it’s not happening yeah I agree but I think defining what clear and obvious is it will vary between different people and there in lies there in lies the problem well they Ed the they Ed the tieron re thing as an example didn’t they the handall tieron r which was obviously well hul Diego maradon obviously that those things would be spotted immediately and in that sense you could you can certainly argue well the the game is fairer because of those incidents but it’s the ones where does clear and obvious stop and start that’s the problem and that’s the problem that will always exist in in in my opinion so anyway we just we we spend tend to spend a lot of our lives these days talking about v um right next question Colin Edmonson uh a question from Australia um for all three of us just finished watching highlights of the Wolves versus West Ham game and wanted to ask what your thoughts are about penalties being taken like the packar one this weekend should the officials begin canceling the penalty or if players do these stupid stop start runs prior to taking the kick what is the actual rule on that you you you well it used to be a rule where you weren’t allowed to do that yes B but you can now yeah you can’t I think you’re not allow you’re not allowed to stop the why you it’s don’t still have to be in motion so yeah that was yeah yeah that that was a rule as I remember it see I don’t see the I don’t see the problem the kind of motion I had on the pitch but anyway I don’t see the issue with it it’s you you’ve got the advantage you’ve been given the penalty for a reason so until you’ve actually touched that ball what does it what does it matter I mean the goalkeeper allowed to bounce along along the line like a raven lunatic yet a player is not or or wasn’t allowed to sort of stop start whatever I don’t see the issue in it me it’s your penalty you do what you want with it until you you touch that ball that’s a yeah but I I think on on that Al for they’ve already made it harder for goalkeepers where they’ve got to have at least one foot on the line so harder for goalkeepers how is it harder for goalkeepers they basically got to stay until the balls being hit so if you’ve got the technique of a a Gary Lino or Alan sheira it’s like I think what is the percentage like 75% of scoring a penalty with with that with a keeper that has got a made even must took it up to 85% for the strikers as well so I get your point from a striker point of view but it is making it harder for the goalkeepers them having to stay on the line well if they didn’t have to stay on the line they could just run right to P SP well do you don’t you remember Dudek in the Champions League final did you see where he was yeah that was ridiculous indeed uh right Andy asks love the podcast my question is as the Euros are coming up in the summer would each of you answer who will win the tournament who will be top scorer of the tournament and who will be player of the tournament I’ll tell you what we’ll answer the last two um when the tournament is about to start we we we’ll say reserve ourselves for that but at the moment we will answer who we think will win the tour England har K and Jude Bellingham oh who’s going to answer all three I’ll take that it’s I I think he’s asking who will win the tournament rather than what we think we want to happen um but actually I think I I fancy England this time um I do never have a better chance no um I i’ you know you always get stick whenever you tip England um but I’ve not tipped them for a awfully long time um and I think for couple of decades we we weren’t that competitive but I think with this young lot um as we’ve shown in the last three tournaments we not won one but um they’ve been very competitive and they’ll go close um who do you think will win the tournament I think France are probably the other favorites I think there’s not much between them yeah I think so England France Portugal what about Germany if they get on a bit of a ro home team I not I know they’re not fancy not the most spectacular team but Home Advantage all of that and couple of young players coming through I’m going France I I just think I I think you’re right in terms of individuals are we the best team yet I’m not sure maybe very close but I think France uh just yeah I think I something with with killid and Jude and Griezmann and now they’ve got jud’s like 37 and know but he but the way they play is just perfect for the that allows mbappe to do what he needs to do and Griezmann as well and CBA can’t even get into the team that’s how much cover they’ve got uh Center AR no that’s just a mistake that’s a mistake if they leave him out um right here sha one for Gary and Al I’m not sure why he doesn’t think this applies to you Micah uh what did you guys do with your hatrick match balls and are are there any special ones you still have today um I used to have a few lying around I was funny enough I was looking for for them the other day just because I like to reminisce about my hatric that’s a joke by the way I didn’t really do that um um you you must have you got a few line around in there hey Alan it’s actually how that’s really weird they’ve asked that question 9th of April 1988 back in the day today this this day in 1988 I made my debut as a 17y old and scored a hattrick and that question wasn’t planned how spook is that that’s that’s mental and just just do you celebrate this day every year Alan is that is that how you know is it like your birthday this was a special day the 9th of April yeah that’s amazing de still got that I’ve still got that ball the old got it yeah how old was you then 17 I bet you never thought then when you won that match ball that eventually you would look like the [Laughter] matchbook I love it I’ve got all of my uh hatrick balls yeah I’ve got I’ve mine is somewhere I’ve somewhere do you not know where they are were like what hidden in The Loft somewhere or something like that are they I think I think I know where they are yeah they kind of hidden in a in a loft and and there a a few bags of England caps and stuff like that really should should I got my golden boots out M we got to get them out the people want not now but I mean we need to you know we bring our our stuff out and and boast about not boast but you know give a bit insight into what we’ve what we’ve got would be nice as your as you’re on the 18th Fairway is it not about time you got them out and started look to sell them well the boys I think the boys have got their eyes on him that’s H cheeky bastard 18 I tell you what this leads me on nicely to another question from Nathaniel that does apply to Micah is it true Micah won player of the month and why hasn’t he got the award on display you know what did you win it of course I won it of course I won it I think it was in was it in [Music] 2007 go go on tell him go in my is that not that Barkley’s thing behind you over your right shoulder is it no I’ve got many of them that that was just play play of the match it’s you know all right have you still got your player of the month trophy you know what I I think I have somewhere but uh I got burgled when I was in Manchester and I lost a lot of my stuff so yeah I’ll try and find it but I don’t know what everything is to be honest uh producer Harry has just um showed me a note oh how about how about this big you’re going to like this come on michah Richards has won a player of the month trophy Kevin De bruyne never [Laughter] has that’s what I mean people need to put some respect on my name big me Kevin De bruy has never won a play is it wow that is scandalous unable that is scandalous there’s a question here from Paul Smith which I I have to read out for obvious reasons question Gary does he have a comedy genius writer for his social media posts or are or are they all his own work no please can you explain to the people you you you’ve got a problem haven’t you I yeah Dad Dad jokes I got this just one yeah go tell the people Dad Dad joke Tourette no but that’s very kind of you Paul um I I don’t have a comedy genius writer have a really [ __ ] one um but no it’s all my own work um so I’m to blame for all my cheesy crappy puns but I can’t help it um one more question from Jerome guys could you please speak of the toll that a professional football career has on one’s family relationship kids Etc I think probably post football it’s more difficult I think during it I mean it’s a wonderful life isn’t it you have a you know you yes you travel a little bit but you do spend an awful lot of time at home as well because you it’s not like you work 40 50 hours a week um obviously you’re very well recompensed and and you travel everywhere with with luxury um so I think the difficulty is at the end of football for a lot of for a lot of players um you know the fame gradually goes away the salary disappears um and because there are not that many great jobs for footballers outside of coaching some people invest what they’ve got in business they might lose it Etc there’s only so many jobs in TV um I think the divorce rate for footballers um between 35 and 40 years old is some ridiculous figure like 70 odd percent um so you know however much you earn once professional football stops it’s a difficult thing um to to to replace in your life and can have a varying effects on on on different individuals I think certainly traveling wise I mean prob we don’t travel off as much as the cricketers or the golfers and whatever you do I know you might be away every other week or whatever it is but when you look at the cricketers the the amount of time that they spend away at a time like two and three months at a time the top cricketers um certainly not as bad as that no it’s tough isn’t it because no no matter what we say or you know I think we people want to know sort of in say it’s difficult when you’ve got kids and you are traveling there’s this sort of feeling because i’ I’ve got a seven-year-old uh son now and I miss I miss birthdays I miss not Christmas now which Christmas is good um and it’s just that that feeling of being present for me that I find the the toughest because a lot of the work is in London for me and then I’m traveling then I’m going to match of the day or sky or whatever and it’s just missing the the the vital years is is what I need to to work on and I’ve talked about this a little bit before I think it’s always tough I was listening to a a podcast with West Brown on the other day and he was talking about um he went went bankrupt and it’s it’s tough isn’t it because people always ask that question how how can you earn millions and go bankrupt and obviously you guys I don’t know what it’s like for you guys but when you when you have a lot of money so young you have people around you who they want the best for you but they want the best for themsel as well so every inch they’re taking they taking you trust and you trust this person to give money to and then by the end of it there’s there’s there’s nothing left and people well how can that happen is just because when you’re a footballer you’re relying and concentrating on the football side of things and you know like yourself the Pres pundits and presenters saying what why why are they concentrating on things outside football concentrate on your football you do and you still get stung anyway so it is difficult but I mean it’s not difficult in reality to what other people are going through and I think that is the the point of it and I’ve always been a happy happy person anywhere from Chapel town where I slept in the bedroom with fre them up two more brothers and free them up my older brother used to come from Birmingham at the time but it it doesn’t matter money doesn’t change me I’m just happy regardless that’s a lovely way to finish um Micah um beautifully put and um Alan and myself now are going to spend the next few days watching Golf and football and it doesn’t get much better than that here here so goodbye from me goodbye for me and goodbye for me [Music]