⚽ The Worst Thing To Happen To Football (The Nations League) ⚽

Josh Widdicombe (0:11)

Welcome to Footballing Hell with...

Michael (0:13)

Can you say Rob Beckett?

Josh Widdicombe (0:16)

Rob Beckett.

Michael (0:18)

Can you say Josh Widdicombe?

Josh Widdicombe (0:22)

Josh Widdicombe.

Michael (0:24)

Well done.

Rob Beckett (0:25)

Good boy.

Josh Widdicombe (0:26)

So difficult, isn't it? How are we meant to know that?

Rob Beckett (0:29)

So is this a footballer's wife that's got in touch or a footballer's partner? Is it Liam Ridgewell again?

Michael (0:35)

A footballer's partner, I believe, because the lady that sent the email, currently sent the email, has a different surname to this player.

Josh Widdicombe (0:42)

Oh, Michael doesn't like it. The modern woman that likes to keep her surname, does he?

Rob Beckett (0:46)

Oh, the one who cover your face, you disgusting Andrew Tate bitch.

Michael (0:51)

Don't get me started on those cucks that take their wives.

Rob Beckett (0:55)

You alpha. You mogging us.

Michael (0:58)

Those hyphen pussies.

Josh Widdicombe (1:02)

Active footballer, they sounded a bit older than a footballer.

Michael (1:05)

Do you want a series of clues to see if you can get it?

Rob Beckett (1:07)

Yeah, come on, that's just a man's voice.

Josh Widdicombe (1:10)

I've done some deducing there, Michael. Is that fair?

Michael (1:12)

Yeah, I think everything you've said so far is accurate.

Josh Widdicombe (1:15)

Okay, so ex-footballer because they're not in their 20s.

Rob Beckett (1:18)

So what's the clue?

Michael (1:20)

So clue number one, I was born on the 7th of May 1974 in Bury St Edmunds in England.

Josh Widdicombe (1:28)

So 52

Michael (1:29)

I played as a defender and I began my career at Chelsea in 1991

Rob Beckett (1:36)

It's not Cundie, is it?

Michael (1:38)

No.

Josh Widdicombe (1:39)

Is it Frank Sinclair?

Michael (1:43)

Incorrect.

Rob Beckett (1:44)

I'm Gold King.

Michael (1:45)

Not bad guesses. You want a second clue?

Josh Widdicombe (1:47)

Yeah.

Michael (1:48)

In 1993, I signed for Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £300,000.

Rob Beckett (1:55)

A defender.

Josh Widdicombe (1:56)

Blackburn Rovers. Graham Lasato.

Michael (1:59)

Incorrect.

Rob Beckett (2:00)

Ian Pearce.

Michael (2:02)

Correct. Ian Pearce.

Rob Beckett (2:05)

Fucking God, I'm great.

Josh Widdicombe (2:07)

Brilliant.

Rob Beckett (2:08)

So I really regret.

Josh Widdicombe (2:09)

Shall we listen to it again? Because it'll be obvious now we listen to it.

Rob Beckett (2:13)

Oh, that just screams Pearce.

Josh Widdicombe (2:16)

Let's have another listen to Ian Pearce and his wife, who hasn't taken his name.

Michael (2:21)

Can you say Rob Beckett?

Josh Widdicombe (2:24)

Rob Beckett.

Rob Beckett (2:25)

There it is, obviously.

Michael (2:26)

Can you say Josh Widdicombe?

Josh Widdicombe (2:30)

Josh Widdicombe.

Michael (2:32)

There we go.

Rob Beckett (2:32)

That's Pearce. That's Ian Pearce all day.

No offence, Ian Pearce. Can I spot you in the street? Absolutely not. No. But I can get you through Wikipedia.

Josh Widdicombe (2:40)

Has she said anything, Michael? Is she emailed in touch or are you in touch with her? Are you tracking these down?

Michael (2:46)

She's emailed. She said, Dear Rob, Josh and Michael, here's a voice clip of my partner. Can you guess who it is? A few tiny bits of info. Managed to play for his best team West Ham for six years.

This is nice. We love to listen to both of your podcasts on our long drives up and down the country, now watching football, not playing. It is Ian Pearce. He says he's bang average and you won't even know who he is.

Josh Widdicombe (3:08)

I know Ian Pearce. He's won a league title with Blackburn.

Rob Beckett (3:13)

Let's be honest, he was bang average, but I do know who he is.

That's not an insult. He is absolutely straight down the middle, bang average Premier League player, which makes him better than 99% of footballers in the world.

Josh Widdicombe (3:25)

More than 99%.

Rob Beckett (3:26)

Let's be honest with the facts there. I love Ian Pearce. He was a Premier League winning defender when Colin Hendry was injured.

I think he was starting centre back, wasn't he?

Josh Widdicombe (3:36)

Could it be Colin Hendry's partner, default partner or that of Henningberg?

Rob Beckett (3:42)

No, his partner emailed in. There you go. That's comedy.

Josh Widdicombe (3:46)

David May, maybe.

Rob Beckett (3:47)

I'm looking at their Premier League winning team. So squad, Tim Flowers, right back, Tony Gale, then Jeff Kenner.

Josh Widdicombe (3:54)

Yeah, ended up with Plymouth.

Rob Beckett (3:55)

Tim Sherwood was number four, Colin Hendry, Graham Lasso, Stuart Ripley, Gallagher, Shearer, Mike Newell, Jason Wilcox, Nicky Marker, Bobby Mimms.

Josh Widdicombe (4:02)

Nicky Marker, starting with Plymouth.