Ligue 1 done?

In this episode of Footy on the Med, we head to the Stade Louis-II for one of the biggest fixtures in Ligue 1 as third place AS Monaco hosting unbeaten Paris Saint-Germain. Set against the unique backdrop of Monaco’s compact yet iconic stadium, join London French and Massimo for trains, pizza and the last slice of league action in France in 2024.

With Alex again marooned deep in the English countryside, and Footy on the Med’s Menton HQ under attack from all sides, a dread rumour spread around the podcast ecosphere. Would Footy on the Med live to kick a ball again? Bristol City 1 QPR 1 was recorded at Ashton Gate on 14 December 2024.

A beautiful November afternoon and we are off to Italy for the first time and to one of our old favourite stomping grounds, the Stade Communale in Sanremo for the Série D clash between Sanremese and Lavagnese in a Ligurian derby. Join London French as he travels east from Menton and is joined by fellow Menton resident Mattia for an afternoon in the Mediterranean sunshine. Sanremese 2, Lavagnese 1 was recorded at the Stadio Comunale, Sanremo, November 10th 2024.

Footy on the Med is back! At last! Admittedly the Mediterranean connection is slim, but if a person were to leave Sunderland by boat and travel south and then east, it is possible they would arrive in the Med. And QPR’s keeper, Paul Nardi, was once on Monaco’s books. Recorded at Loftus Road on Saturday 2 November 2024.

Footy on the Med is back! With a bang! Two games for the price of one! Yes, we’re a bit late but we make no apologies for being late; it’s one of the things we do best (along with roving around to games on the Med and beyond, providing our unique insight into the Beautiful Game).

It's the final league game of the season for Cannes FC. It's also the Cannes Film Festival. Alex has to be at the latter for work. He'd like to be at the former for fun. How does he solve this quandary? Cannes 2 Thonon Evian 1 was recorded at the Stade Pierre Courbetin on Saturday 18 May 2024.

This week John meets up with Young Trafford, AKA Paul, in their hometown to watch Rapid Omnisport de Menton take on Entente Sportive Cannet Rocheville 2, or Menton V ESCR 2 for short. Rapid Menton Vs ESCR was recorded at Stade Lucien Rhein on Sunday, May 12th 2024.

John ventures up the inside channel of the A8, past the back four, and visits one of his favourite towns, Valbonne, all on his lonesome. US Valbonne hosted Club des Jeunes d'Antibes Juan Les Pins, which must be the longest name of a team featured on Footy On The Med. US Valbonne Vs CDJ Antibes was recorded at Stade Leon Chabert on Sunday, May 5th 2024.

Footy on the Med journeys to North America and, for one night, morphs into Footy on the Pacific as Alex checks out Los Angeles Football Club in a home clash against The Portland Timbers.

Footy on the Med had a great day out in Monaco recently, with Alex happening upon FMC Elite and the woman behind its emergence as one of the best training academies in Europe. Step forward, Helen Dunne, articulate, passionate and dedicated to bringing on young football talent.

Alex, once again marooned in England, found himself in dire need of a Mediterranean football fix. But where, and how? Thanks to Dave ‘The Gull’, the answer was obvious: Bath City v Torquay United.

John and Alex sit on their favourite bench to give the definitive Footy On The Med Five-Minute Guide to AS Monaco. Recorded at Port de Menton Garavan April 10 2024.

Stan Bowles, arguably the greatest player ever to wear the blue and white hoops of Queens Park Rangers, died just over a month ago on 24 February 2024.

What’s Hannibal got to do with it? Who is Uzbekistan Bowles? And how did the Red Brigade end up being marooned? John and Alex took themselves to the Annibale Riva Stadium in the coastal Ligurian town of Albenga, and got more than they bargained for when they watched a Serie D clash between Albenga and Sanremese.

The great Stan Bowles passed away on 24 February 2024, making QPR v West Brom a must for Alex. This was the first home game for the Rs since the death of the club’s talismanic, legendary number 10, and Loftus Road was duly packed to the rafters.

John was a snake in the Grasse this week as he slithered along in the rain to watch RC Grasse take on FC Toulouse II, or TFC2 as John rebranded them.

Sampdoria v Brecisa – no (couldn’t get tickets). FC Frejus Etoile v FC Aubagne – no (huge traffic jam on the autoroute, had to abandon the drive). Genoa Women v Hellas Verona Women – no (ran out of time to drive to Arenzano from Menton). FC Antibes v Cagnes Le-Cros – yes! 

HAC Attack! Yes, and there's no escaping a big fat true fact: John was tout seul for this trip to the Stade Louis II. Well, alone save for the Monaco faithful, his friend Hamid and some Haribo-devouring kids.

It’s The Grecians v The Gas! An obvious game for Footy on the Med. Why? Because The Grecians (that’s Exeter City to non-locals) play in Exeter, which is on the River Exe, which flows down into The English Channel – and from there it’s a hop, skip and a watery jump to the Med.

It’s a trip to Marseille for FOTM and a fixture to make the mouth water: OM v Monaco. It didn’t disappoint. From the tumultuous noise of the Stade de Velodrome to eccentric, and dramatic, refereeing decisions, not to mention a smasher of a Marseille goal and some slick Monaco attacking, this game was action-packed from start to finish.