The BBC World Football Phone-In [WFPI] is one of the biggest influences on our football/soccer media outlet, World Football Index.
A number of WFi contributors have featured on the show, and members of our own South American Football Show have called in to provide updates from their respective regions of the continent.
It was announced last week that the WFPI would stop broadcasting until further notice due to the current coronavirus lockdown.
Dotun Adebayo, the legendary broadcaster who hosts BBC 5 Live’s Up All Night programme of which the World Football Phone-In is a part, says they tried everything they could to keep the show going in podcast form during this time, but the rug was pulled from under them after two weeks.
Unfortunately there will be no more World Football Phone-in podcast until we’re back on air. I’m sorry. I really did try to keep it going. We can reconvene on the official Facebook page🤟🏾 https://t.co/AoiTih5EwX
— dotun adebayo (@dotunadebayo) April 10, 2020
I’m back when I’m back, bruc. Tried to keep the podcast going. We succeeded for two weeks and then they pulled the rug on it. So right now all we doin’ is defendin’, the right of everyone of us to PAAAAAAAAARTY – within COVID 19 guidelines of course. https://t.co/LHEmnn2LWD
— dotun adebayo (@dotunadebayo) April 18, 2020
Despite great efforts to keep the show going, there will now be an early weekend void for many football fans, soccer fans, radio and podcast listeners.
Due to the unique nature of the World Football Phone-in; its interaction with football fans around the world live on air and the quality of its regular contributors, it is a void which is impossible to fill, and a show which is impossible to replace or replicate.
In an attempt to give world football fans something to listen to in those early weekend hours, we at WFi have cobbled something together which will be different to the World Football Phone-In, but covers similar themes and hopes to do so with the same ethos.
…and players from over there playing in our leagues
We are encouraging suggestions from WFPI’s global community, not least from the show’s Facebook page organised, moderated and frequented by familiar names such as Joseph Sexton (or our Buenos Irish as Dotun might call him), Cleo The Book, and Andrew – The Gent, as well as helpful BBC staff members such as James Wickham.
Our first show featuring Simon Edwards, Tim Vickery, and Felipe Cardenas, looked at the Colombia side at the 1994 World Cup, and was published to coincide with the WFPI’s usual slot in the early hours of Saturday morning, UK time.
We will aim to publish shows each week at the same time until the WFPI returns to the airwaves and to our podcast feeds.
Below is a summary of the other episodes we have recorded, and the ones we have planned:
Chile vs Brazil in 1989 – Chile’s ban from the 1994 World Cup – with host Adam Brandon and Daniel Campos in Santiago, and the Legendinho Tim Vickery in Rio.
Ecuador v Uruguay 2001 with Adam Brandon, Tim Vickery, and Xavier Zavala in Guayaquil.
Algeria 1982 and the Disgrace of Gijón
Upcoming shows:
- Paraguay 1998 – 2011 with Tim Vickery and Roberto Rojas.
- Iran at the 1998 World Cup.
The Legendinho, Tim Vickery, has already kindly agreed to appear on more shows, and we will try our best to involve some more of the regular WFPI pundits, and perhaps some older ones as well.
Though this will be a temporary, stand-in production — think of it as a goalkeeper who has arrived during the mid-season transfer window on an emergency loan — we want to keep the quality as high as possible for listeners to enjoy, while also not taking ourselves too seriously, even though some of the subjects discussed will be serious in nature.
This is an unofficial podcast and can’t be found on the BBC Sounds app as it is not associated with the BBC, but should be available on all other podcast apps, including iTunes, as well as being available to stream via Soundcloud.
We hope the World Football Phone-In will return sooner rather than later, but we also hope this will go at least a small way to filling the gap between now and then.
I hope it’s a case of – as The Beatles put it – It Won’t Be Long
— Tim Vickery (@Tim_Vickery) April 10, 2020
World Football Index is an independent football media outlet covering football around the world via podcasts, stories, and reports. A unique mix of journalism and fandom.
COMMENTS
I’ve been listening to Tim Vickery and Dotun on Friday nights for as long as I can remember. Tim’s run of never missing a show finally comes to an unexpected and unwelcome halt. What a bummer.
Thanks for all of the entertaining shows over the years. I’ll look forward to their return to broadcasting the WFPI. COYS!
this is typical of the BBC actually, though tbf I suppose they should get the credit for running the show in the first place..I have stopped listening to Radio Derby’s Sportsound since they dropped Craig Ramage, and it is really hard to make them aware of how you feel about their programme choices.