Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Huge news across the Channel and trailblazers north of the border! Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

The Clo Ro show is back! The girls react to the FA Cup and some big news coming out of France: Wendie Renard has ruled herself out of the World Cup. Oof.

We then sit down with Laura Montgomery, chief executive of SWPL giants Glasgow City. Ahead of a crunch meeting with Celtic on Sunday, we find out more about the changes for the Scottish league this season. Plus, can you stay at the very top as an independent club in the modern game? Laura tells all!

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

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Upfront is your definitive women's football podcast, the Lionesses and every team in the WSL – Arsenal, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Brighton, Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Liverpool, London City Lionesses, Manchester City, Manchester United, Spurs, and West Ham United. We'll take you inside the biggest rivalries, like Arsenal vs Chelsea and Man City vs Manchester United. Subscribe for new podcasts every Tuesday throughout the season.

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Are England the favourites for the World Cup? Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

Just when you thought Chloe Kelly had her defining moment, she wins the Arnold Clark golden boot. Fairytale stuff.

It’s a Girls on the Ball takeover! Rachel is joined by Sophie Downey to discuss an impressive week for England which begs the question: are they the frontrunners to win the whole thing this summer?

We discuss the winning mentality Sarina Wiegman continues to cultivate, whether Alessia Russo is still the squad’s best number nine, and just how good Lauren James is after a ridiculous week. But there’s also a storm brewing across the Atlantic…

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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A message about this week’s schedule! Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

A quick message from Rachel about this week’s schedule.

Listen to our brand new At The Match episode from the Lionesses vs South Korea. We’ll be back on Thursday looking back on the whole international break!

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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At The Match: The Lionesses are back with a bang Feb 18, 2023

Show notes

Our World Cup journey starts here! In a Costa. In Milton Keynes.

Chloe and Rachel take in England’s first game on home soil since October for the Arnold Clark Cup! With just five months to go until the World Cup, it’s a crucial juncture for the Lionesses. We take a look at who’s breaking into the starting XI and speak to fans around the stadium six months on from that special Euros victory. Plus, we’re ambushed by an England goalkeeping legend – again!

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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Flipped scripts, how to fix the Conti Cup, and the Lionesses return! Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

The Lionesses are back. The Arnold Clark Cup is back. And most importantly: Millie Bright’s defence of her Golden Boot begins.

Chloe and Rachel are joined by The Telegraph’s Tom Garry from St George’s Park! We relive a dramatic WSL weekend where Man City and Leicester have thrown things wide open at both ends of the table. Plus, with lots of quarters questioning the Conti Cup after Arsenal and Chelsea reached the final again despite winning just two games, we explore why the competition is more important than you might think.

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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The WSL’s ‘spanner’ teams and a new era of transfer gossip Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

Chloe and Rachel are joined by the BBC’s Emma Sanders for a big ol’ round-up of the weekend’s action!

It was a tale of two 0-0 draws with one striker at the centre of it all. We discuss how costly missing out on Alessia Russo will prove for Arsenal and Emma and Rachel give us the lowdown on a deadline day like no other. Why were so many players agitating for moves?

Plus, new twists in the relegation tussle and we tackle the absurdity of Visit Saudi Arabia’s potential sponsorship of the World Cup.

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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Transfer window drama and the new challenges facing LGBTQ+ footballers Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Chloe and Rachel react to big news on the eve of deadline day: Chelsea have put in a bid for Arsenal’s Katie McCabe! We discuss how likely the move is and Chloe explains what the January transfer window is really like for players.

With the start of Football vs Homophobia’s Month of Action on Wednesday, we also speak to its director Lou Englefield about the LGBTQ+ community’s great trailblazers in women’s football – right back to the 1920s – and the challenges facing trans women players today. For a grassroots perspective, we catch up with two players from the UK’s oldest out women’s football club, Hackney Women FC.

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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"We have to think like an ecoystem": growing the game with Maggie Murphy Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

After the release of Deloitte’s first ever money league table for women’s football, we call up CEO of Lewes FC Maggie Murphy to talk through the findings and understand the broader commercial landscape of the game.

How do we grow the game, but also keep up with it? Maggie sheds light on what it’s like to run a Championship women’s team in the new post-Euros boom, the growing financial rift between the second tier and the WSL, and explains why we should look to Mexico for inspiration…

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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Chaos at Kingsmeadow and the rise of Aston Villa Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Lads, it’s not Barbados. Chloe and Rachel react to a bizarre weekend as a ‘playable’ pitch turns world-class footballers into figure skaters.

Elsewhere, Manchester United stay ice cold, we ask whether Spurs have found their game-changer (AGAIN) after a huge signing, and Chloe explains why continuity is proving to be king at Aston Villa.

We’re back on Thursday with a special episode with Lewes FC CEO Maggie Murphy!

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall and @Morgie_89

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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Where were ya Chelsea and we shine a light on endometriosis Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Chloe, Rachel and Crystal Palace’s Leigh Nicol react to the return of the WSL! Leicester come back with a bang, but it took Chelsea 89 minutes to realise it was happening to be honest…

In the second half of the show, Leigh talks us through her ongoing experience of endometriosis, which Leah Williamson recently revealed almost prevented her from playing at the Euros. For Leigh, it’s not only jeopardising her playing career, it’s hampering her day-to-day life. We discuss the difficulties of diagnosis, the lack of awareness around the condition, and how it’s silently but profoundly damaging the lives of elite footballers.

You can find more information on endometriosis at Endometriosis UK.

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @GirlsontheBall, @Morgie_89 and @LeighNicol.

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

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