The Socially Distant Sports Bar

Welcome to the second half of this week's Socially Distant Sports Bar with Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero.
This week, Mike's documentary selection takes us back into the life of one of the podcast's most enduring figures.
Michael Owen.
Yes, that Michael Owen.
The man who has already inspired an entire Distant Pod spin-off is back in our lives, and this time we're getting to know him rather better.

Documentary of the Week
Mike: Meet The Owens
Mike has chosen Meet The Owens, the Prime Video documentary series following former England striker and Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen, his family and their horse racing business.
Away from football, the series gives us a look at Michael's home life, his ambitions in racing and the rather different world he's built since hanging up his boots.
And the big question for Elis, Mike and Steff is whether spending more time with the man himself might actually change their opinions.
After years of Michael Owen's Movie Club, are we finally starting to understand him?
Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
And, most importantly, does the Movie Club now need a new name?
Almost certainly not.
https://link.amazon/B0d1l7kgQ

Book of the Week
Steff: Running Up That Hill by Vassos Alexander
Steff heads in an altogether more physically demanding direction with Running Up That Hill, Vassos Alexander's account of the extraordinary world of ultra-distance running.
From mountain races to the legendary Spartathlon, Alexander explores why otherwise sensible people voluntarily sign up to run distances that most of us wouldn't particularly fancy driving.
It's a book about endurance, obsession, adventure and the peculiar satisfaction of discovering just how far your body can go.
And, naturally, the sort of conversations that follow when someone who enjoys running ridiculous distances brings a book about other people running even more ridiculous distances to a podcast.
https://link.amazon/B03URJdSO

Michael Owen and ultramarathons. Two very different kinds of endurance.
That's it for the regular feed this week.
If you want Part 3, The Ronaldo of Pigeon Shooting, it's available exclusively to Distant Pod Bonus Club subscribers on Apple Podcasts, along with early and advert-free episodes every Tuesday.
Thanks for listening.

🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERT
We’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more!
If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇
🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com

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Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero are back in their respective studios after their trip to Clapham, and there's still plenty to discuss from their adventures in London.
While Elis was bolting across the capital to get back for childcare, Steff was making an equally urgent dash for the toilet. Meanwhile, Mike was enjoying a period of sobriety that lasted right up until he spotted a pint of Madri.
Several pints later, he's holding court on a train and somehow managing to steal a job from Elis as Great Western Railway's Cymru Connector.
A remarkable career change, given that he was supposed to be having a quiet weekend.
There's also an extensive discussion about erotic fiction before the boys finally remember they're supposed to be making a sports podcast.

Finally, some sport!
Mike brings in some rugby referees who might benefit from reconsidering their approach to the job, Elis has NFL legend Jason Kelce trying his hand at rugby, and Steff finds former Premier League striker Papiss Cissé taking Sunday league football rather more seriously than anyone expected.

Clips
Mike: (Some) Rugby Referees
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeXEW7SirYX/?mdxt=OHIzbmI2ZjJ2NjZu
Elis: Jason Kelce Plays Rugby
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeXFVbKjYEf/?cplk=d3c4YjRseHZtZm0y
Steff: Papiss Cissé Takes Sunday League Too Seriously
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeZSoW2Jeu8/?rpxt=NG1lbHFmZHpob2gy

Trains. Toilets. Erotic fiction. Papiss Cissé.

Another perfectly normal week at The Socially Distant Sports Bar.
Part 2, That's My Sense of Humour, will be out on Friday, featuring a documentary about an old friend of the podcast and a book about running an extraordinarily long way.
And if you want the entire episode early and advert-free, including the exclusive Part 3, subscribe to Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts.
Thanks for listening.

🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERT
We’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more!
If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇
🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod.
We've been back through our archive of episodes and we've selected our favourite stories, anecdotes and funny bits.
If you're new to the pod, then feel free to use these as a jump off point to find your way around our earlier episodes.
This clip is taken from "Episode 302: Piccalilli's Like Pegging"

🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERT
We’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more!
If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇
🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back at The Cheerful Earful Festival in Clapham for the second half of our live show, and this time we've brought in someone who actually knows what they're talking about.
Kate Mason is back!
The brilliant journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and previous Socially Distant Sports Bar guest joins Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero for more sporting clips, stories and the sort of conversations that are almost certainly better conducted in front of a paying audience.
Kate brings in the magnificent Shane Williams and a reminder of what happens when England football fans discover Oasis.
Meanwhile, Mike has uncovered some boxing involving Bailey and Judith.
If you haven't heard Part 1, go back and start there. You'll also discover why Mike might not be the most popular man in certain Edinburgh pubs.
Clips
Kate: Shane Williams
https://youtu.be/IRaTsrmzhPI?is=3lOFE_0uBltBptN1
Kate: England Wonderwall
https://youtube.com/shorts/VwM_jKnmqHU?is=5rkDEmo8BSBiiA1-
Mike: Bailey and Judith Boxing
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdmloGWxld1/?stkn=bzVpN2QwOGZvanQx
That's it for the regular feed this week.
But there's more!

We've kept back a bonus Q&A for our subscribers, including a quite remarkable number of questions about The Race.

You can hear it through Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts, or find more exclusive Distant Pod content at:
https://www.patreon.com/distantpod
Thanks to everyone who came to Clapham, to the Cheerful Earful team and, of course, to the brilliant Kate Mason.

🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERT
We’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more!
If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇
🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first half of our live show from The Cheerful Earful Festival in Clapham, available early and advert-free for Apple subscribers.

Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero are back on stage, where Mike has a slightly awkward Edinburgh double-booking to explain.

Once that's dealt with, there's Mike Ditka, some questionable half-marathon preparation and the usual amount of nonsense.
Mike: Mike Ditka
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTrMqi7Di6m/?igsh=MWQ1dXJqaTA2MDlmag==
Elis: Half-Marathon, Half-Cut
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeL1cYwxBAb/?stkn=cnJ4ZDRyYXZlNm41
Part 2, featuring special guest Kate Mason, is also available on Friday, along with the exclusive Bonus Club Q&A on Apple

🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERT
We’ve launched a brand new merch store — mugs, hoodies, prints and more!
If you fancy supporting the pod that way, head here 👇
🛒 sdsb2025.myshopify.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.