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The Socially Distant Sports Bar
277: The Fat Friar (Pt 1)
Ep. 577
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🎙️ Episode 277: The Fat Friar
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📍 PART 1
🎸 Mike – The Wisdom of Ozzy – A chaotic, beautiful life summed up in 38 seconds
▶️ Watch here
🎤 Elis – Kenny Sansom’s impressions at Euro ’88 – A lost art
▶️ Watch here
⛷️ Steff – Grass Skiing in Leeds, 1981 – It’s got speed, risk, and Yorkshire
▶️ Watch here
📍 PART 2
🎬 Elis’ Documentary – Vive le Tour! (1962) – A poetic, joyful time capsule of the early Tour de France
📖 Steff’s Book – Call of the Warrior by Gareth A Davies
Stories of combat sports, warrior culture, and mind over matter
▶️ Buy here
📍 PART 3
🏉 Elis – When a linebacker switches to rugby – This lad might sort out your midfield
▶️ Watch here
🏟️ Mike – Chiefs vs Brumbies – High-octane, no-frills Super Rugby
▶️ Watch here
🎬 Steff – Wes Anderson does sport (sort of) – Framing, pacing and peculiar joy
▶️ Watch here
🎟️ THE 2026 LIVE TOUR – TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
📍 Tour Dates:
- Fri 20 March – Cardiff, New Theatre
- Sat 21 March – Cardiff, New Theatre
- Tue 7 April – London, Hackney Empire
- Wed 8 April – London, Hackney Empire
- Fri 24 April – Carmarthen, Lyric Theatre
🎫 Book here: distantpod.com/live
🚀 JOIN US ON PATREON
🎧 Extra episodes
📼 Michael Owen’s Movie Club
🎤 Hoffi Pod
🎟️ Early access to tour tickets
💌 Gifting available
The Socially Distant Sports Bar – Like a sports podcast. But in the same way Ozzy Osbourne is like a life coach.
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09:34||Ep. 695Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We’ve been back through our archive of episodes and picked out some of our favourite stories, anecdotes, and funny bits.If you’re new to the pod, these are a perfect way to dip your toe in and then dive back into the full episodes from our early days.This is from Episode 228: It’s Kissing Time693. Night One at The New Theatre (Pt 2)
52:24||Ep. 693Night One at The New Theatre (Pt 2)Part 2 of our LIVE Cardiff show — and the crowd (and hosts) are a few drinks deeper…https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-liveFeaturing:Steff: Hull KR crowdhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DU85KI8DsbY/?igsh=MWlqMzJ3eG9xdWFkZA==Steff: Perfect for Runninghttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/DkRc0SIdO0kElis: High Jumphttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DVrDTyAjio4/?igsh=Y3liMWRsMzEyMGYz👉 For Part 3 (Q&A), subscribe on Apple Podcasts.692. Night One at The New Theatre (Pt 1)
45:22||Ep. 692Night One at The New Theatre (Pt 1)Elis James – the king of Welsh podcasting – joins forces with TV’s Tony Mammoth, Mike Bubbins, and ARIA award-winning producer Steff Garrero for a LIVE episode of The Socially Distant Sports Bar, recorded at the New Theatre in Cardiff in front of a sold-out crowd.🚨 LAST REMAINING LIVE DATES 🚨London's Hackney Empire TONIGHT is the ONLY show left — and tickets are almost gone.https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-liveThis is Part 1 — the first half of the show, with:Mike: Golfhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DVedLLGksz8/?igsh=cDk5a25ieDg4Mm91Elis: Sir Alechttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DV7J6eOgsQf/?igsh=MWlsNTJlNnFyZWxyeQ%3D%3DMike: Karmahttps://youtube.com/shorts/bIXPZwGUgW4?si=Jk3u2KnMWNK0mYnE👉 Want the full episode (including Part 3 Q&A)?Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.691. He Has Risen: Pint Size
08:56||Ep. 691Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We’ve been back through our archive of episodes and picked out some of our favourite stories, anecdotes, and funny bits.If you’re new to the pod, these are a perfect way to dip your toe in and then dive back into the full episodes from our early days.This is from Episode 211Come and see us LIVE in London on Tuesday and Wednesday https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-live689. Mainland (pt 2)
27:16||Ep. 689Episode 305: MainlandStill gloriously obsessed with sport’s weirdest, funniest and most fascinating moments, Distant Pod continues to documentaries and books that make sport so compelling.🎟️ Hackney tickets - see us live next weekhttps://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-live🎤 Mike tour:https://mikebubbins.com/❤️ Tops Off Vic fundraiser:https://www.justgiving.com/page/kelly-bubbins-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=EM&utm_campaign=020🎧 PART 2Steff’s documentary this week is The Track, a deep dive into Bosnia and the luge.https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0G5647BLG/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_sr09b671_1_1_1?sr=1-1&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B0G56Q2S17&qid=1772611735930Mike’s book this week is slightly closer to home — Mike’s Wales Youth Rugby Programme... Bubbs' Sliding Doors moment.🔒 Join Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening, and Part 3 every week as a bonus episode.688. Mainland (pt 1)
01:16:27||Ep. 688Episode 305: MainlandThree hundred episodes in and still finding brilliance in the strangest corners of sport, Distant Pod is the weekly podcast where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero bring you the best clips, books and documentaries they’ve found.🎟️ Watch us live in Hackney:https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-live🎤 Mike is on tour in 2026:https://mikebubbins.com/❤️ Donate in memory of podcast legend Tops Off Vic:https://www.justgiving.com/page/kelly-bubbins-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=EM&utm_campaign=020🎧 PART 1Mike kicks things off with Tiger vs Boulder, a clip that perfectly captures the unpredictability (and occasional absurdity) of nature meeting sport.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUTUF39EfBb/?igsh=MXg0NmdidHQzYWprZg=Elis brings a nostalgic gem — “And Ninian Park looks more like the San Siro!”https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ny-Za-ryGukSteff rounds out Part 1 with a pair of clips from Canadahttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DUyT1FQDtoX/?igsh=dzdrZGx3enQycmx6https://www.youtube.com/shorts/naGpZhyJP0s🔒 Subscribe to Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts for early, ad-free Parts 1 & 2 — plus Part 3 as exclusive bonus content every week.687. Veg: Pint Size
15:37||Ep. 687Welcome to Pint-Sized Distant Pod. We’ve been back through our archive of episodes and picked out some of our favourite stories, anecdotes, and funny bits.If you’re new to the pod, these are a perfect way to dip your toe in and then dive back into the full episodes from our early days.Come and see us LIVE in London in April https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-live685. The 20% (pt 2)
32:11||Ep. 685Still gloriously obsessed with the brilliance and absurdity of sport, Distant Pod continues to explore the clips, stories and ideas that make sport endlessly fascinating.🎟️ Hackney tickets:https://www.hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-socially-distant-sports-bar-live🎤 Mike tour:https://mikebubbins.com/❤️ Tops Off Vic fundraiser:https://www.justgiving.com/page/kelly-bubbins-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=EM&utm_campaign=020🎧 PART 2Elis’s documentary pick is Jim Mills: Jacko’s Sporting Almanac, a deep dive into one of sport’s great collectors and chroniclers.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b08qggc1?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobileSteff’s book this week is Good Coach, Bad Coach by Simon Harling, exploring what separates effective coaching from the rest — and what really drives performance.https://store.simonharling.blog/🔒 Join Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts for early access, ad-free listening, and Part 3 every week as a bonus episode.