Introducing the ToffeeWeb Podcast

Love a good podcast. Already subscribe to The Unholy Trinity EFC podcast. Best of luck and look forward to listening!

Good luck, Lyndon, with your new addition.

I enjoyed that actually. Maybe throw it on to YouTube for greater or easier accessibility. There is virtually zero competition out there as we are crying out for better fan-based chat and format so something to build on. Good stuff.

Keep it up and stick at it. Really good to hear and refreshing actually. The spoken word is always less cold than the written, after all.

This is a great idea. Being able to put a voice to a post will be interesting.

Decent first output. With time, sure it will develop into a great podcast – especially as the games start coming and discussion gets more precise rather than speculation.

I think breaking up into parts can help the flow; the better podcasts I listen to generally have 2-3 parts to finely distinguish between separate subjects (also offers a nice break to offer advertising – thus all too valuable revenue for the site).

Having these separate parts also ensures that all subjects are fully breached, eg:

Part 1 – match reaction, new signings, managerial changes (25 minutes);

Part 2 – general discussions e.g. VAR, the Premier League table, standout non-Everton games/performances, controversial incidents etc (20 minutess);

Part 3 – any other business: stadium developments, U23s, U18s, Women's team (5-10 minutes).

There is also room for 'specials', which could be one-off discussions on specific subjects with specialists such as finances and Paul the Esk, history, interviews with legends (sure Big Nev would be up for something) and such.

Great initiative!

Great feature.

The question on how did you become an Evertonian?

I have no idea, I just am, I just always was. I remember being a young kid when I lived in Germany and my Dad (Garston born blue) pointing the speakers out towards the field below the flat we lived in where I was playing kick-about football and blasting out "Forever Everton". The German kids were confused. I was inspired.

I agree with Paul, putting a voice to a post is good. As it is when we meet up before and after matches and put faces to names.

I stuck the headphones on and went for a lovely sunny, spring walk here in Dublin. Thoroughly enjoyed that, well done.

Would be great, over time, to have guest speakers on (former players, other ToffeeWeb contributors who'd be brave enough) to get some insight into the club and to put voices to names that we see here on a daily basis.

Its funny how things stick in your mind... memories are strange and you remember defining moments in your life.

I recall at about 8, maybe 9 years old, coming in and asking my dad who we supported, he replied Everton and gave me the dad and lad talk.

It was never up for question after that; he'd fulfilled his most important role in life.

Excellent idea, Lyndon, keep 'em coming.

Great addition to TW, Lyndon. Some good Everton stuff in pod-land already in the mix with the Unholy Trinity, the Blue Room (been good to hear you on there on occasion) and the Echo but I'm really looking forward to hearing voices of familiar names with this addition.

Hope it offers further funding opportunity through ads and subscriptions for all you put into TW.

Excellent! And a voice to a name!

I just hope some of the posts with lots of spelling and grammatical mistakes don't morph into Stanley Unwin-like podcasts.

Just tuned in and really enjoyed it.

I so agree that Benitez is such an uninspirational character it really was a poor decision by Moshiri but hopefully we can put that sad chapter in our history to bed and look forward to Lampard putting us back on the map as serious force, starting tomorrow. COYB

Listened to it this morning as I was driving, a good first episode. I agree – it's good to put voices to names.

Future episodes could include interviews with David and Lady France, interviews with 2 or 3 of our ‘Merican friends and, bearing in mind the point I made yesterday that some supporters have followed the club for more than half its existence, a chat with one of those more experienced posters on here.

Anyone listening on Apple/Spotify remember to give it a 5-star rating cause, aside from number of listens, the algorithms for the search field prioritize more popular podcasts. So if anyone goes searching for Everton, it's more likely to show up in the search.

Lyndon, I'd echo Fran's comments on sections. You might consider to reading scripted segments of some of your thoughtful articles or indeed Ell who has produced good stuff on history. Just like a 5-minute segment somewhere in addition to the off the cuff chat.

Also, if Paul is at games, he could throw in some real-life sounds from the crowd into his match reports to give it a bit of colour as he tells his tales. Anyway, good job, keep it up.

Very enjoyable Lyndon and I look forward to the forthcoming episodes. Not being able to get to matches these days and confined to the house because of Covid its great to hear the voices of fellow Evertonians again.

Yours is only the 2nd podcast I've listened too as I only follow one other which is about 10cc / Godley and Creme called the Consequences podcast and like yours today, its good to hear people talking about something you are really interested in.

Onward and upwards and hears to a 5 niller tomorrow - for EFC of course !! COYBs !!

I’ve just finished listening. Really good, thanks for doing it and hope it carries on. Great to hear the voices behind the writing. Be great if you could get this on to Apple Podcasts (not sure what that involves), as then I’d be able to listen to it on the commute in the car. If it does carry on I’d love to hear some regular posters having a guest spot (could be interesting)!! Well done!

Nick White

It is on Apple Podcasts that's where I listened to it

About time... as much as I love reading TW it can be time-consuming. With a podcast, I can now do the garden, clean the house, or drive to work while in the company of fellow moaning Blues... haha!

Good show, guys. I listen to quite a few Everton podcasts and yours was the equal of anything else out there. Great first effort and I look forward to future episodes.

Many thanks to those who tuned in and for the kind words above. Paul, Ell and I are really pleased that the feedback has been so positive and do keep the suggestions coming.

Thanks also to Kieran for the suggestion around giving us a good rating if you enjoyed it to boost the podcast in searches.

Finally, around revenue generation, much would depend on the extent of advertising. I can't stand ads in podcasts (or anywhere really!) – they're disruptive to the listening experience and we have no control over their content – so I'm hoping to get the ‘Patron' sign-up fixed so that TW members can voluntarily contribute to the running of the site instead. Stay tuned for that…

To add to what Kieran said, I don't think you can leave a 5-star rating on Spotify. Instead you can 'follow' the channel which should help it grow. Just click on the channel and then the button is fairly prominent.

We'll done, you three… really enjoyed listening to it whilst making an epic brekkie. Keep up the good work. 💙TW

Lyndon, Ell, Paul,

Thanks for doing this. I will want to listen in the car on Apple Carplay. It will alleviate the monotony of the motorway. I haven't used this feature yet but now you've forced me to try and figure it out.

Lyndon, l have written to you twice asking about the patron link or the monthly contribution.

Maybe you could offer up a sponsorship deal for the podcast? Or for each episode. Is this to be a weekly or monthly thing?

Very good, Lyndon. Always good to listen to Blues chatting. Don't always agree with everything hence getting the strange looks whilst walking the dog and muttering "WTF is he going on about ?!" 😄

Great job guys, I thoroughly enjoyed that.

Thank you very much!

I think I suggested this? This is brilliant.

I've not listened as of yet, but will later tonight / tomorrow.

A wonderful addition to TW. Fantastic.

I'd take the ad money while you're getting up and running. An occasional commercial in a podcast is no bother in my opinion. But I grew up on AM radio, so there's that.

Loved the new podcast... when's the next one out?

Podcast was excellent. Well done. Keep them coming on a regular basis.

I'd suggest sessions with one other TW contributor, 30 to 45 minutes long, discussing some of the topics of the day. If you have a single guest, and you did this say weekly, you'll almost never run out of material as there's hundreds of contributors to the site and weekly podcasts would result in 52 total guests for an entire year's worth of content.

I'd strongly suggest starting a YouTube channel and monetizing it.

I'd also have a link - exactly like that of the live forum – that has "TW Podcast". Make it super simple to find on the site. Then I'd rename the link "Podcasts" to "Blue Media" or some such thing to differentiate the external non-TW podcasts from your unique TW podcast.

Just ideas. First podcast was fantastic.

Great podcast, shite music.

Good luck with this, really looking forward to hearing it. Can we please have Darren on soon?

Finally got the chance to listen in, Lyndon, and enjoyed it very much. Great to hear voices put to names like Traill and Bretland, whose writing we have enjoyed for so long.

I'd love to hear from some of the senior members on TW, those who lived through the history of the club. But in addition to that, I'd suggest regular guest shots from those who have written about the club professionally. Folks like Brian Viner, David Prentice, James Corbett, Becky Tallentire and of course David and Elizabeth France would provide a magnificent collection of stories to share.

Great podcast, thanks Lyndon and Co.

You have a good radio voice, Lyndon. For some reason I previously thought you were Irish — don't know where that came from.

Great stuff, Lyndon, Paul & Ell.

About bloody time, and thank you.

My Everton story is as beautiful (to me) as it is simple.
Mum was a Blue, bless her.
Dad is a Blue.
Kid brother is a Blue.
Mums parents were Blues.
Dads parents were Blues.

Further back than My Grandparents, there was no Everton. We're Royal BlueBloods. I was never once persuaded nor coerced.

On a Saturday afternoon, we'd assemble at my granddad's house and the great man and my dad would pop on their overcoats and head off up Grandison Road. I'd follow them out to the garden gate and watch them walk away up the road, over Queens Drive and into the cemetery.

Eventually they'd mingle into the crowd and disappear behind the chapel. But I'd hang on the gate just in case I'd catch an extra glimpse. I'd then head through the house to play in granddad's shed, with the door open so I could hear the crowd in Goodison Park.

My addiction was even before my first hit.

Eventually, dad took me along, I was five or six. Grandad bought a quarter of Mint Imperials and a quarter of Everton Mints in the corner shop on Gwladys Street, he always did on match days.

We got in The Paddock and granddad and dad took off their overcoats and popped them on the barrier and then popped me on top. They stood behind me.

The smell of ciggies, beer, damp wool, pies and that glorious green pitch. My first night match was better than anything ever, ever! It still gets me… every bloody time.

I know that I'll cry like a baby when I visit Goodison for the final time before we head to the banks of The Royal Blue Mersey. Me and The Grand Old Lady go back a long way… 46 consecutive season tickets, through feast and famine.

Lyndon, thank you for starting this podcast. I enjoyed listening to it on my drive back home yesterday. I usually listen to the Football Weekly podcast of The Guardian, as I thought it was the most entertaining and non-Sky 6 biased podcast. But recently, I have been getting irritated with their constant put-downs, sniggering, condescension of all matters related to Everton. Screw that, I now have a better and more relevant one to listen to. It was good to listen to the voices of Paul and Ell (although I must admit to not have encountered his articles on TW). Of course, Lyndon's is a familiar voice from the other Blue Room podcasts.

May I just put in a few comments and suggestions - these are not criticisms because I realise this is the 1st one, and there will be lots and lots of things that will get refined and get better:

I liked the music - I thought it to be quite uplifting. Could a different live music band be featured on the podcasts? I heard a quite good Everton fan band a few months ago - can't remember if it was on the official EvertonFC site pre-game show or on one of the other Everton fan podcasts.
I thought there were a lot of long pauses during the pod, and the discussion had a fairly formal mood to it. Could the mood be lightened up - maybe someone like the brilliant John Daley or the witty Christine Foster or the quite mad Darren Hind or Don Alexander could spice things up a bit :-).

Some of the other suggestions above are very good.

Alexander (35), thanks for sharing your story. It reminds me that Everton Football Club is special because of fans like you.