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Leagues across Europe kick off and this week’s podcast previews the start of the Premier League in England. This is our 11th year podcasting and we’re pretty sure we are the oldest football podcast out there (with the same hosts!). In the past week, we’ve found out the winners of the Women’s Euro 2017 competition and the Community Shield in England, and on the show, those news items are sure to be discussed. We’ll also be explaining some football words and phrases as usual – the phraseA hand in a transfer request and another phrase connected with transfers, to down tools. And of course we’ll have predictions and a tricky quiz question. There is also a transcript for those who wish to practise their reading and listening skills (Damian = DF, Damon = DB).
Football Language Podcast: 2017-18 Premier League Kick Off!
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Transcript of the show
DB: Hello everyone, you are listening toA Languagecaster’s football-language podcast. Hiya, and welcome to our 11th season of podcasts, making us the oldest football podcast in the world – at least that’s what we think! Let us know if we’re wrong! Anyway, you have reached the football-language podcast for all those who love the beautiful game. My name’s Damon. I’m based in Tokyo – cloudy and rainy here today – and down the line is Damian in London. Hiya Damian, how are things?
DF: I’m good thanks Damon. Here in London we had sunshine today after a couple of days of really miserable weather: heavy rain, grey skies and it was really cold. Of course I’m looking forward to the new start to the 2017-18 Premier League season, which kicks off at the weekend. Right, now what have we got on the show.
Line up
DB: OK, well we will have a look at some of the football stories from the world of football at the beginning of the show in the good, the bad and the ugly section. We’ll follow that with a quick quiz question. And then?
DF: And then we’ve got a couple of football phrases connected with transfers – remember the transfer window is open until the end of August. Those phrases are ‘to hand in a transfer request‘ and ‘to down tools‘. And I’m also looking forward to starting our predictions competition this weekend, and so we’ll be taking a look at three of the ten games taking place in the Premier League.
DB: That’s right – we have 5 titles each, don’t we, so the 2017/18 season could be a decider! Can we also give our overall predictions for the season – Champions and relegated teams?
DF: Oh go on then!
DF: Yes, you are listening to languagecaster.com and that was in French. Remember if you come our site, languagecaster.com, the podcast is accompanied by a transcript and while you’re on the site, why don’t you subscribe so you don’t miss a show. We’d love to hear from you too, especially if you have any predictions, a question about football language, or maybe you want to send us a ‘you are listening to languagecaster.com’ audio in your language! Right, Damon, what was good from the world of football this week?
Good
DB: It was very good for Holland as their Women’s team lifted the European Championship trophy by beating Denmark convincingly 4-2 in the final. Well done!. Now, their previous best finish was as semi-finalists back in 2009. Good too for Arsenal, yes, Damian, who lifted the Community Shield after beating Chelsea in a penalty shoot out. Did you realise, Damian, that they used the ABBA style of penalty shoot out for this game?
DF: Yes, I noticed that. There was some negativity from some of the pundits on British TV about this system but I think it is a fair one.
DB: What about bad?
Bad
DF: It’s looking bad for Liverpool in the transfer market as A Neymar’s record-breaking move to Paris, which we mentioned last week, has prompted Barcelona to put in a 100 million euro bid for the Reds playmaker Coutinho. Liverpool had to back away from a bid for Southampton’s defender Virgil Van Dijk and are also finding it hard in their chase for RB Leipzig’s midfielder, Keita. If they lose the Brazilian, who fans have dubbed ‘the magician’, and fail to get their high profile targets, it will be a big setback for your team, Damon.
DB: Yes – I’ve got all my fingers crossed that Coutinho stays for one more season and Southampton allow Van Dijk to join us. Then, I’ll be a happy man.
How about ugly?
DF: Well, as a Spurs fan I thought it was a bit ugly about Danny Rose’s outburst yesterday, but how about Ousmane Dembele of Dortmund skipping practice after Barcelona put in a transfer bid. The German side rejected the bid but weren’t too happy with their star player’s behaviour. They suspended the player for missing training and he will be absent from Dortmund’s DFB Pokal Cup game this weekend. It’s never nice to see players downing tools like this as they angle for a move, that’s trying to force a move, to another team. Not very nice.
DB: Indeed.
Quiz question
DB: Right, if you want to send in a message with the club you support just send us the audio attachment to admin@languagecaster.com. Right, next is our weekly quiz question. Damain.
DF: Yes, we want to know which player was the first to be bought for a million pounds in England? Not the world, in England. The million pound total was a big milestone, an important mark, but who was the player? Now of course a million pounds or euros is nothing in modern football, but who got the ball rolling? The answer will be at the end of the show.
Follow us
DF: OK, we’d just like to remind people to get in touch with us and spread the word if you like our show and our site. It is always great to hear from our listeners and you can of course email us directly at admin@languagecaster.com and you can follow us on all the usual places, that’s twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
DB: Damian, what football language have you come across this week?
Football Language: To Hand in a Transfer Request
DF: I’ll start with ‘to hand in a transfer request’. When a club wants to buy a player from another team they have to make a bid, i.e. offer some money and see whether the other club wishes to sell the player. If the club says no then the player will have to request to leave a€“ he or she will have to officially tell the club that they wish to move to another club and this is what is known as aA transfer request. This can be a risky move by the player as he or she can upset the fans who want their players to be loyal to the club. We use the verb to a€˜hand ina€˜ but also use a€˜submita€˜ for this action a€“A to submit a transfer request. For example, in the Guardian newspaper this week, this quote:A A a€˜Virgil van DijkA submits transfer requestA in bid to leave Southamptona€™ (Guardian.co.uk, Monday 7th August 2017). How about you Damon, any phrases caught your eye?
Football Language: To Down Tools
DB: Well, sticking to the theme of transfers, I’m going to explain the phrase ‘to down tools‘. The tools in this phrase refer to what workers use to complete their job. I suppose if you are talking about football, which is a pretty simple game, the player’s tools are a ball and boots, and maybe shin pads. To down tools, means to put the tools down and not use them, and means to refuse to work. In football it is the next step by a player who want to leave a club from handing in a transfer request. It means the player refuses to train, to play – to work for the club. To down tools.
Predictions: The first weekend of the 2017-18 Premier League
DF: OK, now, next we have our predictions battle in which both Damon and myself will try and predict some of the big games from the weekend. This weekend is the start of our regular weekly Premier League predictions and you can join in too by coming along to the site – just register, login and you can add your predictions too – Don’t forget to check the 2017/18 Premier League – we have monthly rankings and why not see if you can beat either me or Damon each week! What’s the first game, Damon?
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City
DB: Well, let’s take a look at a newly-promoted side, Brighton and Hove Albion, against many pundits’ favourites for the title, Manchester City, who have spent big in the transfer window. Now, this game is at Brighton on the south coast, so expect it to be a great atmosphere, but I think the home fans will have to just enjoy watching some big stars in the City side rather than celebrate a win – 3-0 to City. Damian?
DF: Yes, I agree that Man City will be too strong for the home side, so maybe 3-1 for me.
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
DF: Next up sees my favourite team Spurs travel north to face another of the newly-promoted sides, Newcastle. Damon, what do you think?
DB: I’m going for a 1-1 draw – the new kids on the block in front of their home support may just get something.
DF: I am fairly confident that we will start well – maybe 2-0 to Tottenham.
Manchester United v West Ham United
DB: And the last game is another of the favourites for the title, the second season is usually a good one for Mourinho sides, Manchester United vs West Ham. I’m going for an easy 2-0 home win. Who do you fancy in this one?
DF: I have to go for a Manchester United vistory as well – maybe 1-0. Now how about top four and relegated teams for this season, what do you reckon Damon?
DB: I’m going for Liverpool as champions, followed by Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham. That’s my top four. You?
DF: You nothing about football, seriously! You have not mentioned Arsenal or the current champions Chelsea? Interesting. I think that City will win followed by United and then Chelsea and then maybe Spurs will finish fourth but there is a little of me that thinks if we avoid injuries and have a little luck then maybe Spurs can win the league title for the first time since 1961! How about relegation?
DB: This is trickier. I think Brighton will go down and maybe Swansea and Huddersfield. You?
DF: I agree that Huddersfield will go down but I have a feeling that they will be joined by Leicester and Burnley.
Fantasy football
DF: Now, we also have a fantasy football league that you can join – that’s our third. Go along to the Premier League Fantasy Football site and sign in to the languagecaster league and the code is here on our site, just come along to the post, copy it and paste it in (the code 1363855-327167). Last season Brendan Rovers was the champion – he was our second ever winner – so we are all out to try and stop him retain the title.
Quiz Answer
DB: OK, let’s return to the quiz question we asked earlier – we wanted to know who was the first player in England to command a transfer fee of a million pounds? And the answer was… Trevor Francis who moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest for 1 million pounds in 1979 – the year that Forest won the European Cup courtesy of a goal from Francis.
Good bye
DF: Right. That’s it for this week’s podcast – drop us a line and let us know what you think of the show. Don’t forget to submit your predictions for the month of August and to enter a team in our Fantasy Football Competition.
DB: Yep, enjoy all of the football wherever you are. Ta-ra!
DF: Bye bye.
Check out our glossary of footballing phrases here
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