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Greg Nussen returned to investigate a new league! And We recorded this on election day! And had no idea how things were going to turn out! Well, how about that!  This week we talked about the kits we would design for election day, Bernie Sanders as MLS commissioner, and much more that has nothing to do with elections. Like Eastleigh’s David Pipe and we look back at our preseason MLS picks.  Finally, Greg and I talk Liga MX and try and discover our lifelong loves. Thanks for tuning in!

A big episode this week as not only is a special co-host brought on board, but Andrew Leeder, author of “Roots to the 92″ about his experience going to every Football League stadium.  The rundown:  4′ - Three stories of the week. Why does the EFL Cup exist, kit sponsors, and why don’t teams have a consistent color scheme for home/away shirts? 27′ - Andrew comes on to talk about his book, the connections and friends he made through his experiences and tips and tricks for anyone looking to do the same. Check out and buy his book at http://rootstothe92.co.uk/ and get more information at his Facebook page.  54′ - Game of the week! In honor of our guest, we discuss Yeovil and Plymouth and Southend squaring off with Peterborough. 

2′ - Three stories of the week! Landon Donovan is back, Leroy Fer’s horse and Neymar is a musical superstar now.  8′ - James Poling joins us. He helps break down the complicated ownership/turf situation with Rayo OKC, Energy FC’s MLS dreams and the burgeoning soccer culture in Oklahoma. Read him at NewsOK.com and follow him @James_Poling.  31′ - Game of the week: Avispa Fukuoka vs. Shonan Bellmare in J1 League.

3′ - Accrington Stanley beat Burnley for the first time in over 120 years, the Checkatrade Trophy is a mess and Rayo OKC’s part-owner ripped up the field without anyone knowing.  11′ - Wes Burdine comes on to chat about Minnesota United’s rise to MLS. We talk Henrik Ibsen jokes and tifos in Italian, Marxist supporters groups and the genius that is manager Carl Craig among other subjects. Follow his work at FiftyFiveOne and follow him at @MNNiceFC.   37′ - David Goldblatt, the author of The Ball is Round, The Game of Our Lives, Futebol Nation, and the new olympics-focused The Games, comes on to talk big money in the Premier League, private ownership of soccer teams and, of course, Bristol Rovers. Be sure to read all of his books and follow him at @DavidSGoldblatt.  58′ - Game of the week: FK Příbram vs. FC Hradec Králové. And if you want to hear the FK Příbram anthem, well, here you go. Theme music: “Overworld” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

2′ - Who is the saddest team in English soccer? And this week’s three favorite stories featuring Hull City, Bamber Bridge FC’s Wes Anderson-ready film, and the Olympics’ biggest Liverpool fan in Wayde van Niekerk.  9′ - Drew Epperley of Big D Soccer joins us to talk all things FC Dallas. What was up with Fabian Castillo’s bizarre transfer? How will the team do without him? And is Dallas the future hub of soccer? Find out by tuning in and then follow him @wvhooligan.  30′ - Game of the Week: Badshot Lea vs. Cray Wanderers  Theme music: “Overworld” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

3′ - Three favorite stories of the week. Norwich City took part in the city’s LGBT parade, Pep Guardiola outlaws pizza and Sevilla has one of the saddest transfer announcements possible.  7′ - Gemma Kaneko comes on to talk her predictions for the EPL season and read some deep, introspective, truly important poetry about a handful of the clubs. Be sure to follow her @GemmaKaneko.  38′ - Greg Nussen along with Patrick Onofre and Will Clarke of the Challengers Podcast stop in to give preseason EPL predictions. Who will be proven right? Who will be terribly wrong? How many goals will Zlatan score?! These are the big questions of the day. Be sure to follow Greg @GNussen and check out his other podcast Moron That Later.  Then go and listen to the Challengers Podcast and follow them on Twitter @ChallengersPod.  80′ - Game of the week: AFC Wimbledon - Bolton Wanderers Theme music: “Overworld” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

#1 - Expected Pokemon Go, with Sean Steffen and Mark Simpson This is it! Welcome to theveryfirst episode of The Substitutes Bench. We’ll be breaking down culture, oddities, fun and basically anything we want here. What’s in this week’s episode? 3′- Three stories of the week: West Ham’s kit reveal,CD Leganes’ new scratch-n-sniff badge, and Darmstadt’s season ticket plan. 7′ -Sean Steffen comes on to give a primer on advanced stats and break down this year’s MLS first-half. Check out his work atLAG ConfidentialandAmerican Soccer Analysis. Follow him @SeanSteffen. 40′ -Mark Simpson, the media manager for Hartlepool United comes on. Follow him @MarkSimpsonHUFCand all his work atHartlepoolUnited.co.uk. 61′ -Game of the week! Get into the Zimbabwe professional league as CAPS United take on Highlanders. That’s it for this edition. Check back in two weeks for more. Follow us @SubsBenchPodand follow me @Michaelsclair. Theme music: "Overworld" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/