The Socially Distant Sports Bar

Nata Media

The Socially Distant Sports Bar is an award-winning comedy podcast hosted by Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero — and you don’t need to like sport to be completely hooked. Elis is the king of Welsh podcasting & Mike Bubbins is TV’s Tony Mammoth. Each week you get two episodes Part 1 is fast, funny and chaotic — a stream of clips, sporting moments and internet oddities pulled apart with strong opinions and zero expertise. Part 2 slows things down with a documentary and book recommendation, diving into the stories that make sport so compelling. “Elis James and Mike Bubbins are unreasonably hilarious.” — The Telegraph “A haven where they ramble on about classic clips and random recollections.” — The Guardian Better known as Distant Pod, the show is a multi-award winner, created and produced by ARIA Gold Award winner Steff Garrero Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  1. 9h ago ·  Bonus · Subscribers Only

    BONUS CLUB: Mike Does Mardi Gras

    Welcome to Bonus Club, where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have finished discussing the world's greatest chess players, the rise of Liverpool Football Club and Mike's bottom. And now it's time for something considerably less culturally significant. Mike Does Mardi Gras. A phrase which raises rather more questions than it answers. This week, Mike brings us Rocky and Roy, Elis has discovered what might be the world's worst penalty and Steff introduces a clip featuring I'm Still Standing. Three more clips, several more opportunities for the conversation to head somewhere completely unexpected, and absolutely no guarantee that anything discussed will improve your understanding of sport. As ever, this is where the boys can properly get stuck into the tangents, stories and conversations that might not fit into the regular show. Clips Mike: Rocky and Roy https://www.instagram.com/reel/DetrWMZkVqy/?dlrf=djl5ejI5dXRxaXpo Elis: World's Worst Penalty https://www.instagram.com/reel/DehVWjSihCZ/?vrfl=MnAza3BkMGVkdmsy Steff: I'm Still Standing https://www.instagram.com/reel/DemZ3pgAhob/?mdxt=MWhnd2FibWx5MnZvNQ== Rocky. Roy. A dreadful penalty. And Mike Bubbins doing Mardi Gras. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and supporting The Socially Distant Sports Bar. Enjoy!

  2. 1d ago

    Hang It In The Louvre

    Welcome to Part 2 of this week's Socially Distant Sports Bar with Mike Bubbins, Elis James and Steff Garrero. Having spent Wednesday's Episode discussing their potential contribution to the world's cultural heritage, the boys turn their attention to two people who have left rather more substantial legacies. One changed the world of chess. The other changed Liverpool Football Club forever. Documentary of the WeekSteff: Queen of Chess Steff brings in Netflix's extraordinary documentary Queen of Chess, telling the story of Judit Polgár, the Hungarian prodigy who challenged the male-dominated world of international chess. Raised alongside her sisters as part of her father's extraordinary experiment in producing chess geniuses, Polgár became one of the greatest players in the history of the game. But this is about considerably more than moving pieces around a board. The documentary explores the sexism, psychological pressure, extraordinary egos and deeply questionable behaviour that Polgár encountered as she battled to be taken seriously in a world where men like Garry Kasparov were regarded as almost untouchable, especially by themselves. It's a fascinating, inspiring and occasionally infuriating story which leaves you wondering whether the world of elite chess might be populated by some absolute wrong'uns. Who knew?! https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81749912 Book of the WeekElis: The Evolution of an Empire — Volume One by Steven Scragg Elis takes us back to Liverpool in the 1960s with Steven Scragg's The Evolution of an Empire, exploring how Bill Shankly transformed Liverpool Football Club from a struggling Second Division side into the foundations of one of European football's great dynasties. It's a story of footballing philosophy, tactical change, remarkable characters and the creation of a culture that would shape the club for generations. From the changing room to the terraces, Scragg examines how Shankly's ideas reshaped not just how Liverpool played football, but how the club thought about itself. A fascinating look at what it really takes to build a sporting legacy. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-evolution-of-an-empire-volume-one/steven-scragg/9781836802754 Judit Polgár. Bill Shankly. And three Welshmen wondering whether 'that' should be hanging in the Louvre. That's it for the regular feed this week. But if you want more, Part 3: Mike Does Mardi Gras is 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 ALERTWe’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.

  3. 3d ago

    Trudge State

    Elis James, Mike Bubbins, Steff Garrero and The Socially Distant Sports Bar are always in search of a legacy. And this week is no different. Will it be literary? Perhaps the boys will be remembered for introducing new expressions into the English language, with "trudge state" surely destined to become part of the sporting vernacular. Will it be social? Is the true legacy of Distant Pod the fact that you can walk into almost any pub in Wales and there's a reasonable chance you'll find a Patreon subscriber with his top off, proudly honouring the podcast? And trust us, you probably don't want to know. Somewhere amongst all this legacy building, there's actually some sport. Mike brings us NHL goalkeeper Devin Cooley, Elis explores the increasingly blurred lines between rugby and football, and Steff has a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do is just run anyway. ClipsMike: Devin Cooley https://www.instagram.com/reel/DesbRZzCe-o/?psln=MTdmNzExdHlpdDgwZw== Elis: Rugby/Football https://www.instagram.com/reel/Degg1ywoDPd/?srtk=MXV1YXZ2MTV3NTJnOA== Steff: Run Anyway https://www.instagram.com/reel/DerMLJxlbuh/?dlrf=MXNhdWlkM3hxb25wbA== Language. Legacy. Topless men in Welsh pubs. The Socially Distant Sports Bar. Building a legacy, one ridiculous conversation at a time. Part 2, Hang It In The Louvre, will be out on Friday, featuring a fascinating Netflix documentary about the world of chess and a book about the building of one of football's greatest dynasties. And if you want the entire episode early and advert-free, including our exclusive Bonus Club episode, subscribe to Distant Pod Bonus Club on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening. 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’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.

  4. 6d ago

    Jive Bunny: Pint Size

    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 221: The Jackets of Paul Heaton with Elis & The Rock" 🛍️ NEW MERCH ALERTWe’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.

  5. Nov 7 ·  Bonus · Subscribers Only

    BONUS CLUB: The Ronaldo Of Pigeon Shooting

    Welcome to Bonus Club, where Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero have finished discussing Michael Owen, ultramarathons and the finer points of railway travel, and are free to return to the important business of watching more ridiculous sporting clips. This week, Elis has found some rather lovely gymnastics assistance, Steff takes us back into the wonderful world of old television with Jack Charlton making a programme about shooting things, and Mike heads across the Atlantic for a bit of Canadian Football League action. And somewhere along the way, we're introduced to the concept of **the Ronaldo of pigeon shooting**. Whether that's Cristiano or the Brazilian one is a question that probably deserves a considerably more serious discussion than it's likely to receive here. Clips Elis: Gymnastics Help https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdEqtZlCBXH/?xtok=aDk2aXN5bGVsa3Rt Steff: Jack Charlton Makes a TV Show About Shooting Things https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeZwq92MfWW/?srtk=MWxsZGF6MzJ6Ymlv Mike: Canadian Football League https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Jegnpyc4w/?mibextid=wwXIfr Gymnastics. Jack Charlton. Canadian football. Pigeon shooting. Four perfectly reasonable subjects for a sports podcast. Possibly not all in the same episode. As ever, Bonus Club is where the conversations get a little looser, the tangents get longer and the three of us end up somewhere nobody could reasonably have predicted. Thanks, as always, for subscribing and supporting The Socially Distant Sports Bar. Enjoy!

  6. Nov 6

    That's My Sense Of Humour

    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 WeekMike: 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 WeekSteff: 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 ALERTWe’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.

  7. Nov 4

    Darting and Sharting

    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. ClipsMike: (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 ALERTWe’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.

  8. Nov 1

    Bad Coaching: Pint Size

    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 ALERTWe’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.

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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
102 Ratings

About

The Socially Distant Sports Bar is an award-winning comedy podcast hosted by Elis James, Mike Bubbins and Steff Garrero — and you don’t need to like sport to be completely hooked. Elis is the king of Welsh podcasting & Mike Bubbins is TV’s Tony Mammoth. Each week you get two episodes Part 1 is fast, funny and chaotic — a stream of clips, sporting moments and internet oddities pulled apart with strong opinions and zero expertise. Part 2 slows things down with a documentary and book recommendation, diving into the stories that make sport so compelling. “Elis James and Mike Bubbins are unreasonably hilarious.” — The Telegraph “A haven where they ramble on about classic clips and random recollections.” — The Guardian Better known as Distant Pod, the show is a multi-award winner, created and produced by ARIA Gold Award winner Steff Garrero Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Nata Media
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    828
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Nata Media
  • Show Website
    The Socially Distant Sports Bar
  • Provider
    NATA MEDIA LTD

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