It’s like a death in the family

Negative equity, unemployment, emigration, reduction in living standards and poor prospects for our children’s future. You’d think things couldn’t get any worse. Well they can and they just did! Despite all the bad news, there was always Off The Ball. I didn’t tune in all night every night but at some stage most evenings I would listen in to what the lads were saying. If I missed a show, I’d download the podcast and give it a listen later. To say it was my favourite radio show would be an massive understatement and I’m sure many more felt the same. I know of people in the states that listen in every afternoon while at work. I know of husbands who sit in the kitchens every evening listening while there wives watch their soaps. I personally used to practice the guitar in the bedroom with the Off The Ball crew for company. I’m numb with the shock at the moment. It’s like my favourite pet has died or a real meaningful relationship has just ended. The sense of loss is just horrific. I’m sure I’ll get over it, but it will take a long time and just like a bad break up, I’ll be hoping they will come back to me.

“How can a modern-day manager in this day and age not have a mobile phone?

“Why should he”

“Wha”!

I can only hope and pray they get pucked up by another station, quickly! and in full. WTF were newstalk thinking?

23. Most of the mystery voice competitions was Steve staunton.

24. Not reading the script for the competitions seriously or treating the prize seriously.

25. Giving away the leinster rugby yearbook for challenge Murph but never Jackie fullertons.

DJ Deccie Kidney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAdtE7-cDbY&feature=channel

I’d like to think McDevitt will still be calling up John Giles at home every thursday for a chat.

Still cannot believe it.

It’s the death-knell of Newstalk. They’ve just stabbed themselves in the foot big time.

Ken winding up Graham Hunter. And the wonderful interaction between the lads….

Listened via Podcast as I live in New Zealand. Loved the humour and Ken’s ‘parables’. Listened every morning on the cycle to work. Defintily my favourite. Will really, really miss it.

“He will be welcomed back by all the muppets in the press room……..he will and his bollocks!”

Did they not resign so they could travel to the plains of Africa and release Ken Early back into the wild???

Gutted. Newstalk are awful eejits for letting it go this far. JNRR (listening figs) might help them reconsider. Good luck lads whatever you choose to do (off the ball Fm?) and thanks.

Winding Paddy Crerand up by telling him Real Madrid were the biggest club in the world… Classic!

I reckon they should actually set up a subscription podcast. I’d happily pay a fiver a month to listen to them. Even if they only got a fraction of their audience to sign up to that, we’ll say 10,000 for a nice round figure, they’d be looking at over €100k a year each. (Not inc taxes or expenses obviously)

This is the most shocked and saddened I have ever been after reading something on the journal. :-(

Roddy Collins challenging the Aussie snooker player to fight, live on air.

Started listening to them in 2010, they’ve been getting us through the recession. Does this mean the recessions over?

Sniff, Sniff,….I haven’t stopped balling my eyes out since I heard. They were the only reason to switch on the radio.

They’re mash up of all the different commentaries during Katie Taylor’s final made manys the adult cry Id say

26. Dogchat
27. The story about the guy in the banana costume

Gutted great show

Its ok Jimboandbear…..I’m an Arsenal fan too……don’t give up just yet, this is just a temporary blip :-)

Shame about the loss of this show, wasn’t a regular listener but when I did tune in it was entertaining,

Been wondering for ages who were the voices in the Off The Ball intro were and what were they about?

‘I’m prepared to do anything I can”
“Well do it then, do it then..”
“How can a modern-day manager in this day and age not have a mobile phone?
“Why should he”
“Wha”!

You forgot Ken’s chat/rant about the All Blacks to a NZ radio station. Its my #1 best Off the Ball bit. Just pure comedy genius.

Sorry meehawl got excited and jumped the gun :-)

How come people can’t get it into their heads that the programme still continues, with its original presenter and a bunch of very competent co-presenters and most likely the same outside contributors.

Was an almost ‘every night’ listener from day one and will remain so but I don’t think that it would have a prayer of holding up the audience at 6.00.

I’m sure every national station in the country will be clamouring for them as we speak

Betcha it was either a clash of egos or organ sizes. Madness that it came to this.

I’ll miss Round saying ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ after everything John Giles said. I also miss the Speakeasy Quiz from 2003/4

jimbo – what sort of show would you like to see in its place? Maybe then you could go pitch it to Station bosses and talk round advertising revenues. I think a show every night around avoiding our pending mass destruction would pull in hundreds of thousands of listeners. Sounds really exciting and not boring at all

“If ya wanna fight, we’ll fight. If ya wanna play football, we’ll play football.”

Dont worry lads they will resurface very soon with a bang.My monies on 2fm!

The team is “is off the ball” they will definitely be on another station.

I always turned them off- endless talk about soccer – however talented they were, nobody can be THAT engrossed in such a boring sport

On the BBC sport website it says they’ve a new weekend show with them.

Hope they replace it with something more woethwhile than sport.

You don’t have to be an intellectual to have an appreciation for the majesty of the universe around you.

“if you dislike sport so much, why would you read this article in the first place”

The article isn’t about sport. It’s about a particular sport-related radio programme on a radio station I listen to but have to turn away from at 7pm every night and for most of every weekend.