The Blue Room - Everton FC Podcast

Paddy’s colleague from The Athletic, Greg O’Keeffe steps in this week, as we look ahead to the return of Premier League football.

Greg also gives us a unique insight into the mindset of David Moyes and where his head could be at as time continues to tick down on his Everton contract. We also look back at the Folarin Balogun transfer saga after he has seemingly opened the door to a transfer to the Premier League again; Greg, who has interviewed the United States striker before, looks at how much of a missed opportunity it was for the Blues.

Greg also talks through his recent interview with Kevin Sinfield, who has been raising money in support of Motor Neurone Disease charities by running seven ultramarathons in seven days.

You can read that story here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7645900/2026/10/02/kevin-sinfield-rob-burrow-mnd-charity-run/

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This episode is sponsored by Claude.ai

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For problems worth solving — get started with Claude at — Claude.ai slash BLUE.
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Manchester City were found guilty on 114 Premier League charges and lodged an appeal, rival clubs began lining up compensation claims, and Real Madrid handed UEFA a reported 50,000-page dossier on Barcelona. Barcelona have since counter-sued for defamtion. All this comes four months after Everton were ordered to pay Burnley £35m in the first-ever club-to-club PSR compensation award.Picking up a Mailbag question from The Bridewell on Friday's show, we ask whether football is finally eating itself, or whether the feast started back in 1983, with Everton sitting at the table.We break down what the commission actually found against City and what happens next with their appeal. We compare City's case with every other club that's been punished, including Everton, Forest, Leicester and Chelsea, and ask why some lost points while others kept them. We explain how Burnley turned a four-point model into a £35m bill, and why it's now the template for claims against City.We revisit the history of clubs suing clubs, from Tevez and Boro v Derby to Madrid v Barça and Madrid v UEFA. And we go back to the end of gate-sharing and the 1992 breakaway to ask an uncomfortable question: is the "drawbridge" partly our own fault?Read John's piece on PSR and the drawbridge at https://theblueroomefc.co.uk/2026/10/man-city-psr-and-everton-the-rules-must-apply-to-all/This episode is sponsored by Claude.aiClaude is the AI for minds that don't stop at good enough — it's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow and thinks with you... whether you're debugging code at midnight or strategizing your next business move, Claude extends your thinking to tackle the problems that matter.For problems worth solving — get started with Claude at — Claude.ai slash BLUE.That’s claude.ai slash BLUE and check out Claude Pro - which includes access to all of the features mentioned in today’s episode.

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Matt and Les chat with Nathan O'Hagan about his book Succession: Colin Harvey and his Time as Everton Manager. What was his inspiration for writing the book? Was Colin Harvey the right man at the wrong time? Was he let down by those above him and some of his players? What could he have done differently? What could the club have done differently?

All this and more is discussed. You can get Nathan's book, Succession: Colin Harvey and his Time as Everton Manager, from your local bookshop now.

Order online here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Succession-Colin-Harvey-Everton-Manager-ebook/dp/B0H72D5DM4
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It was all a disappointment. But it wasn't all doom and gloom. Joseph Yobo excelled at the back. Kevin Kilbane settled in quickly in midfield. Nigel Martyn was the club's Player of the Year and quite rightly so. And the boy who turned 18 was off to spearhead England's quest for the 2004 European Championships.Not our words, Lynne. The words of Raymond J. Stubbs.We discuss numerous mysteries like how did Everton end up wearing all yellow away at Fulham, why are the Redknapp clan all morphing into each other (even Louise), and how did James McFadden's rat tail last as long as it did, all on the Everton podcast that knows you don't wear a red jacket to the match.This episode is supported by The Excelsior. Thanks to Gary Lunt and Sean Ponzini for their contributions.
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On the latest Weekly episode; after 31 years without a trophy, is supporting Everton a tough ask or a joyous experience?

Warren and Paul discuss whether it’s a club of few highs and many lows. Also discussed is the Man City charges and Everton’s England internationals
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