Have you ever daydreamed of knocking back a pint with your favourite footballers, discussing the new Nike Flight ball introduced this English Premier League season and finer points of the offside rule? Daydreams for fans of the beautiful game are coming true as Irish pub The Dubliner’s is set to host football stars and both digitally AND in person from September 10.
A few of your football idols will fly in from the UK and make in-person appearances at the Garhoud sports bar at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre. You’ll meet others virtually through sports streaming service Hollywood Balls Live’s pre-game shows.
Who are you going to meet and how exactly does it work?
Former Bristol right-back Danny Simpson, former England players Matt Jarvis, ex-Newcastle player Steven Taylor who’s currently coaching UAE’s Gulf United, and Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie are on the list of players who’ll host the interactive pre-match shows.
Think of it like a live zoom call meets a chat show where instead of talking to a screen (or screaming at it), as you normally would during a match analysis, you get to chip into informal yet structured conversations (known as fireside chats) with your football heroes through a single click.
The line-up also includes appearances by ex-Arsenal player Kevin Campbell, legendary coach Big Sam Allardyce who has managed clubs like Newcastle, Everton and West Ham as well as some big international names. Greats such as Harry Redknapp, French player Pascal Chimbonda, female footballer Arianna Criscione and more will be confirmed as the season chugs along.
Timings and dates
The fireside chat sessions kick off on Saturday, September 10 from 2pm to 3pm during the Manchester City Vs Tottenham Hotspurs match. There’ll be 4 other sessions on September 17, October 8, November 5 and November 12, also between 2pm-3pm.
A slight twist awaits the November 12 show, though: Kevin Campbell will co-host the session in person from The Dubliner’s, so you can catch him there from 3pm-4pm.