Home and Away World Cup Special Episode 1

It’s World Cup time — and Tottenham – Home and Away is going international.

In this first World Cup Special, Graeme and Glen are joined by returning guest Hamish from New Zealand to look ahead to the opening stages of the tournament, the Spurs players involved, and the stories already dominating the build-up.

We discuss the viral rise of New Zealand defender Tim Payne, who went from a few thousand social media followers to millions almost overnight, and Hamish gives us the local Kiwi view — including a rather memorable golf cart story.

We also look at the less glamorous side of this World Cup: visa issues, referees and players being detained or turned away, fans having travel problems, huge ticket prices, and the growing sense that the tournament is being overshadowed by politics, FIFA, Trump, and Infantino before a ball has even been kicked.

Then we get into the football: England’s chances under Thomas Tuchel, Harry Kane looking sharp, Jed Spence’s assist, New Zealand’s low block, the opening fixtures, and which Spurs players we’ll be watching — including Son, Bentancur, Sarr, Romero, Danso, Van de Ven, Porro, Bergvall, Vuskovic, Jed Spence and new signing Andy Robertson.

We also share our earliest World Cup memories, from Argentina 1978 and Italia 90 to France 98 and Brazil 2014, before making our tournament predictions: winners, dark horses and surprise packages.

Please like, subscribe and join us for more World Cup specials from a Spurs perspective.

Come on England — and come on you Spurs.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open and intro struggles 00:35 World Cup Special begins 01:00 Glen channels Italia 90 01:19 Weather, memories and a drunken World Cup call 02:28 Hamish joins from Wellington 02:46 Feeling conflicted about the World Cup build-up 03:41 Tim Payne’s viral social media explosion 05:14 Hamish on Tim Payne and Wellington Phoenix 05:39 Tim Payne’s golf cart incident 07:35 From golf cart story to World Cup meme 08:02 Could Tim Payne monetise his sudden fame? 08:47 New Zealand’s unbeaten 2010 World Cup trivia 09:30 Ryan Nelsen and Spurs’ Kiwi connection 10:12 Watching the World Cup from New Zealand 10:57 New Zealand broadcast rights and pricing 11:51 Australia and New Zealand-friendly kick-off times 12:24 UK kick-off pain and TV platform freezes 13:30 England group-stage times 14:23 Potential England vs Mexico knockout game 15:19 Visa issues and the Somali referee sent home 16:18 How should World Cup immigration have been handled? 16:50 Iran travel issues and New Zealand’s group 17:47 World Cup controversy compared with Qatar and Russia 18:09 Possible USA vs Iran knockout match 18:30 FIFA hypocrisy and “game of the World Cup” branding 19:12 Positive stories: Craig Ferguson walking for charity 20:03 Simon Jordan comments and backlash 21:00 Scottish fans and cancelled ESTA travel issues 21:21 Infantino, FIFA, Trump and the tournament noise 21:46 Trump, security and possible stadium disruption 22:18 Fans, atmosphere and what could be lost 23:50 Is the USA the wrong host at the wrong time? 24:30 England build-up and the New Zealand friendly 25:23 Jed Spence assist for Harry Kane 25:28 England managed by a German 60 years after 1966 25:47 New Zealand’s low block against England 26:27 Harry Kane looks sharp 27:07 Kane dropping deep and his passing range 27:45 England’s chances under Tuchel 28:42 Hamish more invested in England than New Zealand 29:10 Jude Bellingham, Rashford and team balance 30:12 Bellingham’s big tournament moments 30:43 Should Phil Foden have been in the squad? 31:11 Spurs players to watch at the World Cup 31:42 Son and South Korea vs Czech Republic 32:03 Pochettino, USA and split allegiances 32:41 Scotland, Andy Robertson and the Haiti game 32:56 Thoughts on Andy Robertson joining Spurs 33:47 Van de Ven, Japan and Bergvall for Sweden 34:13 Pedro Porro in the Spain squad 34:29 Germany vs Curaçao 34:45 Bentancur, Sarr, Romero and Danso 35:22 Jed Spence vs Vuskovic in England vs Croatia 35:33 Vuskovic highlights and Spurs centre-back options 36:04 Will Vuskovic return to Spurs or go on loan? 36:24 Spurs defensive signings and squad competition 36:50 Hamish’s earliest World Cup memory: Italia 90 37:24 Paul Parker and England in 1990 38:01 Glen’s first World Cup memory 38:38 Meeting Paul Parker at Brazil 2014 39:54 Graeme’s earliest World Cup memories 40:47 Argentina 1978 and Spurs signing Ardiles and Villa 42:43 Italia 90, Cheshunt and chaotic celebrations 45:01 Hamish at France 98 45:48 Glen at Brazil 2014 46:23 World Cup ticket costs then and now 46:57 New Zealand dollar pain and $31 beers 47:10 Tournament predictions: winner, dark horse, surprise package 47:39 Glen picks Brazil, Morocco and Austria 47:46 Graeme picks Argentina, Portugal and South Korea 48:16 Hamish backs Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay 48:47 Why nobody is talking about Germany 49:15 Trying to park the noise and enjoy the football 49:27 Half-time music at the World Cup final 50:13 Shakira has been to more World Cups than Italy 50:46 Closing thoughts and next World Cup Special 51:06 Come on England 51:13 Outro