TFTES 293

Brian McKenna and John Byrne are back for the conclusion of our 2000s series and to relive an incredible few days between Athens and the Cup final at Lansdowne Road. Con Murphy narrates the first game in Tallaght in 2009, and there's interviews with Pico Lopes, our first double winning captain since 1987, and Andy Brassell, author of 'We Play On' ahead of next week's Conference League game against Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine. This show is dedicated to our good friend David King.

It's our big FAI Cup final show as three-time author and former Cork City player Neal Horgan talks his time with the club and looks ahead to Sunday at Lansdowne Road. Then Robert Goggins and Eoghan Rice, with no less than 10 books between them - including ones about Walkinstown and murder - have plenty of stories of tell in what is the last ever League of Ireland segment of this long-running series. We begin with Greek football expert Alec McQuarrie who has the lowdown on tonight's opponents AEK Athens and recap the league and European games from the last couple of weeks as the Hoops chase a first double in 38 years.

4 games, 3 authors, 2 Rovers podcasts and 1 point still needed. We talk Prague, Kerry, Shels and Pat's during our hiatus as well as Pico making it to the World Cup. Things get super spooky wooky ahead of Halloween with Rovers fan and horror writer Seán O'Connor, and then emotional as Bartley Ramsay and Gary Ferry remember Ollie Horgan and Mark Farren through their own Finn Harps and Derry City books. Slovenian football journalist Jakob Batic returns to warn us that Celje are much better this time around.

We reveal our announcement on the future of TFTES before enjoying the win over Bohs and looking ahead to Prague on Thursday, with the help of Sparta podcaster Michael Durčák. In Memoriam: My Dad Part 2 features Conor Leeson, Kieran Glennon, the Wilkes brothers, Trevor Dunne and Hannah Dunne.

Jason Gaffney fills in for Gar this week to review the Cork and Waterford away games, and give his thoughts on writing for Hoops Scene, the Japan 1975 tour, attendance figures, Matt Healy and Dublin Derbies this season. Alan Campbell, a former teammate of Jason's dad Robbie in the early 80s, guest stars on a new edition of the TFTES Hotline with topics for our 10 callers ranging from Europe, birthdays and injuries to best pints, podcasts and Irish TV series.

Ed McGinty was the hero as Rovers won their FAI Cup quarter-final in Drogheda on penalties. But what about teams and cup competitions that no longer exist? Because that's the theme of our author series this week - purely a coincidence that Rovers travel to Turner's Cross on Friday - featuring Philip O'Rourke's 'Forgotten Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland', and Simon Turner's book called 'Tinpot', with Jim Conroy pitching in with his own memories from Rovers' games against Cork Celtic and Cork Hibs back in the day, and in defunct Irish tournaments like the Shield and Texaco Cup.

We've got thoughts on the Pat Scully show, the Santa Clara and Drogheda wins and the European draw with Prof's birthday in Prague ahead of Friday's Cup quarter-final. And in an international week where Pico looks set to become the only Irish representation at next year's World Cup, relive the infamous 1982 campaign with Paul Little's 'Shattered Dreams, Sliding Doors', before another author, Barry Flynn joins us to talk 'The Little Book of Irish Football',

It's our 2006 season special, with then-manager Pat Scully making a guest appearance in the Four Provinces in front of a live audience. Pat remembers assembling a young team from scratch to take Rovers up from the First Division at the first attempt, training at Stanaway Park up the road in Crumlin, the importance of the opening day win over Dundalk, his speech in Cobh after winning the title, Cup final suits and the Arsenal influence, getting a Bohs and Sunderland B team manager sacked, the Waterford bus story and more, Rovers fans in his taxi over the years and more.

Our fourth author in a row is Brian MacConville with his children's book 'Hoopbee and the Hoops' and his experience in the Azores to see a famous Rovers result in Europe. We remember the great Tommy Hamilton and look ahead to a huge night in Tallaght on Thursday.

We talk getting through to the next round of Europe and the Cup. Miguel L. Pereira, with his book 'Bring Me That Horizon: A Journey to the Soul of Portuguese Football', and Larne marketing officer Christopher Liddle give their expertise on Conference League play-off opponents Santa Clara. Plus: the first of a two-part 'In Memoriam: My Dad' with five sons paying tribute to their late fathers - Nathan Johnston, Ryan McDyer, Peter Keane, Niall Keenan and Mick McCarthy.