Hospital Ball

Dipo Akinyemi: From Deliveroo to Delivering Goals (Episode 100)

Hospital Ball welcomes York City striker Dipo Akinyemi for the 100th episode of the podcast.In this in-depth interview, Dipo reflects on his professional journey — from his early career at Stevenage, through a series of character-building loan spells, before finding his feet at Welling United and getting his career back on track.A move north of the border to Ayr United followed, where a spectacular first season saw Matt Uggla break the York City transfer record to bring Dipo to the LNER Community Stadium.Although his stay with the Minstermen lasted only two seasons, his impact was keenly felt by supporters. Here, Dipo talks candidly about his affection for York City, his relationship with the fans, and his departure from the club last year.This special milestone episode is sponsored by long-time supporter Ol Crabtree.If you enjoy the Hospital Ball podcast, please consider donating to our charity via justgiving.com/yorkhospitalradio.Original artwork image created by Tom Poole.

Gary “The Ghost” Swann: York City’s Ultimate Cult Hero & Playoff Legend (S14 Ep5)

Our final episode in this series on cult heroes features perhaps the ultimate York City cult hero – Gary SwannBorn in York, Gary began his footballing career at Hull City, where he rose through the ranks to become a first-team regular, achieving two promotions over six seasons. He then moved to Preston North End, adding another promotion to his career achievements, before joining York City on a free transfer in 1992.At Bootham Crescent, Gary became an integral part of John Ward’s side and secured his place in Minstermen folklore with his vital goals in the playoffs. He later went on to play for Scarborough and enjoyed spells in Hong Kong and China before retiring from the game.This interview was conducted by Dan Tait and edited/produced by James Charters.If you’ve enjoyed this podcast series, please consider supporting us by donating via York Hospital Radio’s JustGiving page.

Paul Stephenson: the highs and lows of a life in football (S14 Ep4)

In 1995, Paul Stephenson arrived at Bootham Crescent for a bargain £35,000. His dazzling skill and quick feet made an instant impact on York City supporters. Despite battling injuries in his first season, he played a key role in the club’s famous League Cup triumph over Premier League side Everton in 1996 and became a firm fan favourite during his three seasons at the club. In this exclusive interview, Paul reflects on his years with the Minstermen and his remarkable football journey. Starting out in Newcastle United’s youth ranks alongside Paul Gascoigne, he earned England youth honours before breaking into the first team at St James’ Park and then enjoying successful spells with Millwall and Brentford. His move to York City was followed by a return to his native North East, where he closed out a career of over 500 appearances with Hartlepool United.Paul speaks candidly about the highs and lows of professional football — from unforgettable victories to the mental and physical challenges of long injury layoffs. This is a heartfelt and insightful conversation for anyone who loves the game, hosted by Dan Tait and produced by James Charters.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting our charity at: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio

Bonus Pod: Paul Bowser talks Bootham Crescent books

This special mid-series bonus episode features York City FC historian and author Paul Bowser.Paul has just released Part Three of his acclaimed trilogy, Bootham Crescent: A Second Home, and joins Hospital Ball to discuss his lifelong support of the club and the lengthy but rewarding journey of writing the books.The third volume is a 370-page A4 hardback covering the years 1993 to 2025 — documenting the final decades at the beloved Bootham Crescent ground, as well as the first four dramatic years at the LNER Community Stadium.📘 Order your copy of the book here:https://www.tooab.com/2025/02/10/volume-three-of-bootham-crescent-book-trilogy/

York City Cult Hero Jon Challinor on Near Misses, Wembley Redemption, and England Seniors Success (S14 Ep3)

When Jon Challinor came on as a half time sub for Kettering against York City, his only intentions were to help preserve some pride for the poppies having being 4-0 down at the time. By the end of the match Gary Mills felt he was the best player on the pitch, by the end of the week he was a York City player and by the end of the season he was a double Wembley winner. This came after three near misses with promotions to the football league. This podcast covers the ups and downs of a career that has included going out to America as a young pro to scoring in a World Cup final for England Seniors. This interview was conducted by Dan Tait, edited and produced by James Charters. If you enjoy these podcasts please consider donating to https://www.justgiving.com/charity/yorkhospitalradio