The modern Mr Luton: Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu
The Game
The Times
3.2 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 20 November 2023
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In a special episode of The Game Tom Clarke is joined by regulars Gregor Robertson and Jonathan Northcroft as they speak to special guest Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu about his life and career.
Pelly is the first player to play for the same club from the national league through to the Premier league. Following ten years at the club, he is now mentioned alongside Luton legend Mick Hartford and has a mural, song and type of honey all created in his honour.
On the pitch he has played under an England manager and in a Wembley final. This is a chance to hear more from one club man Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu.
Timeline:
2’ start of career. Belmont and Boreham Wood.
6’ West Ham and playing for Allardyce.
8’ Dec 2013…on loan to Luton. Shock compared to Luton and Boreham Wood.
10’ John Still 100 goals and hundred points.
11’ Debut at Staines in the cup. Playing out of position at centre half.
18’ injuries and adjusting to the demands of regular league football.
21’ Nathan Jones. Great guy spoke a really good game, good tactically. Great use of data.
22’ Near misses and promotion to league one.
28’ Tough first season in the championship. Manager coming and going. The return of Nathan Jones.
30’ Footballers during covid.
33’ Nathan Jones leaves again. Pelly stays…why?
38’ loyalty to Luton and the opportunities they have given him.
40’ fairy tales…getting to the premier league.
41’ What’s the difference in the premier league.
45’ difference between levels. League one, championship, premiership. In the prem ever chance is taken.
48’ the fans don’t change
50’ I think I’m a good player actually.
Reflection on promotion season and the arrival of Rob Edwards.
55’ Wembley and nerves who do you celebrate with.
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Transcript
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| 0:42.0 | Barocca contains vitamin C, B vitamins 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and magnesium and zinc. Hello and welcome to a very special episode of the game football podcast from The Times. |
| 1:04.0 | I'm Tom Clark and I'm joined by Sunday Times Football Correspondent Jonathan Northcroft |
| 1:08.4 | and former footballer turned journalist Gregor Robertson. But today is not about any of us because we're also |
| 1:15.0 | joined by a very special guest he's played in the National League |
| 1:19.3 | League 2 League 1 the championship and now the Premier League and he's done it all with the same club, Luton, town. |
| 1:28.0 | Incredible achievement, especially when you consider that he's the first player ever to do so. |
| 1:34.0 | Peli, Ruddock and Panzu, welcome to the game podcast. |
| 1:38.0 | Hello, thank you, thank you for having me and I'm glad to be here. |
| 1:40.0 | Yeah, I mean can I just say I'm going to let Johnny and Gregor kind of lead the questioning and we're going to talk through your remarkable career already I've got to say |
| 1:48.0 | But just to start a thank you from me because at the start of every podcast I have to do a little intro where I explain |
| 1:54.4 | who the guys are and I'm challenged each week to try and come up with a different fact from |
| 1:58.8 | Gregor's career and I can safely say that that fact about you will trump any that I can possibly find about him. |
... |
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