The Claret & Blue Podcast
Hosted by Dan Rolinson
A high-frequency podcast for Aston Villa fans, hosted by local journalists who dissect transfer news, on-field performance, and club finances.
This is a news-driven panel show from the sports desk of a major regional newspaper. The hosts, all professional football journalists and Villa supporters, react to breaking news, analyze transfer rumors, and debate club strategy with the authority of reporters who cover the team daily. Episodes are often structured around specific news items (like a new signing) or recurring segments like the fan mailbag.
“Unlike many fan-led podcasts, Claret & Blue is produced by working journalists, lending their analysis a layer of insider credibility. Its high cadence, with a minimum of four episodes per week during the season, provides near-daily engagement for the most passionate section of the fanbase.”
Who hosts this show
Claret & Blue is an Aston Villa-centric podcast from Birmingham Live, hosted by journalists Dan Rolinson, Mat Kendrick, and John Townley. Rolinson is a Football Multimedia Producer for Reach PLC, Kendrick is the Head of Sports Specialists, and Townley is the dedicated Aston Villa reporter. As lifelong Villa fans, they provide multiple episodes per week covering transfer news, match analysis, and financial rules, often incorporating fan questions from their mailbag segment.
Credentials & credits
- Dan Rolinson: Football Multimedia Producer, Reach PLC
- Mat Kendrick: Head of Sports Specialists, Birmingham Live / Reach PLC
- John Townley: Aston Villa Reporter, Birmingham Live
- Affiliated with Birmingham Live
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01Championship talent spotting, Bogarde's future & Emerson Royal defenceJun 26, 2026 · 34 min
- 02ASTON VILLA TRANSFERS: Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Bergvall & Emerson RoyalJun 24, 2026 · 24 min
- 03The "Big Six" rant, a strange Arsenal DM & pre-season plansJun 22, 2026 · 49 min
- 04Aston Villa's 26/27 Premier League FIXTURES analysedJun 19, 2026 · 17 min
- 05Pantomime pundits, transfer surprises & ticket challengesJun 17, 2026 · 43 min
- 06Number 10 Tielemans, Villa Park naming rights & Villa in the World CupJun 15, 2026 · 50 min
- 07The signings required to take Aston Villa to the next levelJun 11, 2026 · 29 min
- 08Will Emi Martinez leave Aston Villa this summer?Jun 10, 2026 · 27 min
Notable episodes
- 01The "Big Six" rant, a strange Arsenal DM & pre-season plans
Showcases the hosts' passionate defense of Villa against the perceived arrogance of bigger clubs and their engagement with online fan culture.
- 02ASTON VILLA TRANSFERS: Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Bergvall & Emerson Royal
A typical episode format focusing on detailed analysis of specific, timely transfer rumors, which is a core pillar of the show's content.
- 03Championship talent spotting, Bogarde's future & Emerson Royal defence
Highlights the popular 'Mailbag' segment, where the hosts tackle a variety of fan-submitted questions on topics from scouting to player futures.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is a co-host panel show and does not feature guest interviews. The format is a conversation between two or three hosts, who are all journalists covering the club. They analyze news, debate topics, and answer questions submitted by their audience via a 'Mailbag' segment, but they do not conduct interviews with external figures.
The show is a conversational co-hosted panel, never a guest interview. Episodes often begin with light-hearted, off-topic banter before diving into the main Villa news. The hosts frequently engage with live audience comments and use questions from their 'Mailbag' segment to structure discussions.
Signature segments
- · Mailbag Q&A
- · The Wednesday Club
- · Poddymoor Heath
- · The "Big Six" Rant
Topics covered repeatedly
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast has recurring sponsorships with brands like NordVPN and the eSIM provider Saily, which are read by the hosts. These appear to be consistent, integrated partnerships.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Dan Rolinson
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of the Claret & Blue podcast?
- The main hosts are Dan Rolinson, Mat Kendrick, and John Townley, who are all football journalists for Birmingham Live and its parent company, Reach PLC.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's a co-hosted panel show where two or three of the hosts discuss the latest Aston Villa news, transfer rumors, and answer fan questions. It does not feature guest interviews.
- How often are new episodes released?
- The podcast releases a minimum of four new episodes per week during the Premier League season, with a slightly reduced cadence during the off-season.
- Is this an official Aston Villa podcast?
- No, it is not an official club podcast. It is produced by Birmingham Live, a regional news outlet that covers the team.
- How can I submit a question to the show?
- The hosts run a regular 'Mailbag' segment and provide a Google Form link in their episode descriptions for listeners to submit questions.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast providers.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Dan Rolinson - Birmingham Livebirminghammail.co.uk
- [02]Mat Kendrick - Birmingham Livebirminghammail.co.uk
- [03]John Townley - Birmingham Livebirminghammail.co.uk
- [04]Claret & Blue podcast - Birmingham Livebirminghammail.co.uk
- [05]Claret & Blue Podcast | Free Listening on Podbean Apppodbean.com
- [06]Claret & Blue Live Podcast at Hockley Social Clubdesignmynight.com
- [07]Birmingham Live football editor lifts the lid on the changing role of the sports journalistbehindthebyline.home.blog
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