Inside Stanchion Pod: Frome’s Fastest-Growing Football Show
- Becky Percival
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
At Fabulous Frome, we love shining a light on the local voices shaping the town’s culture — and Stanchion Pod has quickly become a fan favourite. Football fandom, Frome humour and a WhatsApp group gone wild - that’s the unlikely origin story behind Stanchion Pod, the town’s rapidly rising football show hosted by James, Luke and (usually!) Lee. I sat down with two-thirds of the team to chat about how it all began, why Frome is the perfect home for a football podcast, and how they’ve already racked up 32,000+ YouTube views since launching in August.
Why you’ll love this episode
How a WhatsApp chat turned into Frome’s newest football show
What it’s really like running a grassroots podcast
Exclusive insights into their favourite moments so far
Oh — and I also met their three mascots: Steve McManaman, Tony Adams and Paolo Maldini. Naturally.
How It All Started: Pure Gold From an England Group Chat
What eventually became Stanchion Pod began life as something all too familiar: a chaotic WhatsApp football chat. As James puts it:
“Some of the conversations we had in there were pure gold. We just thought - we need to put this out there.”
The trio work completely different day jobs - a carpenter, a production operative at Andros, and a tarmac worker - but the football chat bound them together. Those daily debates, outrageous takes and tribal rivalries became the foundation of a show that now reaches listeners far beyond Frome.
Football, Fan Culture & Endless Banter
Stanchion Pod covers everything across the football universe:
transfer windows
breaking news
fan culture
club rivalries
international fixtures
the weekly chaos of being a football fan
James follows England home and away, travelling solo to places like Serbia, Naples, Munich and Malta. Their second-ever episode was dedicated entirely to fan culture - from hooligan reputations to the changing behaviour of England supporters.
“Anyone who loves football should check us out,” they told me. “These conversations are exactly the same ones we’d be having anyway - just now other people get involved!”
Why 'Stanchion'? A Name With Proper Football Nostalgia
Naming a podcast is notoriously hard, but the lads landed on something clever, short and rooted in football heritage.
A stanchion is the metal frame connecting the net to the goalposts. Back in the seventies and eighties, if you hit the stanchion, the ball stuck - the ultimate sweet spot.
Pure football poetry.
Frome’s Football Scene: The Perfect Home Turf
For a small town, Frome is buzzing with football life - Frome Town United, Frome Collegians, the Robins, and countless grassroots teams.
“There’s nothing else in this town like it,” the boys said.“Frome is a huge catchment area for football. The community here is thriving.”
They’re also hoping to collaborate with Frome Town soon, thanks to an invite from Alex in the club’s media team.
Growing Fast: 32,000+ Views and a Multi-Platform Presence
In just a few months, Stanchion Pod has exploded across social platforms:
YouTube for full episodes
Spotify for audio and video (their main listenership)
TikTok for fast, high-engagement clips
Instagram + X for broader reach
And when I asked which platform works best?
“TikTok, all day long.”
They don’t bother with Facebook - as Luke says with a grin: “Facebook is great if you want to know how your aunty is!!”
Sponsors, Community & Local Roots
Stanchion Pod is proudly Frome-grown, Frome-made and Frome-backed.
They’re sponsored by:
Hybrid Sports - goalkeeper gloves & grip socks, complete with listener discount
Shouts - a football score-prediction app created by local friends
Having professional sound engineer Harry on board (formerly of The Giant Pod) was “non-negotiable.” And it shows - the audio and production quality is superb.
Funniest Moments So Far
Easily the most controversial moment?
Lee predicting Arsenal would finish fifth.
According to James:
“It’s like saying Singapore will win the World Cup.”
The online comments were… plentiful.
Who’s the Most Overrated Player?
I couldn’t resist asking.
The answer came fast: Bukayo Saka.
Followed by a long explanation involving another player, Florian Wirtz, Premier League stats, and the phrase “star boy.”
Dream Guests & Big Ambitions
David Beckham would be the pinnacle (unlikely but never say never).Ally McCoist would be the ideal “attainable” dream guest - loved, respected, brilliant. And while James and Luke admire big shows like Gary Lineker’s, they stressed something important:
“We tell it how it is. Proper Frome style.”
That authenticity is exactly what sets them apart.
The Mascots
Yes, they really brought mascots to the interview. Introducing:
Steve McManaman
Tony Adams
Paolo Maldini (the favourite)
10/10 commitment.
Follow Stanchion Pod on:
Final Whistle
It was an absolute pleasure talking to James and Luke — warm, funny, passionate, and brilliant ambassadors for the Frome football scene.
If you love football, fan culture, debates, rants, nostalgia or just a bit of Frome charm, give Stanchion Pod a listen. They’re only just getting started, and I’m excited to see how far they’ll go.
Catch the episode on Fabulous Frome or your favourite listening platform — and stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes interviews with the voices shaping our town.
If you are a business and would like to have a Spotlight feature written about you and published on Fabulous Frome, please contact Becky on +44 7793 561696 or email her at becky@fabulousfrome.co.uk. For prices click here.
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