Скачать или смотреть All Whites Head Coach on FIFA World Cup 2026, Auckland FC & Chris Wood Putting Football on the Map

Darren Bazeley is the coach of the All Whites and has been one of the key figures in New Zealand Football across the last 15 years.

In this episode we hear the best stories from his 400+ games of professional football in England, what he learned from Graham Taylor and Anthony Hudson, what went wrong with the NZ Knights and what’s going right with Auckland FC, and we put some context around Chris Wood’s incredible season in England.

In the second half we talk about the All Whites, who are on the cusp of qualifying for their first World Cup in 16 years, the current state of football in New Zealand and what the All Whites coach really does.

As the OG Between Two Beers listeners will know, we started as a football podcast, and it was great to go back to our roots in this one and chat through Darren’s remarkable path to the top of NZ Football.

0:35 Steve v Darren on the football pitch
6:40 Thoughts on Chris Wood
14:20 Back to the start of a 20-year professional career
27:54 Watford: promotions, playoffs at Wembley, Graham Taylor, and Elton John
44:30 Turning down the Premier League for Wolves, connecting with Neil Emblen, and injury
57:05 A chance meeting with Danny Hay at Walsall leads to the New Zealand
1:02:00 Compare and contrast: New Zealand Knights v Auckland FC
1:05:55 Setting up home in New Zealand and transitioning into coaching
1:10:57 16 years of coaching New Zealand's best young talent
1:18:09 The Hudson years: Confederations Cup, fun and games in Peru
1:25:18 The challenge of trying to qualify for the world cup
1:29:23 Getting the top job
1:35:30 The ins and outs of the All Whites
1:46:38 Future gazing for football
1:49:15 Inside the dressing room of the All Whites
1:56:36 Last words from Steve, Seamus and Darren