Podcast · Sport

53 Minutes

Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain explore the exceptional circumstances that allowed a below average footballer to find his way onto football’s most elite stage, the Premier League. Ali Dia - It's a name synonymous with footballing failure. Whether he’s guilty of a con, a hustle, or simply of being

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest: 17 Feb 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

17 Feb 2026 · 2 min

Introducing your new F1 podcast: Up To Speed - Up To Speed

We've got a new podcast we think you'll love. Step inside sport’s greatest soap opera, Formula One, with a brand-new podcast Up To Speed . Hosted by Drive to Survive star Will Buxton, racing driver-turned-broadcaster Naomi Schiff, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, and F1 content creator Jolie Sharpe. Expect razor-sharp reaction, behind-the-scenes insight, blockbuster interviews and answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask! With their deep knowledge, expert analysis and infectious love for racing, Will, Naomi, DC & Jolie dive into the stories that matter - on and off the…

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Earlier episodes 9 most recent

E7 · 30 Sep 2025 · 2 min
Introducing: Coining It
If you enjoyed 53 Minutes, we think you'll love Coining It - your next podcast fix. It's the wild story of broke, restless man, stuck in a life going nowhere - until he discovers a glitch in a Bitcoin trading platform that begins pouring millions into his account. How far would you go if the money felt endless? And what would it cost when it finally ran out? Lewis Goodall explains more about the true story of a man who found a crack in the system and pulled his whole world through it. All episodes available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for 'Coining It'.
23 Apr 2025 · 6 min
1. Who Killed Vine? - Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World
Launched in 2013 after an early buyout by Twitter, Vine quickly grew into one of the fastest growing platforms on the internet. The app created an entirely new category of online content: short, user-generated videos. It became the home of online creativity, birthed beloved memes and viral trends, and introduced a whole new generation of celebrity: the influencer. So, how did an app that was ten steps ahead die only three years after launch? Credits: Benedict Townsend - Host & Creator Mary Goodhart - Producer & Creator Kevyah Cardoso - Narrative & Creative Producer Patrick Lee - Sound Design…
E6 · 23 Apr 2024 · 35 min
6. Souness Speaks!
Graeme Souness hasn’t spoken much about bringing Ali Dia to Southampton and putting him on the pitch. In this final episode, he gives an exclusive interview about what really went down when Ali Dia came to town, while Josh and Dara have discovered the latest about Ali himself. If you've enjoyed 53 minutes, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen to hundreds of other amazing podcasts on Global Player, for free. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
E5 · 16 Apr 2024 · 27 min
5. Who IS Ali Dia?
Ali Dia disappeared from the public eye almost as quickly as he appeared in it, and for over a quarter of a century he’s been a footballing recluse. Josh and Dara hear from some of the people who know the most about the man behind the myth. If you're enjoying the series, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
E4 · 9 Apr 2024 · 36 min
4. The Morning After
Against all odds, Ali Dia has now become a Premier League footballer, if only for a fleeting moment. Questions are being asked about who he is and where he’s come from, and this is where the myth of Ali as 'a hoaxer or a prankster' implodes. If you're enjoying this series, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
E3 · 2 Apr 2024 · 38 min
3. Matchday
It’s one thing to blag your way into a football club for a trial. It’s something else entirely to find yourself stepping onto the pitch during an actual Premier League match. So what exactly happened in the run-up to Ali Dia making his infamous appearance for Southampton against Leeds in November 1996? Josh and Dara investigate the run-up to matchday. If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
E2 · 26 Mar 2024 · 33 min
2. Secret Agents
The mid-90s were a wild time in football. Regulations were loose, players could still be seen in your local boozer and clubs themselves were easier to access. Josh and Dara explore how these were the perfect conditions for someone purporting to be footballing legend George Weah to phone Southampton and offer them their “cousin” – Ali Dia. If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
E1 · 19 Mar 2024 · 30 min
1. Hustler, Hoaxer or Hero?
Ali Dia is the Premier League’s most mysterious and misunderstood footballer. But what’s the truth about his infamous appearance for Southampton in November 1996? More than 25 years on, does he deserve his reputation as “the worst Premier League player of all time”? Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain unpick the truth from the myth. If you like what you hear, please do leave a rating and a review. Don't forget, you can listen on Global Player. Download it from the App Store, or head to globalplayer.com
12 Mar 2024 · 3 min
53 Minutes: Kicking Off 19th March
Ali Dia - it's a name synonymous with footballing failure. How did a below average footballer find his way onto the sport's most elite stage, the Premier League? Josh Widdicombe and Dara Ó Briain preview their new 6-part podcast series, in which they unearth the weird and wonderful truth behind the biggest mystery in football history. The series kicks off on Tuesday 19th March.

About 53 Minutes

53 Minutes is a English sport podcast from Global. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Global
Language: English
Category: Sport
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest episode: 17 Feb 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1735409712

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