{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Laois Soccer Podcast","title":"From Cricklewood to Clonaslee and on to the Midlands League - Chris Nestor","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3120,"description":"The Laois Soccer Podcast returns and we are joined by a very special guest - Chris Nestor. Chris is the chairman of the Midlands League - the juvenile soccer league comprising of teams from Laois, Westmeath, Offaly plus parts of Roscommon, Tipperary and Galway. But Chris has a fascinating story that has taken him to this point in life. He was born to Irish parents and grew up in Cricklewood, London, where he could see the iconic Wembley arch from his window. Chris and his family relocated to Ireland when he was 12 - and landed in Clonaslee which was something of a culture shock. Having played in England and being an avid Spurs supporter, it wasn't long before Nestor became involved in soccer here. He started as a player in Portlaoise AFC and then quickly moved into the coaching sphere. When the Midlands League formed in 1996, Nestor became involved and became chairman in the early 2000s. This is a role that he still holds and he has overseen a massive expansion of the league which now boasts thousands of players across more than 30 clubs. Chris joined Alan Hartnett and Steven Miller to chat about all of that and much more - including the topic of summer soccer. We also finish with some quickfire questions around the best stadiums Chris has been too, best player he ever seen and the best player he has ever coached.  ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UtxxboW7EgK6AsHo0Ieg5Jtd2lXYz4W_VykHuUVvdLc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9lN2Fk/MjRjYjRhMDY0Mzky/ZTdkMTkyNmI0Y2Jm/ZGQ1YS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}