A LIFELONG Southend United fan has teamed up with a world-renowned drummer to launch a new football podcast with a host of big-name guests lined up. 

Piers Hewitt, from Billericay, is launching the podcast alongside Chris Wood, drummer for Brit Award winning band Bastille. 

The first episode of the “Away Days” podcast launched yesterday featuring a guest appearance from Soccer AM star Helen Chamberlain as the hosts shared stories of their journeys up and down the country watching their beloved teams. 

Piers, a drummer himself with band The Boxer’s Rebellion, has been a Southend United season ticket holder since 1989 and has travelled the length of the country watching the Blues home and away. 

(Image: Away Days)

He said the idea to start the podcast had been milling around his head for a while, and he and long-time friend, Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, had decided to start it up “a few weeks ago",

“There’s something different about away days,” Piers said. 

“Getting up to when I first started watching Southend, we got relegated, then promoted again and again. It was a pretty easy sell for me growing up, I don’t know what I would have thought now.

“I love travel and we just wanted to do a podcast on away days. Within half an hour, we convinced the editing team, they were up for it.

“There is a unique stance to Helen that we wanted to have on the show. She was very funny and informative. It is a shame we can only have these guests on once, I would have loved to have her on again.”

Speaking fondly of one of his away days Mr Hewitt looked back on a trip to Oxford United, where, as a 16-year-old, he recalled being “pumped up” for a day that turned out to be quite rotten.

(Image: Away Days)

He said he and his friends were buzzing to attend before his team were “trounced” five nil, and he had too many drinks following this.

He added he walked through town ironically chanting about Southend, before being “walloped” for the first and only time on an away day by a local.

“It’s a bad memory that’s become a good story, I have been back nine times since, but none as bad as that,” Piers said.

Guests for the show’s first season will include Capital Breakfast host Chris Stark (Watford), comedian Chloe Petts (Crystal Palace), Starsailor singer James Walsh (Liverpool), podcaster and Quickly Kevin star Chris Scull (West Ham) and You Me At Six singer Josh Franceschi (Arsenal).

He said guests could also include Sky Sports presenter Claire Tomlinson, Steve White, comedian Maisie Adam, and Dom Joly.