David France, a football philanthropist and previous owner of the world’s largest football memorabilia collection, is the guest on the latest episode of the EPL Talk Podcast.
France has an incredible story to tell about the 20 years he spent traveling the world and assembling the most amazing and comprehensive collection of memorabilia items for any English football club. It’s a wonderful heart-warming story and a must-listen.
In the interview you’ll learn so much about:
- The history of football and some of the characters who were pivotal in the development of the game,
- What the collection taught him about people in general as well as the sport of football,
- The legend of Dixie Dean and what the man was like and what a marvel he was on the football pitch,
- What items in his collection related to clubs other than Everton are priceless,
- The legacy that is left by this collection,
- Why he spent incredible amounts of money and traveled 4 million frequent flyer miles,
- The story behind how he founded the Everton Collection,
- and much more.
Similar to the recent interview with Peter Lupson where he told the story of the beginnings of Everton and Liverpool FC, the interview with France delves into topics such as the soul of football and how the sport has changed so much since its roots.
Note that the interview is a long one. In fact, I believe it’s the longest one I’ve ever done with a running time of more than one hour, but this was by choice as France had so many wonderful stories to tell that I could have gone on for hours. The hour of your time is definitely worth it to listen to this incredible fan of English football who has lived in the United States for a large part of his life. I honestly believe that out of the more than 100 interviews I’ve conducted for the EPL Talk Podcast, that this one is one of the most exhilarating ones I’ve done and is therefore a must-listen for EPL Talk listeners and readers.
To accompany the interview, be sure to browse through the Everton Collection website which features a treasure trove of wonderful football artifacts, many of which have been digitized and available for viewing online for free. If you’re fortunate to live in England or have plans to travel there in the near future, be sure to visit the Everton Collection exhibit at the Liverpool Record Office near the city center.
Be sure not to miss a single episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, the only Premier League interview show on the Internet. We have a long list of high-profile guests scheduled over the next weeks each with their own fascinating stories to tell. Subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast via iTunes or visit EPL Talk or the archives for the latest episodes.
