Alternative Colchester is where football rivalry meets punk rock passion.
Join Tim Young (Labour councillor, former Colchester mayor, and die hard Ipswich Town fan) and Steve Green (Special Duties founder and long suffering Colchester United supporter) as they prove that two blokes who disagree about football can agree that 1977 changed everything.
They were both in the room when Stiff Little Fingers supported Tom Robinson Band at Essex University in 1978 - they just didn’t know it until 2023. Now they’re bringing that shared punk spirit to the airwaves with fierce football debate, classic tracks from 1976 -1980, and the kind of authentic banter that can only come from forty-plus years of living the life they’re talking about.
One show. Two teams. Five decades of passion. No nostalgia without nuance. This is Alternative Colchester - because like the best punk songs, local football deserves to be loud, honest, and impossible to ignore.
Request a record from 1976-1981 Tim and producer Luke are once again flying the flag for Ipswich Town, while Steve remains firmly in the Colchester United camp — and refuses to accept that the Tractor Boys are any more important than the U’s. Expect plenty of football banter between the three, with the usual good-natured arguments about who really matters in the blue corner of East Anglia. The music this time starts with The Sports’ Who Listens To The Radio, before taking in Menace, The Membe...
17 Sept 2026
Alternative Colchester S2 Ep2
Request a record from 1976-1981 More football banter and punk rock gems including three tracks by Sham 69, an obligatory SLF classic and other nostalgic bursts from 76-81 by the likes of Alternative TV, The Shapes, The Dickies and others. www.alternativecolchester.co.uk
25 Aug 2026
Alternative Colchester Season 2 Episode 1
Request a record from 1976-1981 We're back! After a three month break, Alternative Colchester returns with season two. Tim and Steve are joined live from California by Philip Peters of 1978 punk band The Roomates (Yes one m!!). Usual football chat and general nonsense with classic tracks by the likes of Wire, Modern English, Buzzcocks, Stranglers, Stiff Little Fingers and more. www.alternativecolchester.co.uk
15 May 2026
Alternative Colchester #10
Request a record from 1976-1981 Steve Green recorded episode 10 of Alternative Colchester without his partner in crime, Tim Young, who was unavailable due to health reasons, but he will be back, all guns blazing, for episode 11. Tim had been looking forward to talking about Ipswich's promotion to the Premier League, but not only does producer Luke Fitch carry the Tractor Boys flame in his absence, but the show's guests also include Ipswich's very own Red Flag 77's Rikki Flag and John "Fanny" ...
1 May 2026
Alternative Colchester #9
Request a record from 1976-1981 Episode 9 of Alternative Colchester revisits the years when punk was more than just a sound — it was a statement. Hosted by Steve Green and Tim Young, with guest Professor Jules Pretty, the episode blends nostalgia, attitude, and fresh insight as they explore how punk and environmentalism intersected from 1976 to 1981. The episode explores how punk, between 1976 and 1981, became a tool for resistance and social commentary. Jules selects five tracks that highlig...
17 Apr 2026
Alternative Colchester #8
Request a record from 1976-1981 Episode 8 of Alternative Colchester sees Steve Green and Tim Young welcome Ben Howard from Keep Colchester Cool to the show. Ben fits into the Alternative Colchester setup like a well-worn leather jacket — comfortable, sharp and full of character, with plenty to say about football and punk rock in equal measure. The football chat is particularly rich this week. Colchester United's anticipated takeover by a John Terry-led consortium provides plenty of optimism a...
3 Apr 2026
Alternative Colchester #7
Request a record from 1976-1981 Episode 7 of Alternative Colchester is a slightly longer and particularly special edition, as Steve Green and Tim Young are joined by Dr Anthony Roberts, Director of Colchester Arts Centre and committed Watford fan. Anthony brings not only a wealth of knowledge and passion for the arts but also an extremely eclectic record collection, and it's his choices that help shape one of the most musically adventurous episodes of the series so far. The episode runs a lit...
20 Mar 2026
Alternative Colchester #6
Request a record from 1976-1981 Episode 6 of Alternative Colchester sees your hosts Steve Green and Tim Young back in their natural habitat — no guests, no frills, just two mates with strong opinions, a pile of classic punk singles and plenty to say. The football chat is as passionate and unfiltered as ever, with the latest Colchester United and Ipswich Town fortunes dissected in forensic detail alongside the customary "friendly" rivalry banter, delivered with the kind of impartiality you'd e...
6 Mar 2026
Alternative Colchester #5
Request a record from 1976-1981 In Alternative Colchester episode #5 we're joined by actor, comedian and punk rock fan Tony Gardner. Best known as Brian Johnson in My Parents Are Aliens, Michael in Lead Balloon and Professor Shales in Fresh Meat, Tony has also appeared in Last Tango in Halifax, The Thick of It, Midsomer Murders and much more — oh, and he's a qualified GP. Multi-talented doesn't cover it. But Tony's here because he's one of us: a Colchester United fan, classic punk lover, and ...
20 Feb 2026
Alternative Colchester #4
Request a record from 1976-1981 Joining Steve Green and Tim Young in this week’s episode is David Philp of Automatics fame. David has lived in Los Angeles since the early 80’s and Steve was visiting him so it made sense for Tim and producer Luke Fitch to record as usual from the University of Essex media department in Colchester and hook up with Steve and David in LA. The wonders of modern technology hey! This episode of Alternative Colchester is an extended one in order to find out wha...
6 Feb 2026
Alternative Colchester #3
Request a record from 1976-1981 Another hour of football chat (mainly Colchester United and Ipswich Town) with 10 classic punk tracks from the first wave 1976-1980 as chosen by punk purists Steve Green (Col U) and Tim Young (Tractor Boys) with producer Luke Fitch (Another Tractor Boy) "pitching in" about players and matches that Steve has no recognition of!! For fans of original punk rock music, Stiff Little Fingers, Colchester United and Ipswich Town football clubs. www.alternativecolchester...
22 Jan 2026
Alternative Colchester #2
Request a record from 1976-1981 Alternative Colchester is where football rivalry meets punk rock passion. Join Tim Young (Labour councillor, former Colchester mayor, and long-suffering Ipswich Town fan) and Steve Green (Special Duties founder and die-hard Colchester United supporter) as they prove that two blokes who disagree about football can agree that 1977 changed everything. They were both in the room when Stiff Little Fingers supported Tom Robinson Band at Essex University in 1978...
16 Jan 2026
Alternative Colchester #1
Request a record from 1976-1981 Alternative Colchester is where football rivalry meets punk rock passion. Join Tim Young (Labour councillor, former Colchester mayor, and die hard Ipswich Town fan) and Steve Green (Special Duties founder and long suffering Colchester United supporter) as they prove that two blokes who disagree about football can agree that 1977 changed everything. They were both in the room when Stiff Little Fingers supported Tom Robinson Band at Essex University in 1978...
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