Foul Play

About Foul Play

Ed is the grandson of footballing legend Gordon Banks. He was a national icon, the only goalkeeper ever to win the soccer World Cup for England. But Ed’s heard a rumour: that in 1970, while defending the title, his granddad, his hero, was poisoned… by the CIA. All part of a Cold War plot to bolster a military dictatorship in Latin America, supposedly. Could this possibly be true? Banks did get ill in Mexico in 1970 with food poisoning. And England crashed out, marking the start of decades of hurt. Ed enlists the help of investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse. Together they embark on a journey into the bewildering world of Cold War espionage, a journey that threatens to unravel 60 years of sporting history; or possibly… to knock Ed’s granddad off his pedestal. Episodes 1 & 2 out May 28th, then released weekly. Want to skip the wait between episodes? Subscribe to Audible from launch to binge the entire series in one go - completely ad-free. Foul Play is an Audible Original, produced for Audible by Grayhouse Productions.

Publisher

Audible | Gabriel Gatehouse

Category

society & culture · sports · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 May 2026

Latest episode

2 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

7 of 8 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   2 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   7 | Coming Home

   Investigative journalists Ed and Gabriel reunite to deliver crucial findings to the Banks family, bringing closure to a long-unsolved mystery.

2. 

   25 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   6 | A Case of the Tummies

   Host Gabriel explores the CIA's history with poisons, uncovering compelling evidence in this interview episode.

3. 

   18 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   5 | Mum

   Host Ed is interviewing his mother, Wendy, as she reveals a surprising story that recontextualizes past events surrounding Gordon Banks.

4. 

   11 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   4 | Wilderness of Mirrors

   Host Gabriel uncovers a spy's memoir linking a CIA poisoning plot to the JFK assassination in this gripping interview.

5. 

   4 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   3 | If the River Rumbles

   Investigative journalist Ed and historian Gabriel uncover a shocking conspiracy in Mexico, challenging Ed's belief about his grandfather's fate.

6. 

   28 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   2 | Bogota Bracelet

   Host Ed and guest Gabriel explore the CIA's alleged sabotage of England's World Cup chances and an unsolved footballing mystery.

7. 

   28 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   1 | Men in White Coats

   Investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse interviews Ed and Wendy about the CIA poisoning rumour surrounding legendary goalkeeper Gordon Banks' death.

8. 

   22 May 2026

   Introducing: Foul Play

   Ed Banks investigates the shocking rumor that his legendary grandfather, World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks, was poisoned by the CIA during the 1970 World Cup.

Inside a recent episode

7 | Coming Home

Published 2 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] He contested the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960, but was beaten by John F. Kennedy. And with his ambitions for the highest office put to rest, he served on various Senate committees. And here's the reason why I think Stuart Symington could be a credible source. Way back when this whole thing started, I spoke to my old CIA contact, John Seifer. Here's what he said. There was always the one or two big sort of senators who, you know, were in the know and supportive of the agency and this and that, and he may have been one of them. Symington served on the Senate Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, and members of these committees did occasionally receive classified briefings from the CIA. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.1 / 5

43 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

57 ratings

Questions about Foul Play