Craig Simpson march74sports audio network
76 episodes listed below
Billingham Stars talk with rink-side memory.
Starcast is a Billingham Stars team podcast built around quick recaps, panel chat, and close attention to the league table. It mixes game detail with the familiar texture of local hockey: buses, crowds, weather, food, and the long wait for a home fixture.
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Starcast is the official Billingham Stars podcast, but its appeal comes from sounding less like an announcement sheet and more like a standing hockey table after the weekend. The show tracks the Big Red Machine through regular-season run-ins, playoff weekends, cup finals, road trips, and the long gaps between home games. It is rooted in Billingham. That means the Stars come first, but the view often widens across the NIHL and the regional divisions around it. Blackburn, Deeside, Telford, Widnes, Solihull, Hull, Leeds, Nottingham, Streatham, Slough, Sutton, and the Buccaneers all pass through the conversation when their results matter. The format is practical. A game is named, the score is laid out, the scorers and turning points get their due, and then the panel starts testing what it felt like and what it might mean. Short benches, shootouts, overtime, playoff matchups, league standings, and player form are all regular currency. So are coach trips, soggy nights, rink food, packed crowds, and the strange emotional math of supporting a local hockey club. The panel can be affectionate without going soft. A result can be called flat, a comeback can be admired, and a heavy scoreline can still be treated as something that needs context. Starcast also keeps an eye on the club ecosystem around the Stars, especially the Buccaneers and younger players pushing through. The tone is brisk and conversational, with dry asides sitting beside detailed game notes. Thor's Ice Cream, Billingham Forum, road weekends, and playoff silverware are part of the scenery rather than decoration. The show does not try to make local hockey sound grander than it is. It makes it sound alive. For Stars followers, that is the point: the hockey, the people around it, and the weekly argument over what just happened all belong in the same conversation.
Made for: For Billingham Stars supporters and NIHL followers who want more than scores. It suits listeners who enjoy tactical notes, table talk, away-day colour, and honest local hockey judgement.
What sets it apart: Starcast stands out by treating the whole club weekend as the story: the match, the standings, the coach trip, the crowd, the food, and the feeling after the final buzzer. It is specific to Billingham without losing sight of the wider NIHL picture.
The latest news, information and interviews from within the Big Red Machine! Billingham Stars are defending their Moralee League championship in season 24/25 and Starcast will bring you the news as the squad is assembled and reports and reactions from the games as they happen throughout the season.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Starcast combines committed Billingham Stars coverage with candid NIHL analysis, detailed game discussion and the easy chemistry of regular rink-side voices.
Starcast turns Billingham Stars results into lively, detail-heavy hockey conversation. Craig guides Carol and Jono through performances, scorelines and playoff implications, with enough attention to special teams, squad depth and individual players to explain how a weekend…
One disputed stream commentary becomes the postgame grievance session you didn't know you needed.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A warm season closer with rink-side chat, game detail, and a relaxed look back.
StarCast closes out the Billingham Stars season by looking back on 25-26 and moving through the Steel City Showdown, the Morley final, and the South 1 title game. Craig, Carol, and Jono keep the pace easy, with rink chat, crowd notes, and summer plans folded in.
A brisk Billingham Stars debrief with the league table starting to matter.
This is a plain, useful Billingham Stars update, with the weekend scores and league table carrying most of the load. It moves from Solihull's strong road win to Leeds' rough weekend, then on through the other results and the table changes as the season edges closer to its finish.
Billingham Stars talk that stays close to the rink and gives local fans plenty to chew on.
The March 3 StarCast keeps its focus where it matters: the Blackburn loss, the league roundup, and the road trip ahead. It works best when it stays with the results, from the seven-one defeat at Blackburn to Telford's overtime comeback from five-nil down and Hull's surprise win…
Cup finals, Olympic finals, and a Billingham hockey chat that stays close to the action.
Starcast spends this stretch on cup finals and Olympic finals, and the stakes are clear enough without anyone overexplaining them. The saves, the long-range goals, and the rink atmosphere carry the segment, while Sutton Sting's tie with the Buccaneers and the return to Blackburn…
A loose Billingham Stars catch-up that turns a costly webcast into a pointed complaint.
StarCast spends its time on Billingham Stars business, with Craig joined by Carol and Jono for the usual chat, a quick weather aside, and then the week's games. The tone is loose and familiar.
Munich hockey, argued properly at the table.
Bremerhaven hockey, close enough to feel it.
Cardiff Devils talk, from rinkside reaction to playoff stakes.
Panthers context before and after puck drop.
Inside the Clan, without the polish.
British hockey, argued out by the people inside it.
StarCast closes out season two with a final panel chat about the Billingham Stars and the end of the 25-26 campaign.
This episode of StarCast discusses the end of the Billingham Stars' season after a loss on Easter Sunday, previews upcoming playoffs including the Steensity Showdown, and features an interview with team captain Michael Elda.
This episode discusses the Billingham Stars' playoff progress in the NIHL north, including their recent series against the Telford Tigers and upcoming matches against the league champions.
This episode previews the Billingham Stars' final week of the regular season, upcoming playoffs, and their first home game in a while at Billingham Forum.
StarCast opens with the usual midweek check-in.
StarCast opens on March 3 with the regular season in its final month.
Starcast opens on a quiet Billingham weekend.
Craig welcomes Carol and Jono back to StarCast for the weekly Billingham Stars chat.
This episode of StarCast discusses recent games and upcoming Cup Action for the Billingham Stars ice hockey team, with hosts Carol and Jono providing updates and analysis.
This episode of Starcast discusses the Billingham Stars' Cup semi-finals weekend, upcoming league games, and features an interview with Ben from Zero Pucks Given about NIHL South and crossover play-offs.
This episode of Starcast discusses Billingham Stars' recent ice hockey game in Sheffield, highlights Chris Sykes' achievement in the team's all-time points leader chart, and covers upcoming news and segments.
This episode of StarCast features a Christmas catchup with hosts Carol and Jono discussing holiday gifts, Billingham stars merchandise, and recent sports tournaments in Sheffield.
This episode of Starcast reviews the Billingham Stars' recent game against the Nottingham Lions and previews upcoming matches against Deeside and Whitley, along with discussing results and tables.