7 Years 62 days - Bottled It7 Years 62 days - Bottled It
I'm Quitting Alcohol
Comedian David Boyle shares a raw, funny snapshot of watching England lose, his son confronting elite Spanish football standards, and his own battle with a manual hire car in Spain. Through sports, parenting and everyday frustration, he reflects on the reality checks that come with long-term sobriety.
7:57•16 Jul 2026
Football Failures, Manual Mayhem and Sober Reality Checks
Episode Overview
- Experiencing football at a higher standard can be a useful reality check for kids and parents alike.
- Recognising true skill and technique challenges assumptions about being "good enough" in any field.
- Using alternative car hire options can significantly cut costs, even if it adds some logistical stress.
- Persisting through discomfort, like repeatedly stalling a manual car, builds confidence over time.
- Small daily challenges help keep life grounded and prevent slipping into a delusional view of one’s abilities.
“"These are the things you've got to do so you don't live in some fucking weird delusional state of mind unreality."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? In this short, sweary and sharply funny instalment of "I'm Quitting Alcohol", comedian David Boyle mixes football drama, parenting reality checks and the everyday chaos of life abroad to show what long-term sobriety can feel like. Set in a "dodgy area of Madrid", Boyle recounts watching England "bottle" the semi-final while Argentina and Spain show a different level of skill.
That contrast flows straight into his day: taking his ten-year-old son to football training in scorching 34-degree Spanish heat, only to realise just how intense local standards are. His son, "pretty good for an Australian 10-year-old" and "decent for an American 10-year-old", suddenly looks "absolute dog shit for a fucking Spain" and ends up throwing up behind the dugout.
Boyle uses the moment as a kind of sober reality check, laughing at his own DIY coaching style ("I've just been drilling balls at him as hard as I can and saying fucking deal with it") while admitting the "technique" and "artistry" he’s been missing. It’s a reminder that growth can sting a bit, whether it's football skills or giving up booze.
The episode then shifts to his mission to save money on car hire with a peer-to-peer app, and his painful attempt to drive a manual, diesel car on the opposite side of the road. He stalls "about eight times" just leaving the car park and repeatedly at lights and on the freeway, but keeps at it, gradually adjusting old habits.
Through football failures, parenting mishaps and grinding through discomfort, Boyle lands on a bigger point: "these are the things you've got to do so you don't live in some fucking weird delusional state of mind unreality." If you like your sobriety talk mixed with humour, sport and straight-up honesty, this one’s worth your five minutes. What small reality checks are you facing on your own sober journey?
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