Ash Soden
Blog Writer and Podcast guest
Nottingham
A 2022 draft pick out of the University of Nottingham, Ash has more dad jokes than Bob Quinn had draft busts. He began supporting the Lions after being strong-armed by his school friends into joining a Madden Mobile league in 2014, choosing them as his team as he found similarities to his first love of Aston Villa and his hometown of Birmingham. Since then, he's gone to university and failed to make the American football team after an American scholar made him look silly by Odell'ing the ball when Ash was covering him as part of his try-out at FS. Now he's set his heart on going to America to get his PhD while also trying out as a walk-on (or at least being able to go to a college game in-person instead of staying up till 5:30am watching a lagging stream to see his Noles smash LSU). He is also taking bets on what happens first: the Lions winning a playoff game, FSU winning the ACC, Aston Villa winning the FA Cup, or him becoming a professor of Ancient History. Odds are currently in favour of the first option.
Articles by Ash Soden
Saints @ Lions Game Preview
To quote Fabrizio Romano; “Here We Go”. It’s Week 1, and our Lions are coming out of their den on the hunt for a Super Bowl.
Preview · 2 days ago
Detroit Lions Rookie Scheme Fits
The 2026 NFL Draft is behind us, and the Lions went with a high-floor strategy, taking players who seem to have set roles in the scheme as soon as the
Draft · 4 months ago
Lions @ Eagles Game Preview
Breaking down Detroit's trip to Philadelphia — the matchups that matter and what it'll take to leave with a win.
Preview · 9 months ago
Bucs @ Lions Game Preview
A look at how the Lions match up against Tampa Bay heading into kickoff, from the trenches to the secondary.
Preview · 10 months ago
Lions @ Chiefs Game Preview
Our take on the Lions' clash with Kansas City, covering the key positional battles and a score prediction.
Preview · 11 months ago
Knight (Jr.) Rider
The Lions' conquest of the AFC North continues with the final of their three-week stand against the rival division. This week, they make the trek to C
Preview · 11 months ago
No Beating About the (Devin) Bush
Well, no one expected that on Monday Night Football, did they? (Okay, okay, you and Nick Shook both had us beating the Ravens in your official predict
Preview · 11 months ago
Pack It Up, Pack It In
Well, we're finally here, football fans. Week 1 of the 2025 season is finally upon us, and that sweet, sweet adrenaline of a victory is there for the
Preview · 1 year ago
Ash's Practice Squad Wishlist
So, the Lions finally made their initial roster cuts. It was definitely more cuts than we were anticipating, with some definite shocks. However, you d
Analysis · 1 year ago
Pre-gaming the Preseason
Long time, no see, dear readers. It is I, Lord Whistleblown, your favourite (?) British NFL writer who is between the ages of 25 and 27 and plays blit
Preview · 1 year ago
Campbell's SAM Soup
This past week, Matt, Ant and I profiled some potential fits for the Lions at the edge position; be it as a big end, a rush end or a SAM linebacker. S
Draft · 1 year ago
What the Heck is Gonna Happen?
It's nearly the end of the regular season. There are two games left and two more scalps to potentially claim. This one is a big one, though: on nation
Preview · 1 year ago
Line Dancing Until They Pack It In
In this edition of the Roar of the Lions UK game preview, we will be focusing on the lines and how we can try to overcome the injuries we have sustain
Preview · 1 year ago
Got the Turkey Sweat(s)
Happy Thanksgiving, you beautiful lot. While we might not be wearing our throwbacks, which are some good unis, we perhaps won't want a throwback to ho
Preview · 1 year ago
Striking Gould
We'll have Indiana Nights on our screens tomorrow, for a 1 pm kickoff (or 6 pm for us UK folks), as our Lions travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on t
Preview · 1 year ago
Decrypting the Morse Code
It's the Mac Attack this week, as the Trevor Lawrence-less Jags come to Ford Field to become the next victims in our march to the Super Bowl. Of cours
Preview · 1 year ago
I Would Love It If We Beat Them
Once a year or so, I decide to drop some random British meme as the theme of the preview article. This is that time this year. This man is Kevin Keega
Preview · 1 year ago
The Titanomachy
For once, I am not giving you a bad pun based on a player's name. Instead, I'm going mythological, and using my Masters in Classics for the title. Lik
Preview · 1 year ago
Sleeping Like a Beebe
In the words of CJ, oh s**t, here we go again... Just like clockwork, we must once again travel to Jerry World to face the Cowgirls. But our fates may
Preview · 1 year ago
Be Stille My Beating Heart
It's Week 2 and our Lions have yet another matchup from last year's playoffs on their plates
Preview · 1 year ago
No Risk It, No Fiske-It
Yes, yes, it's another bad pun title. But it could have been worse. Other titles in consideration were "I Know Every Line and Verse", "Let's Con-Verse
Preview · 2 years ago
Answering Some Questions
Over the past few weeks, the Lions fandom has been debating a few topics on Twitter (I'm never gonna call it X) centred around the makeup of the roste
News · 2 years ago
A Wildgoose Chase
It's the final week of the preseason, and we're finally at home after two weeks on the road. It'll be another tough physical battle as we welcome the
Preview · 2 years ago
Robbing the Banks
Here we are, folks. Win this game, and we're in the Super Bowl. Lose, and we go back home with our tails behind our legs. For once, historical precede
Preview · 2 years ago
(H)All or Nothing
I think it's safe to say this is most, if not all, Lions fans right now; We got a lot of things off our back last Sunday, much like a modern-day Atlas
Preview · 2 years ago
Tasty Bit of (C.J.) Ham
I know, I know, we played the Vikings two weeks ago. So why am I doing yet another game preview for them, when not much will have changed?
Preview · 2 years ago
Hock Around the Clock
This Sunday, the Lions could do something they have never done in my 25 years and 1 week of existence. The fact the Lions could win the division for t
Preview · 2 years ago
Nothing in Life is Surtain
The title might seem a little doom-and-gloom but you know I have to force a pun in there somewhere
Preview · 2 years ago
See Ya Later, Slater
As we come out of the bye and head cross-country to face the Chargers, so too do the game preview articles emerge from their week's hibernation as a n
Preview · 2 years ago
Tea and Hobbs-Nobs
So I'm not talking about last week. I think pretty much everyone reading this took the fattest of Ls as no one could have expected that performance un
Preview · 2 years ago
Not This Time, You Mother-Tucker
5-1, undefeated on the road, joint-best record in the league... if the other shoe is going to drop, it's on our opponent's head
Preview · 2 years ago
Chicken Tikka Zavala
You thought I was going to make a pun based on Bryce, huh? Forever Young? Only the Good Die Young? Young, Wild and Free? Or the former jewel of my hea
Preview · 2 years ago
Reed All About It
On Sunday, our defence stood up against a QB who practically is a rookie. Tomorrow, they might need to again to show Love Stinks.
Preview · 2 years ago
Rice, Rice Baby
Welcome to Season 2 of my (unhinged) game preview articles, hopefully with less words and more goodness
Preview · 3 years ago
How to Solve the Nickel Pickle
As we enter the off-season, one of the big questions that loom large over the team is what to do about the nickelback position. Last season, this was
Analysis · 3 years ago
Looking Back (At When We First Met)
Now that the Super Bowl has passed, and the off-season has begun, we can take the opportunity to look back and review our performance this season. Wha
Analysis · 3 years ago
Green with Envy of the Honolulu Blue
Week 18. Lambeau Field. Sunday Night Football. A chance to keep K-Aaron Rodgers out of the playoffs. Who would have thought it would come down to this
Preview · 3 years ago
Fields of Nightmares
So Santa has us on his naughty list. I can't imagine why; we're the best team in football. Instead of getting a nice present, we were run over like Gr
Preview · 3 years ago
Same Darn-old Story
We stand in a unique position. For the first time since the Caldwell era, we are playing meaningful football in December. And if we win this week, and
Preview · 3 years ago
Hock-out Blow
For once in a long time, we stand on the precipice of playing the role of spoiler, the destroyer of dreams, the vanquisher of divisional hopes. This w
Preview · 3 years ago
Yer Da Sells Tr-Avon
We were so close to getting some roast bison (thank you Brad Boughner for correcting me on my vernacular on what meat buffalo gives you), but those pe
Preview · 3 years ago
Bills, Bills, Bills
Our Lions enter Thanksgiving week off the back of a win for the first time since 2018, and off a win streak for the first time since 2017 (also off a
Preview · 3 years ago
Rodgering A-A-Ron
As I began to write this on trade deadline day, I contemplated the Green Bay Packers to the soundtrack of their fans screeching like a squeaker in an
Preview · 3 years ago
Tua Cool for School
Okay, even I can't be wholly positive these days. Our defence has taken a step forward, especially with the return of Paschal allowing Hutch to be mor
Preview · 3 years ago
Dak to the Future
So we exit the bye and have our longest away trip of the season with a flight to Arlington, TX on the cards. I could have been hasty and Rushed into t
Preview · 3 years ago
NFL Wars Episode IV: Fall of Seahawk-er
Okay, okay. So the Lions disappointed us last week against the Vikes (curse you, Austin Seibert and your right hip abductor!). This week, we welcome R
Preview · 3 years ago
NFL Wars Episode III: A New Cope
We look at Minnie Mouse-sota's roster, how they've fared so far, see which matchups we can exploit, and make some spicy predictions
Preview · 3 years ago
NFL Wars Episode II: The Phantom Wentz
Soooooo, I was off with some (okay, okay, most) of my predictions for Week 1. I am sorry, and I will endeavour to do better this week. This week, we w
Preview · 3 years ago
NFL Wars Episode I: Revenge of the Pride
Last season's game against the Philly Eagles was so bad that the coaches literally buried the tape. Well, AG has to get his shovel out and uncover the
Preview · 4 years ago
Reporting from the Front Lines
During the off-season, much was made of the coaches saying they were changing the front of the defence. Last season, we were still running the two-gap
Preseason · 4 years ago
I Could Try and Be Punny, But There Are No PG Jokes I Can Make Here
Don't worry, this isn't just a random piece. This is an in-depth look at our pick at 177th overall in the fifth round, James Mitchell, TE out of Virgi
Draft · 4 years ago
Draftee Profile- Kerby Joseph
I set out to win you over with this film breakdown and show you why you should be excited about the pick of Kerby Joseph 97th overall.
Draft · 4 years ago
2022 NFL Draft - Some Mid-Round LB and TE Targets
As we approach the draft, talk around which prospects our Lions should take is heating up. For the most part, this talk is currently centred around ou
Draft · 4 years ago
Why the Lions Should Draft Kyle Hamilton
It might seem like I am just piggybacking onto a trend by writing this. In a recent episode of the PFF Tailgate podcast (Ep. 279), the hosts briefly d
Draft · 4 years ago
Introducing New Writer - Ash Soden
Hello, I am Ash. I’m one of the new writers for ROTL UK. I’m 23 and from Birmingham, though I now live in Nottingham and will hopefully be moving acro
News · 4 years ago