The Second Captains Podcast

Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson are at daggers drawn over Saudi Arabia, in a row that appears to have rather more legs than the latest inane ramblings of Brooks Koepka and/or Bryson DeChambeau.And this weekend seemed like a pretty weird time for ex-Dublin players to be taking to print to tell us about the various failings of Mayo football, but Murph has some thoughts on why sporting losses are not always down purely to moral failure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would Eoin be able to get more than two touches of the ball in a half of Premier League football? Clearly it depends on the extent to which he was prepared to sacrifice himself to the system, not that Thomas Tuchel would accept that as an excuse.We talk about the Conte masterclass at the Etihad, and Neymar's ennui, before Jack Pitt-Brooke and Mark Critchley join us to talk about the weekend's action. If City have won 19 out of 22, why does it suddenly feel like they are under pressure? Is the best yet to come from Harry Kane? And has Jadon Sancho paid off the last instalment of Bundesliga tax? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The return of the League of Ireland, a look back at the Super Bowl, Champions League last 16 analysis, a Winter Olympics special - the World Service was a sporting broad church this week and we've pulled together the very best of it for you today. To sign up for just €5 a month + VAT, go to secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken is back today and bringing you the first of three football shows this week. In keeping with the immutable laws of nature, a big story broke while he was away in the form of the Kurt Zouma incident - he weighs in today. Plus, Chelsea are undisputed champions of the world, but the club may just have its attention fixed on a certain corner of the globe and the consequences a Russian invasion of Ukraine could bring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland got a losing bonus point against France but besides their guts and ability to come back from the dead, were there many positives for Andy Farrell and his players?We chat to Shane Horgan, Andrew Trimble and host of Le French Rugby Podcast, and former Scotland player, Johnnie Beattie about Ireland's plan getting a punch in the face, our breakdown woes, Carbery's good and bad points, the decision to go for a kick at goal when 6 points down with 9 minutes remaining, and Scotland continuing to be... Scotland.Ken and Murph share their late-night Super Bowl hot-takes, and there was late drama on the double on All-Ireland club final day, with crazy last-second goals winning the hurling and the football titles for Ballygunner and Kilcoo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the world service we spoke to Paul Flynn about his melee memories, Sonny Bill Williams about why he's in Ireland training with Andy Lee and Andrew Trimble about Ireland's trip to France.Join for a fiver a month at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FAI, in its prudence, has abandoned its joint bid with the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to host the 2030 World Cup, and instead in its prudence will now make a joint bid to host Euro 2028. Ken reports back from the five-association press conference held earlier today.We also chat about last night's AFCON final, Egypt's questionable penalty shootout approach, and the Salah-Mane dynamic which grows ever-juicier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winning in style with a bonus point in front of a full house in the Aviva and Scotland coming through in a nerve-biter in Murrayfield: this was a grand old way to start the Six Nations. We chat to former Lions and Ireland winger Shane Horgan about Mack Hansen's dream debut, the perfection of the Ringrose try and Andy Farrell 2.0. We ask Alan Dymock of Rugby World magazine how England managed to lose a game they had so much possession in, the Luke Cowan-Dickie penalty try and if Scotland can keep it going against Wales.Elsewhere, the Scots rammed Murph's words down his big, fat mouth... but is there an apology forthcoming for Stuart William Hogg and his beloved, belief-filled boys?Plus we have some big live show news for everyone who listened to Where Is George Gibney?. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week on the World Service, we spoke to Richie Sadlier about Mason Greenwood's initial arrest on suspicion of rape and assault, the massive outcry following Raith Rovers' signing of David Goodwillie, who was found by a civil court to have raped a woman in 2017, and more generally about how football - and society in general - can better deal with issues around physical and sexual violence towards women.We also previewed the Six Nations which gets underway this weekend with two men who know a thing or two about it in Jerry Flannery and Shane Horgan, and Ken welcomed back his old friend Frank Lampard to Premier League management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The National Football Leagues of America and Ireland are the main focus today, with Oisin McConville and Paul Flynn on hand to pore over Armagh's thumping victory away to Dublin on Saturday night.Dublin need to change, but does that mean personnel need to change too? Are the men responsible for dominating the last decade the men to dominate this decade? And Kerry were far from impressive too, so everyone's got something to play for all of a sudden.And Ken Early knows a choker when he sees one, and he saw one playing quarter-back for the Kansas City Chiefs last night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David begins the final-ever week of The Isolating Podcast (yes, he has said this twice before) with trapped wind from drinking stout in a pub. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, scrawling their own lines on a photograph to prove Cavani was offside...It's taken a couple of years but VAR might finally have broken people's minds. The football over the weekend may have been mediocre but the VAR conspiracy theorising has reached new heights.We also hear some of the more interesting listener responses to last week's Man City debate.Then Patrick Boyland joins us to talk about the latest in the ongoing megacrisis at Everton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The murder of the 23-year-old teacher, musician & camogie player Ashling Murphy in Tullamore last week has opened up a national conversation around the harassment and violence suffered by women at the hands of men in our country.Sinead O’Carroll, editor of thejournal.ie, and Louise Crowley, professor at the School of Law in UCC join us on today’s show.Louise has introduced a bystander intervention programme into the college which teaches students how to intervene in situations where there’s inappropriate language or behaviour being used, and her insights from the front lines illustrate both the size of the problem, and the willingness among men and women to do something about it.They talk to us about what men can do, what the country can learn, and whether this is truly a watershed moment in Irish life.*This episode, originally released on the World Service, has now been made available to everyone.* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David celebrates the 100th Isolating podcast with sinister news of the fake David O’Doherty and a beef for the ages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Pep team streaks towards a fourth title in five, we talk about the emotions they stir up compared to the dominant sides of the past. Dion Fanning and Miguel Delaney join us to talk more City-Chelsea and to react to Rafa Benitez’s Everton exit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was only one story that we wanted to focus on in today’s promo for the Second Captains World Service. We talked to Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mitchell S. Jackson about a searing piece he wrote about the life and death of Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020 - the senseless killing of a totally innocent jogger in broad daylight, a story which has seen a devastating and tragic echo in Ireland in the last 24 hours. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David is back for season three of the Isolating podcast. Is this good news or bad news? Probably both. Isolators gather once more for tales of solo cans and postcards from places brackets exotic. Email Doodlers directly at [email protected] and to listen to all of David’s thrice-weekly shows, become a member now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FA Cup - still magical? Not magical? Who even cares, when there is so much more to life! Serie A for instance, where Roma and Juventus played out one of the most dramatic league games of recent years. Then we are joined by Roberto 'Pico' Lopes from the Cape Verde base at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Cape Verde defeated Ethiopia 1-0 last night to get their tournament off to a winning start.We also react to the news that Novak Djokovic has swept triumphantly into Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the fact it's dreary January and Omicron is omnipresent, we've had one of the funnest weeks on the World Service we've had in a while. From the sheer hilarity of the Djokovic-Australian Open saga to Ken's new lifestyle change to US Murph reflecting on the life and times of NFL titan, John Madden - it's all waiting for you. Join now for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We begin 2022 by admiring a succession of incredible goals scored in recent Premier League matches. A wonderful, positive start to the year. There were a couple of great games this weekend to mention as well, before we settle into the main business of analysing VAR mistakes.Raphael Honigstein joins us to talk about the falling out between Romelu Lukaku and Thomas Tuchel, and whether City are becoming an English Bayern.Plus there's the Cookstown curler, Kelleher praise, post peak Van Dijk and Ken on darts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Monday after Christmas and while most people are resting up, footballers are playing their hearts out and Ken is podcasting football shows.He welcomes Jonathan Wilson to their annual Scrooge Football chat which includes the Leicester Man City thriller, why Grealish's move to City hasn't worked and rational Germans offering practical solutions to English football's problems.Plus there's the unfairness of Covid and Jonathan's new book about Eduard Streltsov, the Soviet football star who was arrested on the eve of the 1958 World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Premier League refereeing is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. Although you can be reasonably sure that whatever the rules are this week, they won't be applied to the England captain. Was Tottenham 2-2 Liverpool a good game, or a sad indictment of how English football has lost its way? Dion Fanning and Jack Pitt Brooke join us to discuss that explosive 2-2, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Christmas week on Second Captains, and that can mean only one thing - it's almost time for us to announce our audio bed of the year live from the SC Log Cabin. What does all of this mean? We've been doing it for years and Richie Sadlier still doesn't have a clue, but we nevertheless give you the run-down today. Rachael Blackmore had a pretty successful weekend - announced as the Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year on Friday, the RTE Sports Personality of the Year on Saturday, and the BBC World Sports Star of the Year yesterday, joining Roger Federer, Muhammad Ali and Pele as previous winners of that category. And to continue the festive theme, Eoin brings us right up to speed with the very latest from the World Darts Championships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brand new slots, old slots brought back to life, and audio-beds fresh from the Mark Horgan audio-bed oven - your World Service taster menu has got it all this week. Sign up now for €5 + VAT a month for independent, member-led, festive broadcasting at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unique charms of Formula One have largely been lost on our presenting corps over the last 25 years or so, but it came roaring back into our collective consciousness this weekend. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have been engaged in a thrilling battle for F1 supremacy this season, and it all came to a climax in Abu Dhabi yesterday as thrilling racing, ridiculous TV access to the inner workings of the drivers’ respective teams, and high-level on-the-hoof chicanery from the race directors combined for a hilariously entertaining afternoon. Eoin and Murph speculate wildly about a great many things they know little about, Ken says he’s still a chariot-racing man, and we set up a big weekend’s rugby chat coming up tomorrow on the World Service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We chat about some of the weekend’s penalties before buckling up to talk, yes that’s right, COVID vaccines. Then Neil Atkinson and John Brewin join us to further analyse the weekend spot kick action. And finally we react to both UEFA CL draws on the day Europe’s governing body was let down by “external software provider”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please enjoy this week's world service taster which includes Ken speculating on a big career change for Gary Neville, Ken on Kids and former Ireland and Ulster star Willie Anderson on life as a protestant in Co. Tyrone before the Troubles began.It's all in a week's listening on the Second Captains World Service, and it's available to you for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little stutter over the past few days and Chelsea have slipped to third, such is the pace of this season's title race.We discuss the early signs of Ralf Rangnick's influence, and the acrimonious aftermath of Dortmund's controversial defeat to Bayern.Rory Smith and Miguel Delaney join us to talk about the weekend's football. It's probably not a good sign that only four Premier League clubs have a positive goal difference. But it still looks healthier than leagues like the Bundesliga, where Bayern are cruising to ten in a row. What is to be done? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's World Service appetiser is dedicated to one Richie Sadlier, who not only did an amazing interview with Keith Earls for the Player's Chair, but continued to churn out #content whilst lying in a hospital bed, recovering from spinal fusion surgery. Sign up now and you'll also hear one of the best pods of the year, the Second Captains Sports Book of the Year Show with Sinéad O'Carroll and Malachy Clerkin, plus loads of football, too - secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a massive weekend for Ulster in the URC as they got a rare win over Leinster, while things couldn't have gone worse for Munster who find themselves stranded in South Africa after a player tested positive for Covid. One of the sporting stories of the year came out of Tipperary this weekend after Loughmore-Castleiney sealed a county double in football and hurling, with both finals decided by points scored by Tipp hurler, John McGrath. Throw in that they lost both county finals last year by a point and you've got one hell of a tale... Plus there's a massive week ahead on the World Service, Connacht's torrential try-fest, and Effin' Eddie Moroney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken is back, having rediscovered over the weekend how much more enjoyable it is to go to football matches than it is to work at them. Big questions are up for discussion. Do Ralf Rangnick's coaching gifts extend to telepathic influence? And how is it possible Eoin and Ciaran have never heard of the cinnamon challenge? Then Kevin Brannigan and David Sneyd join us to talk about the FAI Cup final. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland weren't quite as good as they were against NZ but it was another impressive display from a team hit by a number of injuries. We discuss the confident happy vibes coming from the camp, MOTM Joey Carbery, Peter O'Mahony's red card diatribe and the depth we now have in certain positions.Plus there's French class, Lavanini at large and Murph rattles Donal Lenihan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would it take for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to lose his job? Not a 0-5 loss at home to Liverpool, not a 0-2 loss a week later to Man City... but the final straw did eventually come on Saturday as Manchester United crashed to a 4-1 defeat away to Watford. Mark Critchley and Jonathan Wilson join us to discuss the inevitable, what United do now, how badly this has been mismanaged by the club and Ronaldo's influence on who will eventually take over. Plus there's Ken Early's exquisite timing, and Kenny Cunningham gets on board with Eoin's succession master-plan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our weekly world service taster which involves Pat Kenny, Ken, Stan, and a Van. Join for a fiver a month - there's no sign up fee, no minimum stay and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another epic game against the All Blacks, another brilliant Irish win, and a full crowd back in the Aviva - this was one of the special days in Irish sport.James Lowe took a moment to send his appreciation to the bollockses who questioned his defence, and to talk about the weirdness of playing against his native country.We're joined by Andrew Trimble, Gerry Thornley and from New Zealand by Spark Sport's Scotty Stevenson to discuss how this win stacks up next to our other two victories over the All Blacks, where it stands in the pantheon of Irish wins overall, the need to back this up next summer down in New Zealand, and we try and fail to avoid mentioning the next RWC.Plus Hugh Cahill gives Murph a shout-out, and Johnny Sexton’s runs his mouth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more than sixty minutes last night, it looked like Ireland could be facing into another pretty embarrassing result against Luxembourg but by the end of the evening, any debate about extending Stephen Kenny's contract had been put to one side (even by Liam Brady).We reflect on a campaign that started out horribly, with Kenny plagued by terrible luck at every turn, and which ended with admittedly less-than-impressive results overall but a massive turnaround in performance levels from a young Irish side. Plus a listener formally requests that Ken apologise to Murph for CERTAIN comments made after the Azerbaijan draw, and Eoin gets explicit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We were joined on the World Service today by the crack punditry team of Richie Sadlier and Damien Delaney to talk about Ireland's performance against Portugal, Richie's Stephen Kenny contract debate with Liam Brady, and whether Damian himself would prefer to sign Kenny up again now or wait and see until next year.Earlier in the week we spoke with Shane Horgan about Ireland taking on the All Blacks in another Aviva sell-out tomorrow, and why the result doesn't really matter provided the performance and the positive intent are both there. A big week for Irish sport means a big week on the World Service, so sign up now for just €5 a month + VAT at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was one of the most aesthetically pleasing Ireland performances of all time, and even allowing for the horrendous performance by Japan, Ireland look like a side who are committed to evolving their style of play. We discuss Jamison Gibson Park's new found self belief, Tadhg Furlong the outhalf, ignoring hat trick scoring wingers for Man of The Match awards, Sweet N Lowe, and Samurai Sexton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Premier League signed off for the international break with a bang, or in West Ham’s case a series of shattering hammer blows that smashed Liverpool’s creaky defence into pieces. Dean Smith and Daniel Farke ran out of time at their clubs, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clings on despite a dismal derby defeat and a weekend that saw more soul searching for United over the true nature of their club. Jacob Steinberg and Miguel Delaney join us to talk about West Ham’s victory, Liverpool’s sudden fragility, and just why so many players now feel the need to apologise for defeats on social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken sums up Man United's current form with analogies most gruesome, Cathal Dennehy lets Eoin and Murph in on the secret of the sport of kings: the beer mile, and the world's best hockey goalkeeper, Ayeisha McFerran talks about her mission to help children who are growing up in foster care, like she did as a teenager. It's all in a week's listening on the Second Captains World Service, and it's available to you for just €5 + VAT a month at secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goodbye Nuno Espirito Santo, hello Antonio Conte? That seems to be Daniel Levy's agenda this Monday, but as we have seen, Levy doesn't always get what Levy wants. Jack Pitt-Brooke joins us today to discuss where it went wrong for Nuno and where Tottenham go from here.We discuss Agent Klopp, Ramsdale the amazing, blunt City and will Ole stick with his wingless wonders?David Sneyd is on to give Shamrock Rovers the respect they deserve after securing a second successive title on Friday night.Plus there's Curb's new season, Pat Kenny meets sweet Mary Jane, and another smooth drive with West Ham's Rolls Rice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fergie's puffed cheeks, Dalglish's giant grin, Maguire's hapless defending, Salah's hat trick, Pogba's red card, Sancho on the sidelines, United fans leaving early, Scholes' prophecy, Luke Shaw's self abasement, the record defeat - Man United fans witnessed the complete nightmare in Old Trafford this weekend. Dion Fanning and Mark Critchley join us to discuss Manchester United 0-5 Liverpool, Gary Neville's defence of Solskjaer, the mood for change at the club, Conte's candidacy and why this wasn't all the manager's fault. Plus there's Captain Smith's Titanic, Ronaldo's incredible physical stats, Dennis Bailey, Brazil 1-7 Germany, and Eoin's marathon mediocrity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was Man United past and present on the World Service this week as we spoke to club legend Peter Schmeichel about his new book, 'One', and not-club-legends Richie Sadlier and Jonathan Wilson about the most recent edition of Ole Groundhog Day. Plus US Murph joined us after his beloved San Francisco Giants suffered a very special kind of heartbreak: Game 5 play-off heartbreak against an old, bitter rival.To sign up for independent, member-led broadcasting, just go to secondcaptains.com/join Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We had the time of our lives doing synth week and had so many floor fillers sent in by our ultra talented listeners that we've decided to put the top three into one podcast. The Winning Tracks Are: 1. The Ballad of Jurgen Klopp and Union Berlin by Colin Ratcliffe2. Pet Shop Boos by Dan Mullen3. Balls by Patrick Stefan GroenlandIf you want to join the Football Synth Revolution then please become a member for a fiver a month. There's no minimum sign up, no contracts, and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details.Special thanks too to our judges The Synth Lord, aka Ken Early, and Sir Marks A Lot, aka Mark Horgan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The era of Saudi Newcastle began with scenes of rejoicing at St James' Park, as Newcastle fans rapturously greeted their trillionaire saviours. Newcastle's days as many people's second favourite team may not return for some time, but hey - it's better to be feared than loved?We talk about the dramatic match at the King Power, where Coach Brendan Rodgers won the tactics and the mindgames.Rory Smith and Miguel Delaney join us to give their impressions of the events in Newcastle yesterday, and how the Saudi story might play out from here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United Rugby Championship is up and running, and judging by some press releases Eoin has seen, it's off to a flyer. We note the increased profile terrestrial television has given it, but there are also some things that might need to change in Irish rugby if the only domestic league available to us is to succeed, and whether that might end up being a pretty good result for us. We thank our Berlin super-fans one more time for our week over there with thanks to Aer Lingus, and there's also Connacht's grievances over refereeing decisions which might have gone another way in Thomond Park on Saturday evening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gang is officially back together again as Eoin, Ken and Murph gather around a big ol' Berlin kitchen table and record live in person like those pre-Covid days of yore. It's only bloody Synth Week Live from Berlin!!We chat to Dion Fanning and Gavin Cooney about the other cause for celebration today, Ireland's win against Azerbaijan, one which surely eases pressure on Stephen Kenny... for now at least. The win aside, the main headline from the match was the small matter of Callum Robinson's two goals, goals which led to some serious DM traffic for our football correspondent over the past two days. Plus there's Fairview Lady vs Mensch, Courtois going off script, and live show news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week we spoke with the amazing Khalida Popal, founder & former captain of the Afghan women's football team, and human rights lawyer Kat Craig, about how they got Khalida's teammates out of the country and out of the hands of the Taliban. We had an amazing reaction from world service members to this show with quite a few getting in touch to see if they could help in any way. Today, we are making the conversation free to all. If you have any feedback or think you can help please email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Salah's goal was so good even Mane looked impressed. We try to unweave the rainbow of Liverpool 2-2 Man City.Miguel Delaney and Gavin Cooney join us to talk through the weekend's football. Should Salah get his contract? Did Ronaldo join the wrong Manchester club? And are there answers for City's striking problems in the Premier League beyond Harry Kane? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the start of the month so the perfect time to sample the World Service. Join for a fiver a month, with no minimum sign up, no contract, no ads just lots of independent journalism. Go to secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.