The Second Captains Podcast

In this week's sampling of World Service fare, Ken outlines the cure for dissociation from reality as caused by our obsession with technology: League of Ireland football.We looked back at the trauma inflicted upon the nation during last year's u17 European Championship quarter-finals with Ireland manager Colin O'Brien. And there's also Countdown, a la Second Captains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the hysterical overreaction to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's initial success, we're surfing a wave of hysterical counter-reaction to Manchester United's dismal recent form.After six defeats in their last eight, United face City on Wednesday, at risk of recording their worst run of form since 1981. We discuss another weekend in this unprecedented title race, in which Liverpool after 35 matches have already broken their club record for Premier League points in the season, and yet are still rated just a 40-60 shot to win the title.Alan Smith joins us to talk about Man United's humiliation at Everton and whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tough talk in the aftermath was convincing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for us to once again give you a little taster of what you could have been listening to this week, had you taken the plunge and become a Second Captains World Service member. Leinster and Ireland legend Shane Horgan was in rare form looking ahead to this weekend's European Champions Cup semi-finals, as well as looking back 10 years, to the day when Leinster were nearly cheated out of their first Heineken Cup by the Harlequins 'bloodgate' controversy. And there's also Ken's politics podcast from last week, after he spoke to David Wallace-Wells, author of "The Uninhabitable Earth", about the looming disaster of climate change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tiger Woods has won a few major titles in his time. 22 years ago he won his first Masters title by 12 shots. He won the US Open in 2000 by 15 shots. He won the British Open the same year by 8 shots. But has there ever been anything like the 1-stroke victory he held over the field yesterday afternoon? Malachy Clerkin and Lawrence Donegan join us to talk about the magnitude of Tiger's comeback, the drama of his victory, and the lamentations of his vanquished foes. Is there now a chance again that he will take on Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major wins, or will the brilliance of his 15th carry him off into the sunset? Plus - Eoin McDevitt is a tiger, and he wants you to hear him roar; Murph wants a lizard named after him, and Ken has the latest non-seismic news from the FAI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With John Delaney's departure from the FAI expected - but at time of recording not yet confirmed - we discuss the latest developments at Abbottstown and how Irish football ended up in this mess.It was another sensational weekend in what already looks like the highest standard of title race ever in the Premier League - with Salah returning to his best, Hendo forcing chunk after chunk of humble pie down Ken's throat, and Kevin de Bruyne compensating for the relative lack of drama in City's win over Palace with a superior Players Tribune interview.We are joined by Rory Smith to talk about Liverpool's win, how they have evolved since last season, and why this rivalry - at least between the managers - has been so damn respectful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken's mood got darker as the week went on, and it started with his philosophy on dreaming big. John Delaney said nothing, which said everything about how Ireland works.And in the Champions League we ask is Ole careering off course?Its our weekly taster of the Second Captains World Service... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been a banner few weeks for FAI statements, with each one more dramatic than the last. Today's edition featured confirmation that John Delaney would indeed appear at the Oireachtas committee hearing on Wednesday, and a tantalising suggestion that the FAI board were not quite as up to speed on matters relating to the €100,000 bridging loan as had been previously suggested. John Heslin has been a part of Westmeath football for a while now, so he knows better than most of the crazy yo-yoing that Westmeath have done in the football league - of the last 12 years, 10 of them have finished with them either getting promoted or relegated. They won promotion from Division 3 this year, and finished it off with a league final win over Laois on Saturday, and John joins us on the show. Matt Williams tells us how excited he is about the arrival of the Irish 7s team onto the main circuit for the 2020 season after their victory in Hong Kong this weekend plus there's PhDs and football, Rory McIlroy, Becky Lynch and 'real' sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watford are in the Cup final and Troy Deeney has some learnings he'd like to share. It was another weekend when again City gently outwitted their opponents like a superintelligent AI. The impression of City's challenge is cool blue and serene, like a picture of our planet from space. Liverpool's challenge is summed up in the pictures of the celebrating Jordan Henderson, a man-sized aneurysm about to explode.We're joined by Jack Pitt-Brooke to look ahead to Spurs v City in tomorrow night's Champions League quarter-finals. Does Kevin de Bruyne have the best brain in football? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lock of Second Captains World Service hair (probably Ken's)... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was an utterly brilliant weekend of rugby, with huge wins for Leinster and Munster, and a host of heroes and villains.If Jacob Stockdale had touched the ball down when already over the try-line, or if Tadhg Beirne hadn't ensured he got the ref's attention to an off-the-ball incident, both Ulster and Edinburgh might have semi-finals to look forward to.We ask Shane Horgan if he's ever hammed it up... and if he's ever dropped the ball over the try-line.Plus there's Ross Byrne's platoon moment, Mayo fans in tears in March, Dan Leavy's injury nightmare, and the morals of diving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool's late win over Spurs at Anfield didn't show either side at their very best - but it sure as hell gave everybody a lot to talk about. Why do we always praise and criticise players and performances based on how they end? When is the right time to pass in front of goal? Who should be the Player of the Year? Jonathan Wilson joins us to explain the difference between bottling and choking and which of Liverpool and Manchester City are more likely to fall victim to either phenomenon in the coming weeks.And Kieran Canning talks to us about yesterday's Old Firm game in which Steven Gerrard's hotheads were played to perfection by Celtic's troll king, Scott Brown.Plus there's Kop sucking another one in, Salah on Salah, Bill Hicks, Philip Larkin, l'il Grizou and FAI to infinity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richie Sadlier on Mick's joyful football and fan free will, Ken on Ole (the only choice, James McClean's scary Irish Identity Test, Irish woman in AFLW Grand Final and Champions Cup QF AHOY! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep 1426: Tennis Protests, Hurling Semis, Mayo's Strange Campaign, Ken In OT - 25/03/2019 by Second Captains Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the history of totally daft weeks in Irish football, this one would have to rank pretty high - and we still have plenty of drama to come on and off the field. As John Delaney retires from his role as Chief Executive of the FAI, for a newly-created role as Executive Vice-President, we ponder what this all means for the balance of power in the association. Is this tantamount to a demotion for Delaney, or will he continue to be the main power-broker? We speak to Mark Tighe of the Sunday Times, who has done so much brilliant work to reveal this story, on how it went to press, the reaction, and the drama of a high court injunction mere hours before your story is due to go to press. We're also chatting to former Ireland international Damien Delaney on Ireland's short-comings on the field on Saturday night, and why we can't use conditions as an excuse for a pretty terrible first performance of Big Mick's new era. Plus there's Statement No. 7, teleportation devices, John The Baptist, and Sergio Ramos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A taste of the Second Captains world service this week Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland have had a miserable spring, and the scale of the 25-7 defeat to Wales on Saturday could hardly be over-stated. Why do the players lack composure? What has happened their skillset? Why are they so poor at comebacks? Is it time for a major overhaul of the game-plan? Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times and Mattie Williams try (12.50 mins) and take stock of where we are after two really depressing defeats at either end of the tournament. Is Joe Schmidt burnt out? Does he need help from outside the group, and have we, in fact, become a bad team overnight - we try and supply some answers. Ken gives his reaction (6.15 mins) to the news over the weekend that John Delaney loaned the FAI €100,000 of his own money to solve a short-term cash-flow problem in the association. Plus there's Owen Farrell's Jedi mind trick, Corofin's All-Ireland final brilliance on St Patrick's Day, and Eoin reheats a McTepid Take first aired while under the influence... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A taste of whats on the Second Captains world service this week... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland seemed to learn something about themselves in the games against Italy, Scotland and England - and that regained momentum led them to a comfortable bonus point win over France. Eoin Reddan joins Gerry Thornley to figure out what changed in the intervening weeks, what tactical issues were resolved, and what role high 5's and bro hugs played in the turnaround. Aoife Lane, founder and former chairperson of the WGPA wrote a brilliant column in the Irish Examiner about why ladies football and camogie are run by separate organisations set aside from the GAA, despite the many and obvious ways in which the games co-exist together with Gaelic football and hurling - and she joins us for a chat. Plus there's the man Eoin is pinning all our hopes on to win the 6 Nations, we get an update on the current whereabouts of friend of the show Ken Burley, we talk some more (but still not enough) about Carlow, and McDevitt workshops some of his stand-up material. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So looking back, Sergio, what have you learned from your experiences with Real Madrid? Well, that's a tricky question, Terry. But as I always say, we skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels cross the floor...Sergio Ramos' Twitter self-interview provides some light relief after a more-than-averagely violent and chaotic weekend of football. It's a problem football hasn't spent much time thinking about lately: how can fans be dissuaded from invading the pitch and attacking the players? Also today, we speak to Rory Smith about his NYT interview with Raheem Sterling and the media's role in fuelling racism and prejudice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ciara Mageean sat down to record an episode of The Players Chair with Richie Sadlier last year, she was coping with changing coach, living in England, and trying to put disappointment behind her. We're delighted to catch up with her today to talk about her bronze in the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow last night. Tommy Walsh is experiencing a third coming in the Kerry football team - 11 years after bursting onto the scene as a teenager, and 4 years after failing to make any impact on his return from Australia. It's been one of the stories of the NFL this year, and his club manager Mike Quirke is on the line to tell us what's changed. Plus there's Ken's by-now obligatory near-death experience while abroad, we reveal the exclusive audio of the moment Peter O'Mahony asked Joe Schmidt if he and the boys could have a few beers, and the abomination in Ulster schools Gaelic football that had the country talking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken is back from Australia and Eoin is back from Premier Sports to talk about the weekend's football.Jurgen Klopp's tetchy responses after Liverpool's draw at Everton suggest that some of those questions about whether they took enough risk in the game were a bit too close to the bone. Meanwhile City shrugged off more Football Leaks revelations to cruise past Bournemouth and retake the lead. How does this weekend affect the balance of the title race psychodrama? And why would neutrals rather see Liverpool choke than City?Also today, Dermot Corrigan joins us from the Real Madrid training ground to discuss how the European champions are taking a week off being dominated by Barcelona at their own stadium. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just what is going on with Ireland? It might seem a strange question to ask after a weekend that saw England beaten, Ireland win their second game in a row, and secure their first bonus point of the tournament - but that's where we are. Shane Horgan is starting to get a little worried, and he's on the line to share his concerns. Ireland might just be trying too hard to force the issue. But when the brilliance of the New Zealand performance is still so fresh in the memory, it's hard not to be frustrated at the sheer number of elementary mistakes being made. Wales legend Jonathan Davies is on the line to tell us just how good people in Wales are feeling after their monumental performance in taking down England on Saturday - a game that showcased all the glorious madness of the 6 Nations. And while Congress was for the most part, deathly dull, there was one decision that rankled - Dublin will continue to be allowed play 2 games in Croke Park this year. There's a lot of blame to go around regarding this situation, and Murph doesn't spare any of the guilty parties... Plus there's Peter O'Mahony's pre-France game hangover that we feel needs to happen, tired Italian stereotypes make a social media comeback, and Eoin actually really likes Warren Gatland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The moment when Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to come off at the end of yesterday's Carabao Cup final might have been sadly indicative of the insanity of Chelsea's dressing-room, but Eoin McDevitt believes it might have more widespread implications for the game as a whole - was yesterday the day the lunatics took over the asylum? Miguel Delaney found himself in the heart of the action yesterday as he interviewed and interpreted for the young Spanish goalkeeper after the game, and we're also joined by Dion Fanning and Jonathan Wilson. And as you'd expect, Jonathan has an example from the dim and distant football past... and the story is peak Jonathan Wilson. Kepa's run-in with his manager overshadowed Jordan Henderson's own mini-strop on the sideline after Jurgen Klopp took him off, but what's going on with Liverpool? They failed to fire again against a severely-understrength Man United. Plus there's Eoin vs Kinger, at least Chelsea's PR unit are a team, and as football tears itself apart over Kepa, the GAA world says 'so what, this happens every week'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New slots including McTepid, Irish Scapegoats Of Days Gone By and Nesbitt's Lonely planet emerged this week but that hasn't helped Eoin's ego after once again he was made to look a fool by one of our rugby pundits.We had loads of Champions league analysis, Damien Delaney on managers losing the dressingroom, previews for Man Utd v Liverpool, 6N talk, and Pep gets the "where did you get it all SO wrong" treatment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Limerick ended 2018 as All-Ireland champions for the first time in 45 years, and they've started 2019 in menacing fashion - beating Wexford away before hammering Tipperary and Kilkenny in successive games. Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times, and former Limerick captain Donal O'Grady are on the show trying to figure out if Limerick are going all-out for league glory, or if it's a case of them water-skiing on the good vibes of last August. And we discuss Jackie Tyrrell's assertion that they're not in the top 3 teams in the country - gross blasphemy, or something even worse than that? We had a brilliant chat with Howard Bryant about his book "The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism" late last year, and he's back on the show today to talk to us about the news that Colin Kaepernick has settled his collusion lawsuit against the NFL. Plus Murph reveals that some of his best friends are from Clare, we pay homage to Ken's hurling nous, and Stuart Barnes throwing petrol-bombs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's shaping up to be a big week for Jurgen Klopp, as his Liverpool team meet the challenge of Bayern Munich, a team Klopp has had reason to be at logger heads with over the years. Simon Hughes of the Independent joins us to talk about why Klopp so angered Bayern during his time with Dortmund, his relationship with Uli Hoeness, the loss of Virgil, and why a draw might not be such a bad result tomorrow night for Liverpool. We also talk to James Montague, author of the brilliant "The Billionaires Club", about the story of Bahrainian footballer Hakeem Al Araibi, who was saved from deportation and possibly death by a global movement led by former Australian Socceroos captains Craig Foster. Plus there's #JadoreInchicore, Ken's Kastaway, Klopp sings, why a German curse can equal Irish good luck, and we launch German indie week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Expect the worst says Eoin, after having his Irish heart crushed by England's Declan Rice. Ken explains this whole sorry saga via a Valentine's message.Pat Kenny has some good clean fun for you all.And we have a teaser for Richie Sadlier's latest Player's Chair interview with Ireland's most decorated and most capped player of all time, the legendary Emma Byrne. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eoin questioned the wisdom of Maurizio Sarri berating his players in public a couple of weeks back - today he informs us that in their last 3 away games since he said those words, they've conceded 1.2% of their entire premier league goals against. Dion Fanning and Jonathan Wilson are on hand to discuss just how doomed Sarri is, and whether the only thing saving him is Roman Abramovich's new-found disinterest in the Chelsea project. They also discuss whether the clamour for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get the Manchester United job for keeps is now too loud to ignore, or if the games in the next 3 weeks against Paris Saint Germain and Liverpool will give us all a much better idea of his capabilities. Plus there's Brian Clough, Gary Crosby, and apologetic punch-recipients. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland picked up their first win of the 2019 Six Nations on Saturday, but it was pretty hard sledding for most of Saturday. Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley are on hand to adjudicate on where we stand after two games. England's points bonanza against the woeful French means the title might be beyond us already, but does that give us free rein to experiment with the World Cup in mind? What are we learning from our hesitancy and nervousness in recent weeks? And is there any other option for Johnny Sexton but to stand where he stands and take the punishment he got again at the weekend? We salute the rebirth of Gaelic football, the most entertaining sport on the planet, Jimmy Nesbitt makes a welcome return to our hearts and minds, and we have a new French cliché for the world to adopt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Essence of Second Captains World Service - Noah McDevitt is only three weeks old but he needs a win this weekend. Eoin explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland had an extraordinary 2018, but in their first game of the 2019 6 Nations, their back-to-back Grand Slam dream came crashing down around them. They were out-fought out-thought, and out-kicked by a brilliant England team. Is it time to press the panic button? No, says Eoin Reddan - and there's a chance we learn quite a bit from this humbling experience. Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times, Simon and Murph all try and make sense of it. Plus there's proud Preston, unreasonable expectations, widespread navel gazing, and looking ahead to Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester City kept the pressure on Liverpool by beating Arsenal while Manchester United continued their resurgence under The Sunshine Man. Rory Smith was at the Etihad to see Manchester City defeat Arsenal. Is Guardiola overthinking it? What happens when managers want to prove points rather than win them? And why do teams seem to find it so difficult to enjoy the process of winning a title?Andy Hunter joins us to talk about where things have gone so horribly wrong for City's next opponents, Everton. How have they managed to spend £300m on players in less than two years and end up with this? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have a whiff of the Second Captains musk - from Donnacha Ryan to Mike Tindall to US Murph on the Super Bowl, to Premier League fright nights.... its been a hell of a week. Join the world service for daily shows, Richie Sadlier's Player's Chair, top class interviews and to observe Ken's continuing loyalty to David Luiz - at secondcaptains.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a rough start to the GAA season on Saturday night, when it briefly looked as if Castlebar's MacHale Park might be blown away for the opening match of the Allianz National Football League. A hurricane of a different sort ripped through Clones on Sunday however, as Monaghan turned a 6-point deficit into a 3-point win against the reigning league and championship winners Dublin. Their captain Colin Walshe joins us on the line to talk must-win moments, super subs and offensive marks. If the men's final at the Australian Open sounded like a pairing that could have happened in 2009, then the women's final would've sounded impossible even this time last year. Caitlin Thompson of Racquet Magazine joins us to talk about Naomi Osaka's back story, apologies and back to back grand slams, Petra Kvitova's return from getting stabbed in the hand, the great Novak Djokovic mystery and why variety beats dominance.Plus there's the Blair Witch Project, motion sickness, Long Hug Therapy, Eoin McDevitt Junior, and Derek McGrath > Jose Mourinho. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was another FA Cup weekend, so today's football show is mainly about Luke Kelly. David Sneyd wrote about Kelly's links to Irish football in yesterday's Mail on Sunday and he joins us to discuss it further in studio today. We also talk about the former Ireland coaching dream team reuniting at Nottingham Forest.It was a particularly big weekend for journalism, with Hugh McIlvanney's death reminding us of an old world that is vanishing, and Jesse Lingard's triumphant few days showing us the way ahead. We talk about other pundits including Neil Francis, Ruud Gullit and the email marketing consultant who annoyed Andros Townsend.Plus there's McViolence, village elders, Germans importing English flair, Ole Gunnar Sunshine and Fergie on journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January is a long, cold month, and sometimes the only thing for it is to wrap up warm, hunker down by the fireside, and download a podcast or two. Ken and Murph talk you through what you missed on this week's Second Captains World Service - as we hear why Kerry are no longer contenders for the All-Ireland football championship, 40 is NOT elderly, and why football is still an integral part of Leave-Voting Britain's identity. And we have US Murph on the Superbowl, Neymar's foot, a sneak and a Player's Chair interview with Steven Reid, as we discover Richie Sadlier was not always the bastion of common-sense he is these days... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a very, very satisfying weekend for Irish sports fans, with one of our most beloved sports-people Shane Lowry back in the winner's enclosure after a dramatic one-shot win at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on Saturday morning. Having led by three going into the final round, he found himself 4 shots back on the 12th tee before making three birdies to win by a shot - and he joins us on the show to discuss how he was determined not to relive the mistakes of the US Open in 2016 when he found himself in a similar position. And we look back at the seamless progression of all 4 provinces into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, with Gerry Thornley and Tom English. Leinster face Ulster, Munster must travel to Edinburgh, and Connacht have to play Sale yet again in their quarter-final - but it was another impressive weekend of Irish muscle-flexing on the European stage. Plus there's yet more Eddie Jones updates, Ken's latest impressions, and the world's greatest sports co-commentator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems a little early for the Premier League run-in jitters, but Liverpool were made to sweat for their 4-3 win over Crystal Palace. Mo Salah is the fall-guy, but why has everyone conveniently forgotten about Andy Robertson's handball in the build-up to what turned out to be the winning goal? James Horncastle joins us to discuss Maurizio Sarri, who launched the calmest ever verbal broadside against his own players after their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday evening. Of the 3 rats that downed Mourinho's sinking ship, only 1 remains, but there are still plenty of problems for him to contend with, including the plodding Jorginho, who has failed thus far to impress many, including Rio Ferdinand. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may now be the Man United backstop, but has he done enough to be seen as the favourite for the job full-time now? Thierry Henry might be out of his job soon too at Monaco, while Neymar suffers baby heart-break with PSG. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your weekly spritz of Second Captains on the (Leeds) World Service Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a great weekend for Irish Premier League goalscorers and Brian Clough anecdotes, as Declan Rice, Shane Long and Jeff Hendrick ran riot while Martin O'Neill returned to management with Nottingham Forest.Meanwhile, Frank Lampard is convinced that Marcelo Bielsa has flouted English moral norms, but luckily for the Argentine he appears not to have broken any actual rules. It was not such a good weekend for Rio Ferdinand: when any controversy pits you and Richard Keys against the world, it's time to start worrying.We're joined by Jacob Steinberg and John Brewin to discuss Declan Rice's development, Mesut Özil's exile, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's credentials to be named the next permanent Man United manager. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was the week that very nearly tore Second Captains apart - but we've made it to this time of the week again, unscathed, which means it's time for us to tell you what you've missed on the Second Captains World Service over the last few days. We debate the achievements of David Silva, and things get heated when Murph is asked to put his money where his mouth is. And we get a taster of what delights lie in wait for us this month as US Murph talks us through the first weekend of the NFL playoffs, which go on for all of January. Plus there's FIFA 19 stats, Eamon Dunphy's greatest ever radio performance, 'fanny merchants', Spurs - Man Utd manager playoff, and reports of a Neymar Coutinho swop deal . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Munster put in their best performance of the season and showed enough quality at the vital moments to keep Connacht at arm's length, and central to that effort were Joey Carbery and the centre pairing of Dan Goggin and Chris Farrell.But Shane Horgan still has some reservations about the Munster midfield - we discuss what Chris Farrell has to do to get to the next level for province and country, and what their best combination should be, when everyone is fit. The GAA announced a series of rule announcements to try and revitalise Gaelic football in October. The National League hasn't started and already there are signs those changes may not see the light of day. Oisin McConville watched the McKenna Cup this weekend (so you wouldn't have to) and reports back from the front lines. Plus there's Andres Iniesta, gold steaks, salt bae and strange salutes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Robinson and Jonathan Clegg's new book "The Club: How the Premier League became the richest, most disruptive business in sport" provides a fascinating account of the business development of the Premier League, from the initial realisations in the 1980s that maybe football was something you could make money out of, to the multibillion-pound global business it is today.We speak to Josh about the story of the Premier League and the people who have shaped it. Where did the founders get the idea? Does the league owe its success to the insights and actions of a few key individuals, or would it have happened anyway? And what is likely to come next?But first up on today's pod, we speak to Newport County hero - and Carlow native - Padraig Amond, whose 85th minute penalty knocked Leicester City out of the FA Cup last night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! Now go listen to this, our weekly reminder to you of the manifold benefits of being a Second Captains world service member. We will have all the best coverage of the premier league title race - for a race is what we have, after City's 2-1 win over Liverpool last night - and we remind you of what Brian Kerr is looking forward to in 2019. And we explain why Ken told Eoin to f**k off earlier this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, after a long, tiring festive period, you might feel your energy levels flagging. So as you prepare for another big night of socialising, what you might need right about now is a solid dose of positive vibes, and feel-good stories. So we present to you two of the best from the sporting year of 2018 for our New Year's Eve show. Recorded live in front of a packed audience at the Liberty Hall Theatre, we speak to Limerick hurlers Kyle Hayes and Tom Morrissey, and Irish hockey heroes Nikki Evans and Chloe Watkins. Limerick ended 45 years of hurt by winning this year's All-Ireland senior hurling championship, and our two young guests reflect on going through life-changing events at 20, playing with no nerves... and being born the day after the 1998 World Cup final. Ireland's women's hockey team weren't chasing past glories, they were creating some history of their own by qualifying for a first ever World Cup final - and Nikki and Chloe tell us why you're allowed have fun at these things too. Plus there's a reminder of how great this year's hurling summer was, Ken's managerial impressions, pre-match haircuts, and chilled out winners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Christmas Eve, and maybe you're on your way home for a couple of days of peace and quiet with your family. So to ease you on the road, here's a very special Christmas Eve show containing what might just be our favourite World Service interview of the year. When Paul Kimmage sat down with Richie Sadlier for an episode of the Player's Chair, we were unsure just how it would go. What we got was an emotional roller-coaster as Richie and Paul talked about where the anger and passion that drives Paul's best work comes from, visiting Tom Humphries in jail, and the loss of Paul's father, who he still misses terribly. It's an extraordinary hour of radio, and we're delighted to present it to you now. Plus there's Eoin channelling Kimmage, Roy Keane and dancing fucking leprechauns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Shot Of Mourinho Gets The Sack, our breaking news podcast on today's world service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep 1346: Munster Take A Beating, Leinster Hum, Ulster Puzzle Taking Shape by Second Captains Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jurgen Klopp knew that the power of narrative was against his team on Sunday evening, if this had been fiction, the writers could probably not have resisted inserting a "Mourinho Masterclass" plot twist. But this was reality not fiction, and Liverpool were too good.With Mourinho's hold on Manchester United visibly unravelling, how long before the club's decision-makers bite the bullet?We also talk a bit about the new Sunderland documentary which is showing on Netflix, and why the stony soil of Wearside is better ground for good documentaries to take root than the glossy surfaces of the City Football Group.John Brewin and Daniel Harris join us to discuss the weekend's big match. Is the gap between Liverpool and Manchester United as wide as they ever remember it? How can the collapse of United's defence be explained? And how do they feel about the speculation surrounding an imminent possible takeover of the club by investors from Saudi Arabia? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just about that time again, when we remind you what you've been missing on the Second Captains World Service. Our members will be hearing plenty from our live shows over the next couple of weeks, including our interviews with US Murph, Eamon Dunphy and the charismatic world champ Kellie Harrington. We revealed our Second Captains Sports Book Of The Year... and we reveal the barely-believable story behind the Eddie Jones "scummy Irish" clip that we unleashed on the world the week before Ireland's Grand Slam game against England in March. Plus there's a Champions League review, a Man Utd V Liverpool preview and and Dembele's "war on practice". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.