The Second Captains Podcast

Empires: large, unwieldy structures. We’ve seen them crumble, topple and collapse. But have we ever seen one just… evaporate?The latest phase of Manchester City’s shocking dematerialisation was another night of glory for Ruben Amorim, whose brave decisions paid off as Amad seized the day. We also talk about the departures, for now, of Russell Martin and Gary O’Neil from the Premier League stage.Then we’re joined by Mark Critchley and Jamie Hamilton for the What’s The Matter With City section. Are we seeing the weaknesses of a totalising systemic approach in which individual inspiration is discouraged to the point of being forgotten? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service, Ken brings us up to speed on FIFAs decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and the frankly bizarre ceremony that went with it.Meanwhile, Murph caught up with US Murph to chat about Juan Soto's new contract with the New York Mets - the largest in professional sports history. Plus, we look back on our chat with GAA heavyweights Rian O'Neill, Oisín McConville and Brian Fenton from Liberty Hall. Join the party for just a fiver a month—no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leinster were in a knife fight in Bristol, then took out their rocket launchers, RG and Jordie. Is it fair that a team already this good gets to sign two of the best players in the world?We talk to Ruaidhri O'Connor of the Irish Independent about the launch of Leinster's Galacticos era, JVDF's beatific smile, the eternal Peter O'Mahony, Stade's insanity, and the status of the Champions Cup in 2024.Plus there's Brian Fenton on retirement and culture vulture Ciarán "Murph" Murphy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United's exciting defeat to Nottingham Forest was followed the next morning by the news that star sporting director Dan Ashworth had walked the plank after five months in the job. We reminisce about a spectacular weekend for Sir Big Jim, who got the ball rolling with a "let them eat cake" interview with United We Stand. Who's the Dumb Money now? Barney Ronay and Miguel Delaney join us to talk about the weekend's football. Can Chelsea win the title? Has Ange run out of road at Spurs? Now that Arsenal have the corners sorted what else can they do to improve? And what have they made of the revolving executive door at United?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a tough week on the Second Captains World Service if you're an Ireland football fan with the women losing out to Wales and Kelleher letting one sail over his head to allow Newcastle score a late equaliser. We ever so slightly deflate the Kelleher hype balloon, attempt to define what constitutes a Premier league legend and chat to Ireland player Chloe Mustaki about the link between physical and mental health.To listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our website. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Ken’s Football Show, The Politics Podcast, The “I’ll Tell You Who Wrote It” Book Club and lots of added extras. You’ll also be supporting the development of our longer-form work, such as our international series’  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 48 enhancements that added up to the biggest change in the 140-year history of Gaelic football sailed through a Special Congress on Saturday, and will profoundly alter the game at club and county level for 2025 and beyond. FRC member Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Paul Flynn tell us why this had to happen, why there's still room left for tweaks, and what it tells us for the GAA's approach to tackling the biggest issues from here on out. We salute Coolera/Strandhill's achievement in winning the Connacht club championship (with particular congratulations for a Second Captains super-friend), and there's even an election-week appearance by the great Pat Kenny.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've seen teams and managers in crisis before, but not this team and not this manager. So nobody can tear their eyes away from the spectacle of Pep Guardiola having apparently no idea how to stop Manchester City's spiral, beyond spouting ancient wisdom-phrases even he does not appear to be actually paying any attention to.Meanwhile some of Guardiola's former charges were helping Chelsea make mincemeat of Aston Villa, while for Ruben Amorim's Manchester United, the tiny frenetic figure of Amad Diallo toppled the Easter Island heads at the heart of Sean Dyche's defence.Lars Sivertsen and Neil Atkinson join us to reflect on an extraordinary match at Anfield. Does Guardiola just not know how to take a compliment? How ? Is Salah's public approach to contract negotiation really "selfish"? And can anyone stop Liverpool now?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the "Where Is George Gibney?" podcast was released three years ago, people couldn't help asking Mark Horgan what was next.  What's next is "Stakeknife", his new BBC Sounds podcast series with Ciarán Cassidy, the first two episodes of which were released last week - and Mark is in studio with us today.In his role for the IRA, Freddie Scappaticci was a notorious enforcer for an internal security unit called the 'nutting squad', where torture and the summary executions of informers were commonplace.But he did all this while he himself was a British Army double agent, code name Stakeknife. And as Mark tells us, "the series is about far more than just one man; it's about the state structures that protected him, the eyes that turned away from his deeds and the families that he left behind."Man City, meanwhile, managed to blow a 3-0 lead at home to Feyenoord, with 15 minutes to go in the Champions League, and their manager appears to be feeling the pressure.  And Branno helpfully clarifies some issues arising from yesterday's live show announcement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Friday, after eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches, a jury of eight women and four men found Nikita Hand had been assaulted by Conor McGregor in a hotel room back in December 2018, awarding her almost €250,000 in damages.We talk to Sinead O'Carroll of the42.ie, who we spoke to after the Paddy Jackson Belfast Rape Trial, about the verdict, the evidence given during the case, and the relevance of the size of the damages awarded to Nikita Hand.We also discuss McGregor's volatile behaviour both in court and online over the last few days, and what this case tells us about where we are now in relation to sexual consent, victim shaming, and celebrity worship.Warning for listeners: there was some distressing details revealed during the case and some of that detail comes up during this conversation. Any listeners affected by the issues raised in the podcast can access a list of resources on the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre website at drcc.ie/support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

City are sinking, Spurs are surging, Salah is scoring and unsigned, Man Utd have their saviour and Liverpool are now 8 points clear at the top, but first we have McDevitt's "Five Takeaways From My Premier League Weekend". The biggest game boiled down to a debate over whether Kyle Walker is finished? We look at the evidence for and against.We also discuss Southampton's samurai-like dedication to their self-destructive principles, and why Ruben Amorim has a better chance of taking Manchester United fans with him, on what might yet be a long road of suffering, than his predecessor did.Mark Critchley and Jack Pitt-Brooke join us to discuss this City crisis and if it’s really all about Rodri? Who is Jack's surprise choice as Best Player in the Premier League This Season? How are optimism levels at Old Trafford after the debut of the Amorim system? And just how crazy would it be for Liverpool not to offer Mo Salah a new contract? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brian Fenton broke the (GAA) internet this week by announcing his retirement. We spoke to Fenton’s former Dublin teammate Paul Flynn, who thinks the Leinster Football Championship is now up for grabs.Gavan Casey and Andy Lee joined us to discuss Hawk Tuah, Rosie Perez and Taylor V Serrano. Miguel Delaney chatted with Ken about his new book States of Play, and we give a sneak peek of our Shane O’Donnell interview live from The Olympia Theatre. Join the party for just a fiver a month—no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland were ahead 22-9 at half time, at home, with three tries banked and the fans fully behind them - but instead of a comfortable win, they survived a last minute Argentinian onslaught to scrape home by 3 points. It was a win, against a good team, but the coaches didn't look too happy afterwards.We chat to Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley about the 13 penalties conceded, Ireland's issues with phase play and kick chase, the good form of both 10s, and the big decisions Farrell will have to make for the Fiji game.Plus there's French rugby theatre, the rise of the south, and biased boxing commentators.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richie Sadlier joins us to talk about Ireland's... memorable trip to Wembley. We talk about the first half and how we all felt at half-time. We talk about the unpleasant turn things took in the second half and how by the end we felt nothing at all. It's humiliating to talk about positives but maybe we can compare degrees of negativity. For example, it's officially  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are You Sick Of Winning Yet? Sure, Finland could have scored several goals and were desperately unfortunate to lose by a goal to nil - but as the Scoreboard Captains podcast has always insisted, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. We talk about how high the standard of expectation needs to be set for Evan Ferguson and gush about how Ireland are enchanting a new generation of young fans. Damien Delaney joins us to analyse the game: what was the system anyway? why did we look defensively unstable? What could be done to change that? Does Caoimhin Kelleher have a chance of being Liverpool's number one? And are there any grounds for hope for a result against England at Wembley?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A brand new trailer for a brand new BBC Sounds series from the production team who brought you Where Is George Gibney?, Ken chatting to Daniel Wiffen, Ken chatting about David Coote, and a conversation with Gavan Casey, who's on the ground in Dallas ahead of Taylor-Serrano II and Mike Tyson-Jake Paul this Friday. It's been a helluva week on the World Service so far, and we're bringing you a taste of it today. If you like what you hear and you want more independent, member-led broadcasting, you can sign up at secondcaptains.com/join. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Branno was among the 38000 at the Aviva to see Drogheda win the FAI Cup final against Derry City - but the 2024 season isn't quite over yet. We talk about the violence in Amsterdam around last Thursday's match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which drew the attention of world leaders in a manner unlike any Europa League game before. Dion Fanning and Gavin Cooney join us in studio to talk about the weekend's Premier League. Why have Manchester City lost four in a row and what are the chances of them reverting to normal? Why can't Arsenal build any momentum to chase them? Is Ange Postecoglou going to make it to Christmas? Are Liverpool really going to win this thing at a canter? And with international week now OPEN we debate Heimir Hallgrimsson's scouting policy and whether Wyscout is any substitute for the high carbon-burn human touch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland made 21 handling errors and conceded 13 penalties in an error-strewn 10-point loss to NZ on Friday night. But was it all James Lowe's fault for geeing up the crowd while celebrating a kick!!?We chat to Gerry Thornley and Shane Horgan about this performance in isolation, and in the context of this Ireland team's form over the last few years, about Farrell's spiky post-match press conference, about what happened the attack, if both outhalves are damaged by what happened, what changes are coming in what is now a huge game against Argentina, and Australia's magical last-second win in Twickenham. And we have big news about a Second Captains investigative series launching this week on BBC Sounds, from the production team behind “Where Is George Gibney?”. If you subscribed to the "Where Is George Gibney?" podcast feed, that feed is now called COVER, and that’s where you’ll be able to hear this new series. If not simply search “Cover - BBC Sounds” in your podcast app; the journey starts tomorrow, Tuesday the 12th November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mighty (?) All Blacks are in town this week, fresh from a narrow, opportunistic win over England. They weren't outstanding.... besides the three incredible tries they scored. Post-peak NZ are not great, but still very good, and will take some beating on Friday night in Lansdowne Road.Jamie Wall is in studio to talk about Ballygunner's path to All-Ireland club glory, the breath of fresh air provided by new champions and new names at the top table... and the legacy of James McCarthy, the Dublin football legend who retired earlier today. He might just have been the greatest footballer on the greatest team of all time. We also salute the exquisite news-nose of Eoin's 5-year old son, and there's an extremely wholesome story related to the 2024 Footballer of the Year, Galway's Paul Conroy.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They've only gone and done it... we talk about Shelbourne's title win and how Damien Duff has succeeded where some illustrious predecessors failed.The season keeps getting better and better for Liverpool as Arne Slot keeps winning matches and rivals keep having problems.Mark Critchley and John Brewin join us to talk over some more of the weekend's football. How did Manchester United's thinking evolve since last month, when Mark felt sacking Erik ten Hag would be too embarrassing for the club's hierarchy? Has Enzo Maresca finally found a Chelsea midfield combination that works? How did Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth beat Manchester City on Saturday afternoon? And what do they think of the news that Edu is leaving Arsenal when glory seems almost within their grasp? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's edition of our World Service tasting platter; we look forward to the grand finale of the League of Ireland which sees Damien Duff's Shels needing a win to ensure their first league title in 18 years, Ken hones in on what exactly makes Ruben Amorim an exciting prospect for Man United and Lawrence Donegan fills us in on his cross-country expedition ahead of November's US Presidential Election. Plus, we pay audio bed tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Rumble in the Jungle. Join the party for just a fiver a month—no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just as we were about to wrap up today's bank holiday football pod recording, the news came through that Manchester United had finally fired Erik ten Hag. The very-much-in-studio-and-not-on-holidays Ken gives his live initial reaction to the most overdue story in football. (1.25.18)Saturday night saw a sensational return to form for the Real Madrid v Barcelona fixture - and a stunning personal humiliation for Kylian Mbappé - which dangles the tantalising prospect of old-fashioned intrigue and backstabbing at the Galactic club. (1.30)And Lars Sivertsen and Nick Ames join us to talk about Arsenal v Liverpool (a failure of nerve by the man some people are calling the new Mourinho?), Chelsea v Newcastle (is it coming together for Enzo or is Cole Palmer just really really good?), and the ongoing will-he-or-won't-he-abandon-his-beliefs-and-principles drama around Russell Martin. (40.10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been another hectic week on the Second Captains podcast, we’ve had the Champions League, the addition of Johnny Sexton to the Ireland rugby brains-trust in a non-executive capacity, and we also had Eddie Dunbar in studio, one of the best road-cyclists in the world. While Ken, told us about Oleksandr Zinchenko’s new book, written by FriendOfTheShow Raphael Honigstein.Join the party for just a fiver a month—no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Gaelic football patient checked itself in at the weekend, gladly submitting to extensive, experimental surgery in full view of the watching public. We speak to Paul Flynn and FRC member Michael Murphy about the new rules (or enhancements, as Jim Gavin insists we call them) that worked, the rules that jarred... and the rules that our Murph reckons they put in just so we could get rid of them and feel like we were being critical.  There's also the latest earth-shattering press release from the World Conkers Confederation/Corporation, GAA arithmetic, and Paul Flynn looking to double his career points tally with Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Howard Webb provided some good grist to the conspiracy mills over the weekend by getting himself filmed texting and earpiecing before Saliba's yellow card was changed to a red. But maybe the PGMOL supremo deserves some praise to go with the flak. At least his referees are providing an element of unpredictability otherwise missing from a lot of overcoached Premier League football.Branno brings us up to speed on his trip to Sligo to see Bohemians play their small role in the climax to the League of Ireland season. We also talk about how in a few short weeks under Arne Slot, Liverpool have undergone a complete transformation from the side they have been for years under Jurgen Klopp. And Neil Atkinson and Rich Jolly join us to talk about the game at Anfield. Could Slot's start have gone any better? Are the regular complaints about the poor atmosphere at Anfield and other Premier League grounds based on reality or nostalgia? And does the increasingly convergent style of play we see in the Premier League give the crowds much to work with? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The appointment of Thomas Tuchel as England manager has divided both the proud nation of England and the ignoble profession of football journalism into two camps: Little Englanders and Merchants of Woke. Yesterday we heard from The 42's Gav Cooney and Rory Smith of the New York Times, and today had his say. Have the FA made the right choice in appointing a foreign coach? Earlier in the week we were joined in studio by one of the all-time greats of hurling, Joe Canning to talk about his new autobiography, whether he thinks he max-ed out on his potential and how he and his family have dealt with the loss of their mum. For daily independent, member-led journalism, sign up to the Second Captains World Service now at secondcaptains.com/join.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johnny Sexton has won European Cups, Grand Slams, has the all time Irish and Six Nations points records and is a former world player of the year. It takes talent but also an obsessive drive to get this good, and his new autobiography, Obsessed, explains the mental toll this took on Sexton.He joins us in studio to discuss his big breakthrough in 2009 at Croker, his pattern of bust-ups followed by regret, Lancaster's personality test, about needing to change how he communicated with teammates and refs, how he feels about the RWC 2023 QF loss, and his relationship with ROG.Plus there's the contrasting management styles of Schmidt and Farrell, Snyman's paws, Doris the Swiss Army Knife and over-confident Scots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

thens for breakfast, Barcelona for brunch, Fairview for lunch. Ken is back from his Grand Tour of Continental Europe, traveling through the night to bring you his thoughts on Ireland's latest adventures in the Nations League.Joining us in the studio to reflect on an international window in which we actually won a game is Richie Sadlier.We also try to decipher just what Lee Carsley is actually saying and why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we released a podcast on our world service - Sally Hayden, Irish Times Correspondent and author of My Fourth Time, We Drowned, spoke to Ken about life in Beirut under fire from the Israeli army - and such was the reaction that we decided to release it to non members.Sally explains the religious mix in Beirut, how embedded Hezbollah is in Lebanese society, the huge number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the internal displacement caused by the invasion and the anxiety of tomorrow. Ken and Branno also discuss the grim reality of the death toll in Gaza, empty words and two recent documentaries, one called We Will Dance Again about the Hamas attacks on Oct 7th 2023 and Al Jazeera’s investigation into Israeli army war crimes in Gaza. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken has returned from the Land Of The Rising Sun, and he has stories to tell - of Shinto shrines (went to "one of" the most famous ones in Tokyo), Buddhist temples, and... storied sumo amphitheatres. We dominate the dojo in the company of our very own Alan Whicker.  Branno missed the most dramatic week in the HISTORY of the league of Ireland last week, as he was recuperating from invasive surgery - we discover which Second Captain presenter was a constant reassuring presence through his recuperation, and who was marked absent. Plus there's rawdogging, the Bering Strait, and whether Shels still have the league title in their own hands.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken is back from Japan and we take the opportunity to revisit some of the highlights he missed over the last two weeks. We talk about the varying fortunes of Kai Haaland Havertz, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Ange Postecoglou before Mark Critchley joins us to talk about what we had mistakenly anticipated would be the game of the weekend at Villa Park. Will this be the week when Manchester United finally pull the plug on ETH, or is it just too embarrassing for them to do that right now?Plus there's Ken's great Japanese regret and transatlantic travel: the small man's revenge.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Second Captains World Service we were joined by Lars Sivertsen and Glenn Evans from The Athletic and the 1874 Podcast to chat about last night’s incredible win for Villa, with some bonus Steve Bruce cabbage content thrown in for good measure.Closer to home, the League of Ireland title race has gone absolutely wild, with six teams out of a ten team league seemingly in contention for the top spot. We reacted to Shels vs. Pats, which might just be the greatest game ever played in the greatest league in the world (TM).And we chatted to US Murph about Shohei Ohtani putting in the greatest regular season in history. Join the party for just a fiver a month—no contracts, no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no hidden charges, and no ads. Head to secondcaptains.com/join for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Less than a year ago the Irish women's rugby team had finished bottom of the Six Nations table, were playing the likes of Kazakhstan in the third tier of WXV, had not qualified for the previous World Cup and along with stories of interprovincial teams changing in front of wheelie bins and 7s players being taking in and out of the 15s camp, there was very little positivity about. They have since come third in the 6N, qualified for the 2025 World Cup, made it into the top tier of WXV1, hammered Australia, and now best of all, beaten NZ, the team that has won 6 of the last 7 World Cups. We chat to Leinster head coach Tania Rosser, and Alison Miller, both of whom played against NZ last time Ireland beat them, in the 2014 World Cup.We also discuss world-class Aoife Wafer, Munster's leaky defence and Conor McKenna's AFL title win with the Brisbane Lions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Manchester United content-creating machine trundles remorselessly on: another day, another humiliating home defeat. Jack Pitt-Brooke and Dion Fanning were watching, goggle-eyed at the latest United capitulation - this one with added red card drama. Tottenham on the other hand had a delightful day at the office. It turns out the only thing a Premier League crisis club needs is a visit to Old Trafford. And there's also Liverpool's almost-silent progression to top spot in the Premier League, and Mikel Arteta trying to reverse out of a war of words with Pep.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been another bumper week on the World Service and we want to serve you up a tempting slice of the action. There was our chat with Dara Ó Briain live from London on the best summer of his sporting life, Barney Ronay and John Brewin on the still smouldering City-Arsenal discourse, and a sneak preview of our brilliant chat with legendary former League of Ireland player and manager Dermot Keely, which goes out tomorrow. Plus one of the country's best GAA journalists Cahair O'Kane joined us to talk about the end of the Casement Park Euro 2028 dream and where we go from here. Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no sign-on fee, no minimum stay, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sport of rugby barely survived the Ken Early Rugby Special on Second Captains last week, but after a weekend deluge of tries, drama and upsets, it's back, baby!We do a quick series recap of "last season, in rugby" including a reminder that the international team did rather well in 2023/24, while the provinces struggled.Gerry Thornley joins us to discuss the 10-try interpro that went loco, Connacht's dynamic halfback duo, Munster's brain drain, Ireland and Leinster's outhalf subplot, Ulster's last-gasp win and the rise of coach Contepomi.Plus there's bridesmaid Rory McIlroy's continuing psycho drama, Tony Ward the codebreaker and Ireland, THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN THE WORLD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We had been told that Manchester City/Arsenal games are guaranteed snooze-fests, but it turns out we had been misinformed. John Stones got the final goal of a 2-2 thriller in the eighth minute of injury time, and it was a game so rich in drama, so packed with shithousery, and so laden with meaning for this year's Premier League title race that we simply had to hear from Jonathan Wilson and Gavin Cooney.  It might not have been a good week for Mr Mourinho in Turkey, but it will have gladdened his heart to tune into the Greatest League In The World to see both the top 2 turn into Jose teams.  It turns out he had the answers all along - why have a back 5 when you can have a back 6, and when all else fails, why not put a centre-half up top and try and get him on the end of a few diags.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's World Service roundup; Ken offers fresh perspective on Mikel Arteta's professional pickpocketer scheme, Eoin reopens a 34-year-old debate as to who was at fault for Toto Schillaci's goal that booted us out of Italia 90, and we share some of our chat with the great Katie McCabe live from the eartH Theatre in London last week.Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no sign-on fee, no minimum stay, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rory McIlroy was 4 shots clear at the top of the leaderboard early in yesterday's final round of the Irish Open, was playing at his home-from-home course Royal County Down, against a field shy on world class golfers... nothing could possibly go wrong.Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times wants to take away the stigma of choking in sport, thinks putting is the base issue and explains why he thinks Rory will win another major, but simultaneously comes to the realisation that he may be the last person alive to admit that these late-Sunday collapses are a problem.The 1,700 page report into the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in west London in 2017, released 12 days ago, accused Kingspan of “deeply entrenched and persistent dishonesty” and having a “complete disregard for fire safety”. We discuss Shane Lowry ending his association with Kingspan and whether Cavan GAA should follow suit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If Ange Postecoglou's set-up yesterday harked back to the days of Ossie Ardiles, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal paid tribute to the spirit of an even earlier time. The Basque has reconnected Arsenal with their roots - and what lies beneath. We also talk about Heimir Hallgrimsson's blithe lack of concern for Optics.Jack Pitt-Brooke joins us to talk about the North London derby, the measures Ange Postecoglou has taken to address what are quickly becoming world-famous problems, and how Arsenal are likely to approach a week when they've had no favours from the fixture computer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcomed Eddie Dunbar into studio last summer to talk about the impact that a series of devastating crashes had on his career and his health.  Since then he has had another run of injuries including in this year's Giro D'Italia, but with that bad luck finally behind him, Dunbar has just won 2 stages of the Vuelta España, the second of which is the biggest win of his life. We talk to cycling journalist Cillian Kelly today about why this was such a timely reminder of Eddie’s class, why he has had so many crashes and what the future holds for the Cork cyclist.This weekend Branno took a time machine back to a more sedate, more gentrified Dublin, and he is now a fully-fledged polo man and a fan of complicated menus and the British commonwealth.Plus there’s a defeat for democracy at Central Council, and Oasis break the news of the status quo being maintained for another season in the GAA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You want it to be one way. You want it to be one way. You want it to be one way. But it's the other way. Rice '11, Grealish '26 - a script written by an English sadist. Did we manifest this? Damien Delaney and Richie Sadlier join us to sift through the wreckage. What didn't they like about Ireland's approach? What could we have done instead? And what should we do next? We also hear the latest from the press conference where John O'Shea had to insist that he is not actually at the wheel of the national team.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's World Service tasting platter we drum up some excitement ahead of Saturday's Nations League showdown with England, Ken goes toe-to-toe with Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce on TalkSport and Craig Ray tells us why Ellis Park in Johannesburg is the toughest place to go in world rugby,And the brilliant Ellen Keane chats to us about seeing magic, introverted extroverts and seeking spontaneity. Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no sign-on fee, no minimum stay, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s always a quote; “United's high-profile catastrophic start to the season has rightly brought every player under the microscope, but the purchase of a world-class holding midfielder could mark a change in fortunes at Old Trafford”. So read the Daily Mail in August 2022 - the world-class holding midfielder being paraded around Old Trafford before a match against Liverpool that day was... Casemiro. We chat with Dion Fanning and Miguel Delaney as the Arne Slot era begins in such style that he can even moonlight as a post-match pundit offering a tactical breakdown of his vanquished rivals. Plus there's Dyche-ball and Branno goes blackberry picking as Bohs down Shamrock Rovers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to your free weekly taster of the Second Captains World Service. This week we had non stop entertainment from Ken - from Alexander The Great to Oasis to train stories to strolls with Sean Fitz - he is a true song and dance and stories man. We also chatted to Rhasidat about the need for speed (but when) and her poor health at the Olympics. Plus there was Transfer Deadline Day nonsense, the new Champions League format, a Time Machine malfunction, and a Rossie's plans to down the Dubs, with Carlow.Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no sign on, no minimum stay, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul O'Donovan won yet another rowing world title this weekend, while Jakob Ingebrigtsen shattered one of the longest-standing track world records - but the man who stole the world's attention, and money, was pole vaulting charisma machine Mondo Duplantis.We chat to David Gillick and Gavin Cooney about Rhasidat's latest 4th place finish, her road to endurance, the anti doping issues in Bahrain, O'Donovan's dominance and Ingebrigtsen's blistering times.Plus there's Ken on WWI's eastern front, trusting coach Flo, and Murph's buzzkill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lars Sivertsen and Rich Jolly join us to talk through the weekend's football. What is happening at Everton, where we see Dyche, but not Dycheball? What kind of impression has Fabien Hürzeler already made after a couple of games in the Premier League? How are Norway managing not to qualify for international tournaments these days? And is it really true that any idiot can play Wonderwall? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to your weekly taster of the Second Captains World Service. This week we have Ken on the Chelsea cash elevator, Maresca's man management and football's great gamble. Plus there's Conor Niland in studio on Novak's secret sauce and Michael Darragh Macauley on his passion for his new role as CEO of Sanctuary Runners, a group that uses running as a way to bring together asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and all Irish residents, with the aim of creating a more inclusive, integrated and happy society.Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no sign on, no minimum stay, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Branno went to Kerry this weekend to see the kingdom get taught a football lesson, but instead got an education in floats, parades, Roses and mass. Branno is now back in Dublin having seen some of the TEN DAYS of the Rose of Tralee festival. Today’s show tries to answer important questions such as: what would Ken’s B-boy name be? Why are Australians so good at sport? Is it ok to laugh at people who aren’t much good at sport (by Olympics standards)? And is there any topic that can't be turned into a culture war?We chat to Rohan Connolly - Managing director of FOOTYOLOGY, and AFL commentator for ESPN and 3AW about Raygun, the Australian break dancer who's crime was to be below average at her chosen event. Plus there's stadium winning streaks, Branno Furiosa and window wiper fun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Brewin and Dion Fanning join us to talk about the opening weekend of the Premier League season. John was at Portman Road to see the debuts of Kieran McKenna and Arne Slot and reports on the respective animal magnetisms of the two up-and-coming coaches. We also talk about Chelsea and their offences against football. Elsewhere, the latest instalment in the Perarnau-Guardiola series is upon us and we sample some characteristic vignettes.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to your weekly taster of the Second Captains World Service. This week we have a Premier League preview show, Man Utd's nostalgia money, anatomy of a 4 x 400m Olympic final, and Steph Curry's GOAT status.Join the party for a fiver a month – there’s no contracts, no hidden fees and no ads. Go to secondcaptains.com/join for details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.