What The Footie Podcast

This week's What The Footie Pod is with football finance expert and the Price of Football Co-Host Kieran Maguire. In this episode, we discuss the financials of Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool, the looming European Super League, the ramifications of relegation and so much more!

Steve Morrow spent 20 years at Arsenal as a player & scout. In this exclusive episode, he gives insight into his role in scouting players like Serge Gnabry, Donyell Malen, Bukakyo Saka, Emile-Smith Rowe & even Mikel Arteta! We also discussed the growth of the MLS/US talent, Arsenal’s early multi-club/feeder club model, the art and science of scouting, the life lessons he learned from George Graham & Arsene Wenger and so much more.

BEHIND THE SCENES with football financier/deal-maker Laurie Pinto. Laurie advises prospective owners when they look to buy Premier League clubs. In recent months we have seen Burnley and Newcastle enter takeover talks. In this podcast, Laurie and I analysed various owners from FSG to Mike Ashley and from the Kroenke's to Roman Abramovich. Why Laurie predicts that 1/3 Prem teams will have new owners by next season? We debated profit maximisation (making money) vs win maximisation (winning games) and the direction of the future of football (we are both two disgruntled Arsenal fans). THIS IS THE SEASON FINALE. REMEMBER TO HIT 5 STARS ON APPLE AND LEAVE A REVIEW!

BEHIND THE SCENES with Solihull Moors' Women's Chairman, Alex Alexandrou. Women's football is booming in England, so I sat down with Alex to understand more about the business behind it. From how to create an academy pathway to hiring and backing a manager. We also had an interesting debate on the role that the Premier League should play in supporting and funding the Women's game. PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE 5 STARS AND REVIEW US ON APPLE!

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH LAURA RAFFERTY - BRISTOL CITY DEFENDER & NORTHERN IRELAND INTERNATIONAL! We discussed her journey from Southampton when the girls' academy was closed down to now playing in the Women’s Super League. Her state of mind after tearing her ACL, her entrepreneurial endeavors alongside football, the best player in the #WSL, the importance of player care, the growth of the women’s game and much more. PLEASE LEAVE A 5 STAR RATING & REVIEW! Instagram: @whatthefootieTwitter: @whatthefootieEmail: [email protected]

Directors of Football/Sporting Directors are the glue behind the scenes. Much of the modern success of teams like Liverpool & Dortmund is attributed to people like Michael Edwards & Michael Zorc. But in general, these people are seen as something of an enigma. Who better to lift the lid than Stewart King, Partner @ Nolan Partners. Stewart is an advisor to the biggest clubs in the Prem, other major European leagues and the MLS. He is trusted by their owners to appoint the best Directors of Football/Sporting Directors in the game. Be prepared to gain rich insight and be sure to tell a friend to tell a friend!

How does the Bundesliga compare to the Premier League? I spoke with the Head of International Marketing @ FC Schalke 04 - the club that birthed Ozil, Neuer, Goretkza, Matip, Sane, Gundogan, Goretzka & Draxler to understand. We debated various issues: whether it is time to scrap 50+1? How does Schalke compete on/off the pitch with Bayern/Dortmund? Why are more Prem teams buying Bundesliga talent?

BEHIND THE SCENES: Commercial Director & Board Member @ Bristol Rovers, Tom Gorringe. The pandemic and Project Big Picture has accelerated the importance of clubs becoming financially sustainable. Stoke did it in Prem and Brighton and Burnley have been doing it. Tom and the directors at Rovers are not waiting on the Premier League to save the day, with a bailout, they have taken active steps and communicated a long-term sustainable strategy with their fans. A huge part of this strategy involves improving the infrastructure around to club to lead to youth and player development in a way that has worked wonders for clubs like Brentford and Southampton.Key Timestamps: 04:21: Life at Portsmouth - being the first Prem club to go into administration. 08:13: Life at Cardiff - the switch from blue to red & Vincent Tan walking into a pub in Cardiff. 14:11 Life at Brighton - best run club in the country. 17:19 Building Rovers - youth development and scouting, the effects of the pandemic, Project Big Picture, the salary cap and more.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Fulham FC Sports Scientist, Lewis MacMillan. Fit, healthy & robust players form the foundation for success at a football club. In 2018/19 Premier League teams paid £221m to injured players and this season we have seen a 42% increase in muscular injuries. For this exclusive, Paul sat down with Fulham's 1st team Sports Scientist Lewis MacMillan to discuss a plethora of issues. From why we have seen a spike in injuries across the league to the value that young managers, like Scott Parker, see in sports science. From the return of the 5 sub-rule to ensuring that key bagsman Mitrovic is getting the right amount of sleep. If you enjoyed this episode why not check out Episode 14 with the Club Doctor @ Watford FC.

For this bonus episode, Paul collaborated with fellow podcaster and Founder @ Fan Insights Kevin Rye. Kevin has spent the last 15 years working within the Fan Engagement space and is the architect behind the Fan Engagement Index. Listen to find out what happened when this football business podcast met up with a fan engagement podcast!

Back on 16th November. This season we are going deeper into how clubs are dealing with the pandemic. Exclusive behind the scenes content with directors, advisors and staff at some of the biggest clubs in European football! 9 unmissable episodes out every Monday morning!

Following on from my exclusive episode with Akin Solanke-Caulker, CEO @ The Athletic Network. I sat down with him and his protégé, Mustafa, to find out the blueprint to becoming a sports agent. This content is for any aspiring Jerry Maguires and Spencer Strasmores. I hope you learn something valuable. Remember to leave a review on Apple!

EXCLUSIVE: For the season finale, Paul sat down with Akin Solanke-Caulker, CEO @ The Athletic Network, to speak about his transition from reality TV to being the best-dressed sports agent in the world. From game-changing brand deals with Pirelli to working with ballers like Jack Butland, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw & Bakayoko. REMEMBER TO DOWNLOAD, SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW & TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND!

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: For this episode, I spoke with former Spurs midfielder Riana Soobadoo about her career so far. From training with David Beckham to signing for Spurs. We also spoke about the future of the women's game and the future of grassroots football.

Whether you support Arsenal or West Ham, every fan and listener wants their club to move in the right direction. Whether that is competing for the title, getting into Europe or becoming a stable Prem club. This vision requires a strategy. For this episode, I sat down with Investor & Ex-Man Utd Commercial Analyst Kelwyn Looi to discuss the strategy behind football clubs. REMEMBER TO LEAVE A 5 STAR REVIEW!

From Jadon Sancho playing cage football in South London to the refugee camp in Ghana where Alphonso Davies lived, football is the bedrock of communities. For this episode, I sat down with Goal Click Co-Founder Matthew Barrett to speak about communities x football. We spoke about: athletes like Sterling/Rashford using their platform, the politics behind football, how Prem clubs can support communities more, how UEFA/FIFA can support the grassroots game globally and the work Goal Click is doing to show the Western media the real Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

EXCLUSIVE: For this episode, I sat down with Anna Mitchell Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Portsmouth FC. We spoke about the commercial strategy of the club, their vision of getting back to the Prem, the controversial EFL salary cap, the importance of dialogue between the board and fans and how boardroom decisions affect football clubs.As fans, we rarely hear from directors. This episode was transparent and insightful so DOWNLOAD, SUBSCRIBE, RATE AND REVIEW AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND!

With the new season just days away, Paul sat down with friends of the pod to review all 20 clubs and give their expectations and predictions for the coming season.From Chelsea mounting a title challenge to Bielsa's Leeds spicing up the league. From Top 4 predictions to relegation strugglers. This episode is action-packed!MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD, SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND!

For Part 2, Paul and Dave spoke about the modern game - directors of football, super agents, player power, playing out from the back, Sean Dyche at Burnley, British managers getting the Big 6 jobs, facing Sir Alex & George Graham & much more!

Dave Bassett is an LMA Hall of Famer who has managed over 1000 games for teams such as Wimbledon, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.In Part 1, Paul and Dave spoke about his man-management style, getting the best out of the crazy gang, dealing with the pressure of management, taking Wimbledon and Sheffield United all the way to Division 1, managing Chris Wilder and much more.Remember to download, subscribe, rate and review and tell a friend to tell a friend.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: For this episode, Paul and friend of the pod Royce sat down with leading football agent Eddie Bonsu.Eddie works @ Elite Project Group - the agency that works with the likes of Sancho, Saka & Cantwell.In this exclusive, we spoke about inflated transfer fees, super-agents, the transfer market during COVID and much more!Sit back and enjoy one of our BIGGEST episodes yet!

VVD, Andy Robertson & Kieran Tierney are three of the Prem's most exciting players and the major thing they all have in common is that they played in the SPL.For this episode I sat down with Rangers fan and sports media guru Adam Lovatt to discuss the following:The standard of the SPL, the future of Scottish football, does the SPL get unfair criticism? Bournemouth vs Rangers - who is bigger? Is the Old Firm the biggest derby in the world? Can Rangers stop 10-in-a-row? Is Celtic's dominance any different to PSG, Bayern and Juve's? Improving the commercialisation, branding and distribution of the SPL.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: From debates in Facebook fan forums to Instagram admins living rent-free in the heads of managers, social media is a massive part of the game. For this episode, I went behind the scenes with Charlotte Males to find out more about how social media and football are crossing over and about the two properties that she promotes on social for the FA - the FA Cup and the Women's Super League. We discussed: Social media x fan engagement, players as influencers, storytelling, Zuckerberg/Dorsey regulating football trolls, Europe vs winning FA Cup, The FA Cup final, West Ham winning a trophy, club owners tweeting & the Women’s Super League.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica. Made in Mississauga, Canada. For this exclusive, I went behind the scenes with former Norwich striker Simeon Jackson to discuss his rise from Non-League to Premier League. From flipping burgers in McDonald's to scoring goals in the big time. Simeon's journey is remarkable and inspiring. In this episode, we discussed: dealing with rejection, playing against Rio and John Terry, playing in the Bundesliga, scoring promotion clinching goals, working under Champions League winner Paul Lambert, his 5-a-side team and much more!

With the huge fixture congestion that we see in today’s game I went behind the scenes with a Premier League Club Doctor to discuss the following:Should there be unlimited subs? Player wellbeing, managing burnout, club vs country, the road to recovery after injuries, scrapping the League Cup and a typical matchday in a covid world.

Football has returned and on-the-field, due to postponed leagues, cups and international tournaments, players face a grueling 12 months of fixtures. From what is now going to be Euro 2021 to the newly revamped FIFA World Club Cup. I went behind the scenes with Rowena Samarasinhe who has spent the last 15 years working on major events, like Euro 2008 and the Olympics, to discuss the following:Who are the winners and losers in the increasing commercialisation of football? UEFA vs FIFA, should Euro 2021 have been held in England? The rise of multi-city football tournaments post-covid, a Premier League game abroad? Taking football events to new markets, when can fans return to stadiums? What lessons can football learn from other sports? Should the global football event calendar be harmonised?

Football and fashion are crossing over more than ever before, so much that a club that no one has ever heard of could release a cool and sleek kit that can sell out within minutes.I went behind the scenes with former New Balance and Umbro kit designer Matthew McDermott to discuss the following:Are football clubs becoming fashion brands like the Yankees? PSG x Jordan, THAT Nigeria World Cup kit, retro kits, merchandising as a revenue stream for clubs, high-end brands like Balenciaga getting into football and football merch as streetwear.

What The Footie returns on July 6th with Season 2, featuring world-class guests from behind the scenes in football. Tell a friend to tell a friend!

Subscribe to the What The Footie monthly newsletter to get this bonus episode and other exciting football content to get you through lockdown (whatthefootie.com/subscribe). In this episode, I spoke with a few friends of the pod and contacts within the game to get their take on a few awards... such as Moaner of the Season & Player of the Season.

For the season finale, I was joined by Rich, my friend, and former UEFA Champions League sponsorship manager at Playstation. We spoke about the coronavirus pandemic and the commercialisation of football. Remember to download, subscribe, rate and review!

Today's episode comes from a debate that Royce and I had, around a Match of The Day Facebook post, on rule changes within football. I hope you guys love it not like it, I hope you love it!

With Kane and Son out injured, what is stopping José from playing Troy Parrott?

Jay-Z's agency, Roc Nation Sports, recently opened their London office and have a football roster that includes De Bruyne & Lukaku. I was keen to find out from Mark Agyakwa what life behind the scenes at Roc is like.

Last week's Champions League results unearthed a viral debate around the decline in the quality of the Premier League. I could not think of anyone better than Mark Agyakwa, a member of the Roc Nation Sports family and a former data analyst of Europe's Top 5 Leagues, to debate and discuss this with. We spoke about whether such a decline exists & the main factors behind it. I hope you love this one!

I had a hectic week and took my own winter break, so this episode is me giving my take on this week's football business news! Normal service resumes next Monday! Tell a friend to tell a friend!

Today's episode is from a chat I had with Royce, back in November, about the importance of football players having a good agent and support system. This episode contains some insightful nuggets about life behind the scenes with agents, so as always tell a friend to tell a friend!

Being a huge Gooner I thought it would be great to dissect the first month of Mikel Arteta's tenure as Arsenal manager and look into the future.

This month the Premier League is having its first-ever winter break. Conveniently the FA has decided to schedule FA Cup replays in the middle of it and Klopp is having none of it! In this episode, we debated the importance of a winter break and whether managers should still respect the traditions of the English game.

We are seeing academy graduates getting more opportunities in the Premier League, so I sat down with West Ham & Tottenham graduates and Dagenham & Redbridge duo, Manny Onariase and Alex McQueen to find out what life behind the scenes at a top football academy is like.

Hi, I'm Paul and I love the business side of football. Every fortnight (Mondays from 1st Feb 2021) I am here with agents, players, coaches, club execs and contacts within the game to get to the bottom of 'what the footie' happens behind the scenes in football. Sit back and enjoy us ramble on. Let’s go!Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/whatthefootie/