The Second Captains Podcast

Welcome to our World Service taster which this week included Ken on Infantino throwing all his chips in on Trump, David Sneyd on Shels in the CL and Evan's move to Roma, and we had a great chat with Gavan Casey, who was in NYC, and legendary commentator Mike Costello, about Taylor Serrano III and the future of women's boxing.Plus there was Paul Flynn and Malachy Clerkin on the football semis, the Royal county's new pinata, the Lions tour getting interesting and next week there's The Open in Portrush, the Tour de France, more high end GAA action and the Lions 1st Test in Australia.Click the player at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all. 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, 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.

11/07/2025 • 29:02

There was a period of a few hours over the weekend when it looked as though Mikey Johnston might be going to Brazil to teach them how to dribble. Even Robbie Keane's intervention could not save the move. We talk about the Club World Cup, where Jurgen Klopp's direst predictions of injuries came true for Bayern's best player, Jamal Musiala. Should he even have been playing? And does Gianluigi Donnarumma deserve the criticism he's been getting from the original sweeper keeper, Manuel Neuer?We also talk about the confirmed and rumoured incomings - and recent outgoings - at Arsenal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

07/07/2025 • 42:54

The Cork hurlers have built up a following which some commentators are comparing with Heffo’s Army or, say, the Pope's visit to Ireland. They travelled from Kent station to Heuston on Saturday with, let’s be honest, a certain cockiness and Dublin’s quick capitulation made for a good day out for the red shirted horde. And then came "its a madhouse at Croker" on Sunday - our senior analyst Jamie Wall had tipped against Tipp. What’s he got to say for himself now? He’s joined in our studio by Dublin's Liam Rushe to discuss both semis and the score that never was.We also discuss lingerie shops distracting Easter Week rebels, turning the GPO into a coffee shop, dressing like an African prince and Murph gets back behind the wheel for another episode of the wildly successful new slot, Murph's Country Drives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

07/07/2025 • 53:34

Welcome to our World Service taster which this week includes a chat about the life, death and ongoing political impact being made by one of hip hop’s most enduring icons; the author of a brilliant new book "Words for my Comrades: a Political History of Tupac Shakur", Dean Van Nguyen, joined us in studio.We also previewed the hurling semi finals with Liam Rushe and Jamie Wall, covered the British and Irish Lions tour, the club world cup circus in USA and Ken and Dion Fanning reflected on the sudden and tragic death of Liverpool star Diogo Jota.On Tuesday night news broke that former Irish Olympic swim coach George Gibney had been arrested in Florida. Mark Horgan, reporter and producer of the award winning Second Captains / BBC Sounds series ‘Where Is George Gibney?”, came in studio to give his reaction. We'd like to thank World Service subscribers again, as, without their support, we wouldn't be able to develop our longer-form work such as  ‘Where Is George Gibney?’ and more recently, Stakeknife. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04/07/2025 • 23:32

Murph and Mark headed off to Croke Park together yesterday for the MARPH derby. Murph's initial arrogance slowly curdled into horror as he and everyone else in the stadium witnessed the return of the Royals; Meath are back!Mark is on the show today to celebrate on behalf of his people, but otherwise, it's wall-to-wall losers as Dublin and Armagh's Paul Flynn and Oisin McConville join Murph's Galway pity party. We chat about Kerry's classy, clever win over All-Ireland champions Armagh, Meath's miracle, the kick-out factor, Donegal depth, Dublin's limp display against Tyrone, and where they go now as Dessie Farrell steps down.Plus there's octogenarian ecstasies, and Ken's preferred candidate for the Dublin job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30/06/2025 • 67:24

Friend of the show David Sneyd sent US Soccer into a tailspin over the weekend with his exclusive report that Brentford interviewed Mauricio Pochettino for the job they ended up giving to Keith Andrews. But doesn’t Poch already have a job? In Ireland we can empathise with the American soul-searching.Meanwhile, certain senior German grandees been engaging in the favourite activity of their kind: lighting up the feuilleton space with an exchange of controversial barbs. Jurgen Klopp described the Club World Cup as the worst idea ever implemented in football, just a week after Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hailed the genius of Johnny Infantino for coming up with the idea. We look into the competing claims.Plus there's FIFA's NFTs, Sky Sports bites back, Ken's Cuban and eggs in Italy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30/06/2025 • 56:17

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes the voice of Saipan (trailer), the Joe Duffy era coming to a close and a new door opening, Tim Vickery on Brazilian footballers' ability to sin and win, Messi's secret to longevity, and Ken on the USA V Italy cuisine wars.Plus there's Lions o'clock, climate change, ASMR, and the GAA football and hurling championships are red hot for the next few weeks.For access to all our shows from Monday to Friday go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contracts, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27/06/2025 • 36:49

14-man Dublin's win over Limerick on Saturday has been described as the greatest upset in championship history - is that hyperbolic or on the money? Is this the end of an era or can we expect to see a less dominant but still title-contending Limerick going forward? And what are Dublin capable of against Cork in two weeks' time? Jamie Wall and former Dublin hurler Liam Rushe are with us to answer those questions and more after an extraordinary weekend. It's probably for the best that Murph's away this week, because in the other preliminary quarter-final Galway rolled over against Tipperary, offering next to nothing. Now, Tipp take on Kilkenny in the semi-finals, with Jamie's prediction that Derek Lyng's men will go all the way this year still hanging in the balance. Plus there's the Chris Crummey debate ('debate') and the Second Captains slot Louth GAA never knew they needed.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23/06/2025 • 44:38

Ken is back from holidays and so is Branno. Did they... go on vacation together?Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened... is what Branno's Shels-supporting friends are claiming they are thinking the day after Damien Duff walked out of the club. Today's show is mainly about perhaps the last-ever Duff-LOI Bomba - although it was a different competition that dominated much of our weekend bandwidth. Eoin brings us up to speed.David Sneyd joins Eoin, Ken and Branno to talk about Duff's exit. Why did he choose to go now? Is this an impulse decision, or one that's been coming for a while? Will the league be damaged by the loss of arguably its biggest star? And what next for Duff himself? Plus we've news of two new Stakeknife episodes, including a Q&A with Say Nothing author and New Yorker staff writer, Patrick Radden Keefe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23/06/2025 • 63:28

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes Dion Fanning and Rory Smith on Trent, the Spurs killjoys, sacking Ange and hiring Thomas Frank. Plus there's Gavin Cooney on the rights and wrongs of Ireland welcoming the Trump aligned NFL to Dublin, the wildly popular new slot "Lions Watch", all the best GAA and rugby coverage and a brilliant interview with former world champ and now one of the best boxing coaches in the world, Andy Lee.For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contracts, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19/06/2025 • 30:40

Another insane weekend of Gaelic football, and finally we have some teams departing the scene - including, most chaotically of all, Mayo. They conceded a last-second score to a team who needed it not even a small little bit, and they, Derry, Roscommon and Clare are gone. Former Galway player Barry Cullinane is on the line to chart his old team's progress through the Group of Death, and he's joined by Wicklow manager Oisin McConville, fresh from beating Westmeath and blasting the Tailteann Cup wide open. There's also time to discuss Meath's insane hammering of Kerry, a score-fest between Down and Monaghan, and the preliminary quarter-final draw, which managed to keep all the big dogs away from each other.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16/06/2025 • 49:25

Today's football show contains all the meats of the football stew, from local LOI beefs to the state of the world game.First we chat to David Sneyd about where exactly things stand in the League of Ireland season, a season in which Damien Duff and Stephen Bradley are at each other's throats. Why? Because of Italian trance classic, Komodo by Mauro Picotto, of course. Then we speak to The Guardian's Barney Ronay, who's been on the ground in America for the opening weekend of the Club World Cup. We discuss Infantino's ICE World Cup, the dark mood in America and why the Saudi money and American marketing behind it all means it will probably succeed.Plus there's Auckland amateurs, birthday shoutouts and the Kalimotxo King.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16/06/2025 • 58:33

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes Tim Vickery on South America's keen interest in Infantino's Club World Cup, Dion Fanning and David Sneyd on RTE's panel, Ire V Lux and Tuchel's tricky start to life as England coach. We also discuss football midfielders' brain power requirements, transcendent tennis, we preview the URC final and next week we cover all the football, golf and GAA action.For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contracts, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11/06/2025 • 31:10

Cork won a Munster final that "began at tea-time and didn't finish until bed-time", as Denis Walsh put it on Saturday night - a win on penalties over Limerick after a raucous, controversial, enthralling match that was perfect in its imperfection, as Jamie Wall explains to us.  Kilkenny won a sixth Leinster title in a row, but the real headlines from Croke Park yesterday came from Kildare, who won the Joe McDonagh Cup with a bravura performance on their biggest day.  We also discuss Murph's insatiable desire for TV appearances, Ken's hatred for "Freed From Desire", and a new documentary "Hell For Leather", coming up on RTE1 tonight.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09/06/2025 • 58:46

The Nations League final four turned out to be pretty good but it's clear that what international football needs right now is to reverse the FIFA diktat to make every emotional stadium moment sound the exact same.We talk about Ireland's draw with Senegal and look ahead to tomorrow's season-closing friendly in Luxembourg, before the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author Joseph O'Neill joins us in studio to speak about his 2024 novel, Godwin, a New York Times Best Book of the Year. The novel, partly set in the world of football scouting and agency, explores both the exploitation of young African footballers and a particular brand of ineffective 21st century American liberalism, something Joseph has also written about in his essays for the New York Review of Books. And that is what you call a veritable smorgasbord of a football show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09/06/2025 • 74:01

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu!For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contract, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06/06/2025 • 24:00

PSG are the champions of Europe after crushing Inter 5-0 in the most one-sided final in European Cup history. The night was a complicated mix of emotions; awe at the sheer brilliance of PSG's performance, respect and affection for their charismatic coach Luis Enrique, sympathy for the hopelessly outclassed Inter, unease and foreboding at a second Champions League win in three seasons for a state-owned club, and, if you are into that kind of thing, maybe a little schadenfreude at the expense of Kylian Mbappe.After the game, Ken caught up (in rapid succession) with Miguel Delaney, Jonathan Liew and Diego Torres to hear their thoughts on the slaughter.Plus there's Ken scooting under the influence, Doue's abs and Dembele the destroyer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01/06/2025 • 72:37

Bernie Sanders has been one of the most electrifying figures in American life for half a century, and is one of the most high-profile global political figures of the current moment. He joined us in our studio in Dublin this week for an exclusive interview, and we have a taster of the chat on today's best of show.In what was a massive week for Second Captains, we also had former Ireland and Sheffield Utd captain John Egan at our live show in the Everyman Theatre in Cork, Plus there's Ken's preview of the Champions League final, Oisin McConville and Paul Flynn on the GAA and Jonathan Wilson's football wedding plans.For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contract, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30/05/2025 • 23:32

We're into the time of celebrations, drifting clouds of flare smoke, players grabbing mics and managers maybe dropping them. Palace, Liverpool and Tottenham all celebrated their big trophy wins in the last few days while Katie McCabe has been leading Arsenal's celebrations after winning the Women's Champions League. Spurs fans: we see you, we believe you. We address the concerns of some Tottenham fans who felt Thursday's pod was too focused on the wretchedness of the Europa League final losers, and talk about Daniel Levy's big call. Jonathan Wilson joins us to pour out his heart about newly promoted playoff champions Sunderland AFC, and reveal new information on the table plan for his upcoming wedding. And we hear from Ken and Branno on their big Bernie experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26/05/2025 • 69:07

We have our provincial hurling final pairings, but Cork didn't exactly roar into the Munster final, enduring a nervy second half before finally putting Waterford away in Páirc Úi Chaoimh.  They'll face Limerick in two weeks' time, and Jamie Wall and Liam Rushe say farewell to All-Ireland champions Clare, while looking ahead to Galway/Kilkenny in the Leinster final.  Murph was in Parnell Park to see Dublin struggle under the new-found weight of expectation, and we also explore his new-found love for the New York Knicks... which we then pithily expose as lies and hypocrisy.   We also reveal how Ken spent his Saturday - talking to Senator Bernie Sanders in our office!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26/05/2025 • 48:25

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes an in-depth look at a Europa League final result that's produced so many talking points for both Spurs and Man Utd, US Murph on the New York sports fan and Pope University, Paul Flynn on Dublin's (surprise?) win over Galway, and Timothee Chalamet being a good sport.We also had an exclusive interview with former Celtic, Sunderland and Cork City player and more recently, Ireland assistant coach, Colin Healy. Last year, Colin’s wife, Kelly, sadly passed away after a long battle with leukaemia. After taking a few weeks off work, he returned to his job as assistant coach to Ireland manager, Eileen Gleeson. In December, the FAI announced they wouldn’t be renewing Colin’s contract. Just over a month later, Colin released a highly critical statement in which he said he’d been assured by then FAI Director of Football, Marc Canham, that he would be kept on, something which Canham has consistently denied. Colin sat down with us this week to speak about what’s been an extremely difficult year in his personal and professional life.For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join – its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contract, and no ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23/05/2025 • 30:20

The FA Cup: good when the underdogs actually win. We look at some key moments of Palace's epic and emotional victory. Why didn't the VAR send Dean Henderson off? Why did Erling Haaland let Marmoush take the penalty? And did Oliver Glasner get in Pep Guardiola's head when he warned him, you play that system against us again and we will solve it? And in Europa League final week, we wonder: how did Oliver Glasner manage to come in mid-season, switch to 3-4-3, and win most of his remaining PL games, while certain other managers who have tried to do something similar have failed? Damien Delaney was over to watch his old club win their first ever major trophy - he joins us to talk about an incredible day at Wembley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19/05/2025 • 78:54

Limerick and Cork has been the marquee hurling rivalry of the recent past - but yesterday in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick sent out a fairly thundering message that they are the team to beat in this year's All-Ireland championship.  Liam Rushe and Jamie Wall are in studio again to talk to us about Kyle Hayes' dominance, Cork's naive puck-out defence, why Waterford may worry Cork next weekend with a place in the Munster final at stake, and Dublin's 'moral victory' in Nowlan Park.  There's also the arresting image of a former RTE GAA analyst climbing Everest in the nude, Aidan O'Shea, and more Cian Lynch magic.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19/05/2025 • 48:51

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes the mighty Kate O'Connor live in Belfast on her incredible year of success, Ken on his US civil war ancestor, a brilliant GAA show with Paul Flynn and Oisin McConville, and fan favourite Tim Vickery on why Brazil and Argentina have such different football philosophies.For access to all our shows go to secondcaptains.com/join - its 5 euro a month with no sign-up fee, no minimum stay, no sneaky contract, no ads, just lots and lots of podcast fun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15/05/2025 • 45:10

The All-Ireland champions Clare are on the precipice after their defeat at home to Tipperary in a packed Cusack Park in Ennis on Saturday - but our analysts Liam Rushe and Jamie Wall reckon there's still a chance they survive. We also discuss the skorts issue that continues to rumble on inexplicably, John McGrath's late-career renaissance, Shane O'Donnell's return, and there's Limerick/Cork to look forward to this weekend too. We also reflect briefly on Louth's thrilling Leinster football final win, Sam Mulroy's heroics, and Murph getting abused by a celebrating Louth-man.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12/05/2025 • 45:16

The spectrum of football emotion runs wide. At one end, Trent Alexander-Arnold, once beloved and now accursed by his own people. At the other the Moose, surfing to his first LOI goal on a tidal wave of inexplicable love. Football can be a confusing place for footballers.We talk about another epic Clasico as Real Madrid fall apart in a comical first half in Montjuic. Have they grown desperate enough to submit to the kind of coach who will tell them how to play football?Dion Fanning and Rory Smith join us to talk about the weekend's football. Does the treatment of Trent reflect badly on Liverpool? And as Ruben Amorim aims another devastating broadside at his own club, how long do we think this project has left to run?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12/05/2025 • 78:16

Join us live from the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin City, with Gary Breen and Damien Delaney for a very special Second Captains football podcast, as we reflect on the Premier League season that was.Have Salah’s legs gone, what next for our boy Caoimhín and just why is Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca the anti-McIlroy? Plus Ken puts some working relationships on the line as Gary and Damien wait to see if either of them make it into his All-time Premier League XI (spoiler: they don't).  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09/05/2025 • 42:42

From the moment we saw the team-sheets, right through to the final moments when they chose not to kick at goal, this was a baffling display by the coaching staff and players, and it all ended with a defeat that will have repercussions far beyond the province of Leinster.We chat to Shane Horgan and Ruaidhrí O'Connor about the mental state of the players for this Northampton game, the starting team chosen, the Nienaber defensive system, the funding model in Irish rugby, and where this latest defeat leaves Leo Cullen.And we try to define what it means to "choke", and if it was arrogance, overthinking or panic that caused the team to not kick that penalty on 75 mins to level the scores.Plus there's Pollock power, Prendergast pawing, and trying to place this defeat in the pantheon of Irish sporting failures.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05/05/2025 • 73:32

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster menu which this week includes Ken on Arteta's psycho babble and Lamine Yamal's greatness, Diego Torres on Arsenal's decay, Meath beating the Dubs, and Abubaker Abed came to our studio for a sit-down with Ken. Abubaker arrived in Dublin late last month having left the Gaza Strip for the first time in his life. He had hoped to study and become a sports journalist but conflict came to him first, pushing him into becoming an accidental war reporter. Join in the fun 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.

01/05/2025 • 27:26

Liverpool are the 24-25 Premier League champions. We talk about their victorious campaign, why this should be regarded as one of the great coaching achievements in English football history, and why other Liverpool managers who came close in the past might feel a little envious of the circumstances in which Arne Slot won the Premier League at his first attempt. We also discuss an incredible Copa Del Rey final and the latest theories about why Florentino Perez has allowed Madrid to become a sore-loser "anti-organisation". Neil Atkinson of TAW joins us to talk about why this title means so much to Liverpool, how Arne Slot transformed last season's third-placed side into champions, and what remains to be done for the rest of the season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28/04/2025 • 84:20