SACKED!

ESPN's Mark Ogden joins us in the Owner’s Box to take us inside one of the biggest stories in football history — the day Sir Alex Ferguson quit Manchester United.   From getting the tip off to the moment of relief when Manchester United announced Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Ogden shares his perspective on the pressures, access and responsibility that comes with breaking such a momentous st...

On Matchday 6 of SACKED! in partnership with The Brain Charity, we sit down with former Chelsea, Leeds United, Stoke City and Reading centre back Michael Duberry to share his powerful story about resilience, perseverance and the realities of life at the top of the game. But one of the most remarkable moments of his career came when he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy just days before the UEFA Cup W...

On Matchday 5 of SACKED!, we sit down with former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen — and what starts as a chat quickly becomes an identity crisis for the modern game. Who killed the No.9? Why don’t wingers like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Andrei Kanchelskis take on full-backs and whip crosses in for a centre-forward anymore? Meulensteen reflects on an era when United fans were spoiled by...

Bonus section with Neil Ashton reflecting on our episode with John Cross and answering fan questions about our previous episodes. Each week, SACKED! brings together decision-makers and insiders — owners, chairs, executives, managers and head coaches, sporting directors, former players and leading journalists — to discuss the biggest issues in the game. Please spread the word and tell the football...

Fleet Street powerhouse John Cross joins Neil Ashton in the Owner’s Box to discuss football’s biggest crises and the decisions that changed the course of history. From opposing the European Super League “for the fans,” to the toughest managerial departure he’s covered — the end of Arsène Wenger at Arsenal. He reveals how Arsenal nearly signed a young Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting CP — but simply...

Bonus section with Neil Ashton reflecting on Gus Poyet and answering fan questions about the Dave Bassett and Steve Bruce episodes.  Each week, SACKED! brings together decision-makers and insiders — owners, chairs, executives, managers and head coaches, sporting directors, former players and leading journalists — to discuss the biggest issues in the game. Please spread the word and tell the f...

GUS POYET does not hold back when it comes to sporting directors. Poyet, who coached Brighton and Sunderland in the Premier League, talks candidly about the tension and the power games that exist between manager and sporting director in the modern game. During one heated dispute he told a sporting director: “I’m answerable to you. Here’s the whistle, go coach the players.” Gus is incredibly passio...

Steve Bruce is one of the most recognisable figures in English football — a Premier League–winning captain with Manchester United and a manager of more than 1,000 professional games, including spells at Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Hull City. In this eye-opening conversation — originally recorded as a demo in October 2025 — Steve opens up about his time at St James’ Park in a way...

WE are joined by football royalty for SACKED! as Dave Bassett opens up on the art of management, coping with anxiety in retirement, how Elton John sacked him and a very public falling out with Simon Jordan.  With more than 1,000 games in management at Wimbledon, Watford, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest among others, Bassett won promotion seven times during a colourful c...

SACKED! is a high-concept football show that takes listeners behind the scenes of the Premier League — where power, pressure and politics collide. Hosted by former Sunday Supplement presenter and founder of AMG Global Neil Ashton, SACKED! is set in the Owner’s Box of the fictional Crisis Club FC and features weekly guests including managers, former players, CEOs, sporting directors and leading jou...