Kicking Match: An Irish League Podcast

Businessman and Larne FC sponsor Nico Leonard (Nico van derHorst) joins the pod for an excusive audio interview about the standardof some pitches, the current financial landscape in the Irish League and his boardambitions within football in the future. Timestamp for Gameweek review : 00:33:52

Joe McCallion and Ross Welsh from Around The Grounds NI joins the podcast to review a tasty collection of news and games. Should Cliftonville look at accepting the rumored North American investment? Or is it not worth the risk to the fabric of the how the club is run? Elsewhere, Larne's sharp decline in form continues, are they in threat of losing their top six status come the split?

Northern Ireland football podcaster Stewart Cherry joins the pod to ponder what the Irish League can take from the League of Ireland's record breaking weekend? Is it right to compare? Or are their decade of growth on and off the pitch a potential blue print for the Irish league? Elsewhere, are Glentoran only a few players away from title contention next season? And who can stop this Glenavon hot s...

Spotlight on the ever changeable race for top 6 in the NIFL Premiership this week. With games running out, will we actually see the established regulars fall below that dotted line, or will they rally before the table reads '33 played' across the board. Keelan Leeper makes their pod debut to help decipher how the fixtures will impact the all important run in between now and the end of March. We'll...

A memorable clash between Glentoran and Linfield headline an Irish Cup weekend short on shocks. Podcaster Mark McGuiggan joins the pod to assess why Linfield are beating everybody else in the NIFL Premiership except their most heated rivals. Does this ruin the lustre of their season? Or just a bump along the way? We review all the games from the week as well as wrap up all the last minute transfer...

Podcaster Matthew Brown from Shout At The Oval helps to break down what's been behind Declan Devine's success in East Belfast this season. What changes has he made on and off the pitch? And what is the trajectory of the side moving forward? We also spend time going through all the latest transfer moves, recap the latest match ups and look ahead to the games in the Irish Cup last 16. 

Dave Watt is the guest on the podcast this week as Kieran Offord takes centre stage as the league’s most sought after striking prospect. His time on loan at Crusaders might have come to an end but will he be away from the league for long with plenty of rumoured suitors waiting in the wings. Offord helped his old team in red and black win out in his final game, heaping more misery onto Coleraine? I...

Sports podcaster Ally McCalmont joins the pod as Linfield avoid another banana skin in the league. Top of the table after Christmas with only four defeats, is it becoming Linfield’s title to lose? Elsewhere, Larne keep up their push up the table at the expense of Cliftonville who are left furious following a controversial chalking off of a goal before the break. Portadown return to winning ways as...

Irish League writer and reporter Barry Flynn returns to the podcast for his annual look back at the Irish Cup 5th Round. He also reflects on the early moves in the January transfer window and previews the first selection of games in the NIFL Premiership.

In the final podcast of the year Mark McGuiggan joins the podcast top look back at a barnstorming Boxing Day set of games. 

Newsletter sports writer Johnny McNabb is in the festive pod hotseat this week. He shares his view of what every Irish League side wants and hopes for in the January transfer window. He also helps recap the pre-Christmas string of games and previews the biggest gameweek of the year, Boxing Day!

Jonny Dunlop joins the podcast this week as there’s big wins for the teams at the top. Currently Portadown are one of those sides flirting with the top 6 rather the bottom half. Jonny attempts to share the secrets behind the mid-Ulster men’s ascension this season. Plus, the player widely rated as the league’s best – Joel Cooper – is heavily linked to a move a way to Coleraine. How close is a poten...

No games as Storm Darragh results in the entire NIFL Premiership weekend schedule, but Joe McCallion and Ross Welsh of Around The Grounds NI are on hand to share their best Irish League XI’s of the season so far. Going behind the starts and the art of the eye test to pick of the best performing batch of players. Plus, fallout out from NIFL’s handling of the Storm Darragh impacted games and a look...

Podcaster Stewart Cherry looks ahead to busy December for all teams in the NIFL Premiership. Whose season would be make or break, depending on how these final games of 2024 play out? We review the schedule of every team and ask what’s required for each side in order to keep in touch with their goals? We also look back at the past weekend games where Linfield and Carrick where the only victors.

Writer and journalist Barry Flynn is our guest this week to dissect what will be a pivotal decision in Larne's history. As their greatest ever manager Tiernan Lynch progresses into the League of Ireland, the Inver Reds appoint the recent nomad Nathan Rooney to lead them into a new era. We reflect on the impact the Lynch brothers had in East Antrim and size up the task for the incoming Rooney. Else...

Michael Scott, Editor of Newry Reporter & Banbridge Chronicle joins the pod to react to the news of Glenavon making a big switch in their dugout. After failing to win in their past seven matches, Stephen McDonnell was releveled of his managerial duties after a short spell of just over a year in charge. A mere day later Glenavon named former Derry City assistant manager Paddy McLaughlin as the...

Sports reporter from Belfast Live, Steven Crawford joins the podcast as Linfield and Larne successfully add to their points totals. How will they fare as they prepare to face off against each other this weekend.  Joe Gormley keeps up his hot streak and his three goals aid in giving Cliftonville the three points.  Elsewhere, Shay McCartan steals a point of the Ports with a long range strike but a a...

Commentator and reporter Mark Strange joins the podcast to help try and get our collective minds around this topsy turvy Irish League season. Linfield avoid getting totally rumbled by Carrick away, but David Healy has a clear message to Blues fans, back the team! Larne get back to winning ways, but refs are put under the spotlight by Glens boss Declan Devine as two players see red. Elsewhere, Port...

Larne's humbling defeat at the hands of Shamrock Rovers in the UEFA Conference League highlighted the recently untested gulf in class between the Irish league and the League of Ireland. Despite significant progress for the Irish League over the years, the result at Windsor Park was a clear indicator that there is still a long way to go until there is parity across the divisions on the island. Nort...

Football writer Lewis Bennett returns to the pod to look back at a week of Irish League action, including a deeper look at the NIFL Championship and beyond. We preview Larne's all Ireland clash with Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League and preview this weekend's forthcoming games.

Ross Welsh and Joe McCallion return to the pod to celebrate a century of episodes! The Around the Grounds NI boys ponder if Ballymena's imperious form puts them in the box seat for a top seat spot. With a win in his back pocket Stephen Baxter off to a great start as the new Carrick Rangers boss, but is he the right fit? Linfield survive a late surge from the Crues, but is their squad already looki...

Ally McCalmont is the guest for a week full of headlines. Glentoran's second half surge earns them the bragging rights in the Irish League's most watched fixture. Glenavon were joyous victors over their rivals as they give the Ports a taste of their own late goal medicine. We look back at Stuart King's time in charge of Carrick Rangers after he steps away from the post. Plus, Dungannon and Ballyme...

Mark McGuiggan joins the pod was we talk about another high profile manager who did all but sign on the dotted line with a club in Scotland. Why are these managers turning down the opportunity and are they just biding their time for the right gig? Elsewhere, Ballymena and Dugannon keep up their recent hot streaks, Carrick lose again to make it 8 defeats on the bounce and we look ahead to the first...

David Watt is this week's guest to reflect on a turbulent couple of results in the NIFL Premiership. Shock results, upkeep of form and a multitude of team all scrambling for position. It just felt like the right time to plant our feet and attempt to judge which teams are looking like the real deal, and whom have not been up to scratch. We like the call such an exercise the Quarter Season Catch...

Former Sports Editor of the Ballymena Times Stephen Alexander is this weeks guest to reflect on the first big battle between this season's title favourites. Lusty's unlikely drive the catalyst for Larne's winning goal. Are Blue's set to spiral or can they bounce back in a big way against Cliftonville? Elsewhere, an inspired Ben Kennedy keep Ballymena winning and Ports beat out Dung...