On The Spot Football Podcast

From refereeing in the Irish League at 16 to walking out alongside Maradona at the World Cup, this is not your average football story. In this episode of the On The Spot Football Podcast, Johnny McMurray sits down with Alan Snoddy, the legendary Northern Irish referee who has seen it all – from the Dub, to the World Stage. We talk: • Starting out young & learning the hard way • Refereeing Linf...

Johnny McMurray is joined by  broadcaster, presenter, ex-player and media trailblazer Nicola McCarthy , the  first female guest  on the podcast — and what an incredible conversation it is. From playing football as a kid with the boys, to presenting for  Manchester City during their Premier League glory days , to  paving the way for women in sports media , Nicola shares it all. We talk: ✅ The rise...

From Mid-Ulster to the Premiership: The Untold Story The next guest on  On The Spot Football Podcast  is one of Northern Irish football's most fascinating figures. ⚽  The Journey Started coaching at 16 in a community centre Took Warrenpoint Town from Mid-Ulster League to the Premiership Kept a small regional club at the top level for 7 out of 10 years Managed Cliftonville and Newry City 💼  The B...

Join host Johnny McMurray this Friday as he sits down with retired referee Lee Tavinder for an incredibly candid and powerful conversation. What We Cover: From Player to Referee - Lee's transition from a player to working alongside Premier League officials like Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Moving to Northern Ireland - Why Lee left England's refereeing pathway to build a career in the...

In this honest and heartfelt episode,  Matthew Clarke  reflects on life in football — from glory days at Linfield to a fresh new chapter at  Ballymena United . We cover: ⚽  Winning silverware at Linfield  – league titles, cup wins & unforgettable comebacks 💬 The  devastating loss of teammate Michael Newberry  – and how it deeply impacted him 🔁  Making the move to Ballymena United  – why it...

In this powerful and honest conversation,  Wesley Lamont  opens up about his remarkable journey through the Irish League – a career that started late but left a lasting legacy. 🧤 From making his  Irish League debut at 26  to becoming a mainstay at  Linfield , Wesley shares: Why he  never looked past the next game  at Windsor Park His strong connection with  Linfield  and  why he turned down Glent...

This week on the  On The Spot Football Podcast , we sit down with  Chris Curran  – Cliftonville legend and fan favourite. From kicking a ball in the back streets to lifting the  Irish Cup , Chris opens up like never before: ⚽ His journey into football 🇾🇪 Growing up a Manchester United fan 🏆 Life at Cliftonville and working with Jim Magilton 🧠 The mental side of knowing when to walk away 🎤 And...

From  ball boy at Cliftonville  to  Vice President of FIFA  – this episode is full of  stories you won’t hear anywhere else . 🏟️ Cliftonville memories, managing through The Troubles ⚽ Winning titles, tough decisions, the Gold Cup glory 🌍 Building Northern Irish football from the ground up 🕰️ The infamous FIFA watch story… and the truth behind it 🧠 Plus, his powerful mission to raise funds for ...

“From the Building Site to the Boardroom” From the building site to the boardroom, Chris Selwood is a man not afraid to get his hands dirty. In this powerful and eye-opening episode, the Ballymena United chairman opens up like never before. 🔵 How he went from ball boy to boardroom 💼 Running businesses while steering Ballymena through its toughest times 🏗️ Rebuilding the club from the ground up –...

From chasing the dream in England to the emotional crash of coming home, Joe McDonnell shares his powerful, honest, and emotional story. 🎧  Why didn’t he “make it”? 💬  “I wasn’t good enough — and I’m not ashamed to say it.” 🧠  The mental health struggles no one talks about ⚽  The pressure of being a young footballer 🏡  The return home, identity loss & finding purpose again This one is  ra...

We’re throwing it back to the  mid-70s  with  John Garrett  – one of the youngest ever to debut for Linfield, and a Ballymena legend. From jumping fences to watch games at the Showgrounds as a kid… To captaining Northern Ireland under-18s… To going toe-to-toe with George Best, Johan Cruyff & Benfica under the lights… John’s career is packed with unforgettable stories, raw emotion, honesty, and...

From GoPro to Goalposts – Marty McDevitt joins the pod! He’s gone viral for diving saves, dodgy mistakes, and pure authenticity. With over  350K followers across platforms , Marty is Northern Ireland’s grassroots goalkeeper turned  social media sensation . We talk: 🧤 Playing amateur football with a passion 📱 Growing a huge online audience (even through the hate) 😂 Camera stares, crazy comments...

This week’s guest:  Niall Currie  – Irish League character, former keeper, and now Portadown gaffer with  plenty  to say! From  boots out the window  stories to managing on half a pitch, Niall opens up on: ⚽️ His wild journey from Bangor to Glenavon 🎯 Why he regrets not signing for Linfield 🧤 Memories as a young keeper in the Irish League 🚨 The harsh reality of part-time vs full-time football...

The full conversation with  Andrew Waterworth  is now streaming on all platforms! From goals and glory to the emotional moment he stepped away from the game, Andrew opens up about the highs, the pressure, and the decision to hang up his boots. A raw, honest, and inspiring episode you don’t want to miss. 🎧  Listen now  on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube.

Here’s what we get into: ⚽ From advertising to the Irish League – becoming Larne’s GM 💡 Building the “Aspire to Inspire” vision 👟  Viral moments : Nike “Just Did It” billboard & “Lions vs Sheep” Irish Cup campaign 🙌 Launching  Larne Ladies , school flag comps & buying the  drum  to spark fan culture 🏟️ The Inver Park transformation & installing the 3G pitch 📺 Media moments:  Range...

🎙  WE ARE NOW LIVE! Episode  🎧 featuring  Paddy McNally  is officially out now on the  On the Spot Football Podcast ! From the streets of the Markets to Celtic Park, Irish League highs and lows, life-changing injuries, mental battles, and walking away from football on his own terms – Paddy tells it all in a brutally honest and powerful chat with host Johnny McMurray. You don’t want to miss this o...

🎙️  Now Live – Sean Ward on The On The Spot Football Podcast Glentoran, Linfield, Crusaders, Glenavon  — few players have had such a decorated Irish League career across so many top clubs. In this episode,  Sean Ward  opens up about: ⚽️ His favourite teammates 🏟️ The dressing room differences 💬 Who he enjoyed playing for more —  Linfield or Glentoran? 💪 And how senior players shaped his mindset...

20 years in the game. From Glentoran to Crusaders, from heartbreaks to heroics, and one unforgettable surprise retirement party… 👀🥃 David McClelland  joins  On the Spot  this week in an episode packed with unbelievable stories from the Irish League, coaching tales from Europe, and plenty of laughs from behind the scenes. 🧤 Coaching Elliott Morris 🛫 Turning down Japan for an Irish Cup semi 🏆 T...

We sit down with  Linfield legend  and Irish League icon  Michael Gault ! From clean sweeps to classroom chats, U20s coaching to European nights – Michael brings honesty, humour, and a few absolute belters. Expect stories from his Linfield glory days, memories of  David Jeffrey , behind-the-scenes coaching insight, and even a bit of classroom chaos! 🎒⚽ This episode is packed – and you definitely...

In this episode, we sit down with  Michael Clarke , one of Northern Ireland’s leading football commentators, to talk about: ✅ Breaking into sports media ✅ Building a career without playing at the top level ✅ Working with co-commentators and football legends ✅ The pressures and prep behind live commentary ✅ Behind-the-scenes stories from the Irish League and international games ✅ Lessons from...

Johnny McMurray is joined by Ballymena United legend  Dessie Loughery  in this week’s episode — and it’s one you won’t forget. From scoring screamers and Irish Cup glory to refereeing the biggest Irish League matches and now capturing it all through the lens — Dessie shares the wild, emotional and hilarious stories from his football journey. 💬 Honest. 😂 Hilarious. 📸 Raw. ⚽ 100% football. Now l...

From  that  iconic backheel goal that went viral worldwide, to a seat at the  Ballon d’Or ceremony  alongside  Cristiano Ronaldo  and  Jose Mourinho  —  Matty Burrows  tells the full, unfiltered story. ⚽ The goal that earned a  FIFA Puskás Award  nomination 📸 Getting a photo with  Ronaldo 🍾 Being the only player sipping champagne while others prepped for Champions League 💬 Mourinho’s verdict: ...

From street football in Greenisland to a life-changing head injury and coaching success — Scott Irvine shares his powerful journey:⚽ Debuting for Carrick Rangers at just 17💥 Surviving a traumatic head injury🧠 The road back to health and football🧥 Coaching Carrick’s U20s and first team❤️ Balancing football, family, and personal battlesAn emotional, honest, and inspiring episode you won’t want t...

🎙️ Now Available – Matthew Tipton on On the Spot Football Podcast Who is Matthew Tipton? From growing up in Wales to becoming a goal machine and manager in the Irish League, this episode is packed with insight, stories, and laughs: ⚽ Trialling at Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday & Blackburn ✍️ Signing for Oldham at 14, negotiating contracts, and playing under Neil Warnock 🔢...

This episode picks up  after the Glentoran saga  and takes us through a remarkable journey of resilience and football passion: 🏆 Returning to the  Welders  and  finding the love for football again , winning the  Steel & Sons Cup 🤣 A hilarious story about  Stuart King ⚽ Moving to  Ards FC , then back to the Welders ✈️ Meeting  Stephen Baxter  in  Vilamoura , and what that led to 👊 Playing u...