Second Captains

We have a special bonus World Service podcast for you all today. The show you’re about to hear caused quite a stir amongst our members over the past week, many of whom suggested it should be released free to air. So here it is. Edwin Edogbo made his debut for Ireland against Italy earlier this month. The experience was marred by online racist abuse he suffered on Irish Rugby channels, culmina...

The GAA weekend saw games in both the hurling and football leagues, but looming over all that was the protest at Congress in Croke Park that saw Jarlath Burns and his top table brought face-to-face with anti-Allianz protestors.  Paul Flynn is with us to try and prize apart which parts of the GAA behave like a corporate entity, and which would rather remain amateur. We also discuss t...

Chelsea’s record 24-25 loss impressed a lot of people, but today we hear from Todd Boehly’s appearance at a conference in Miami where it became clear that Chelsea is about the least interesting item in his current portfolio. Dion Fanning and John Brewin join us to talk about the weekend’s Premier League action. Arsenal ground out another crucial win, but Arne Slot, for one, wrinkles his nose in di...

Edwin Edogbo made his debut for Ireland against Italy earlier this month. The experience was marred by online racist abuse he suffered on Irish Rugby channels, culminating in comments on X being blocked by the IRFU. Mark has been taking a look at where these comments originated and spoke to Dr Eileen Culloty, Associate Professor in the School of Communications in DCU where she’s also Dep...

Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson join us to talk through the North London derby - a near-historic margin of victory for Arsenal, yet a victory that felt almost routine. Will this settle the nerves? Has big Vik answered the critics? Could Arsenal benefit from a night in the old Tuesday Club style?  Meanwhile, have Spurs been wise to appoint a fixer-coach who favours an unfamiliar system? How...

Italy beat Scotland. Scotland destroy England. Ireland hammer England; the rugby punditry predictions flag is flying at half mast today. Shane Horgan, author and journalist Brendan Fanning and 3 time Six Nations winner with England, Mike Brown, join us to try and make sense of a competition that makes no sense. Ireland now score tries from deep, from transition, throw offloads, have pace on both w...

Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson join us to talk through the North London derby - a near-historic margin of victory for Arsenal, yet a victory that felt almost routine. Will this settle the nerves? Has big Vik answered the critics? Could Arsenal benefit from a night in the old Tuesday Club style?  Meanwhile, have Spurs been wise to appoint a fixer-coach who favours an unfamiliar system? How...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we spoke to Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan in studio about his journey from Greystones United to the NFL; Ken covered Arsenal's ongoing title wobble; we looked at Jose's Vini blame game; Jack Pitt Brooke gave us the skinny on Spurs' new coach ahead of the North London derby; Paul Flynn came in to chat about football in 2026, and we...

Last week, while the rest of the team worked desperately to cover a series of world-shattering football stories, Ken was peacefully wintering at Baden-Baden. He returns with news of the Upper Rhine, where people are, as ever, keeping themselves to themselves. Today we talk more about the implications of Ireland’s Nations League draw against Israel. The matches currently look likely to go ahead as...

Ireland have their first win of the Six Nations, but form and confidence are still eluding Andy Farrell's team. as the out-half debate rages on and the scrum continues to struggle. Shane Horgan and author and journalist Brendan Fanning pick through the issues at 10, the quality of Ireland's tries, and the Lynagh disallowed score. The BBC’s Tom English joins us to talk about Scotland’s astonishing...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed the sacking of Frank and Dyche, Liverpool's rainy night in Sunderland, Ratcliffe on Britain, Winter Olympics Brannecdotes, Operation Grand Slalom, Irish rugby's reboot and Czechia's change of fortune. To become a member and hear our shows all week it costs 5 euro a month and there’s no ads, no sign up fee, no minimum stay, no...

The Seattle Seahawks were heavy favourites to win Super Bowl 60 last night, and that's exactly what they did - absolutely dominating the New England Patriots and their young quarter-back Drake Maye.   Brian Murphy has his chest out and his shoulders back after his beloved home city of San Francisco did a bang-up job of hosting the week-long party, and he joins us for his post-game though...

With two late goals at Anfield the Premier League title race went from stone cold, to flaming hot. To pick through the Manchester football revival, the VAR farce, Brentford's brains, the pep in Pep's step and James McClean's new midfield general role we chat to Mark Critchley of The Athletic and Gavin Cooney of the42. Our Dublin based LOI insider was in Lansdowne Rd yesterday for a subdued Su...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed Ronaldo's value to the Saudis, Eddie Howe's rep, Shels using Jamestown Analytics and the ongoing fallout from the latest release of Epstein files. To become a member and hear our shows all week it costs 5 euro a month and there’s no ads, no sign up fee, no minimum stay, no contract, and we’re independent and member led – go to...

Just one week after wondering if the run-in pressure might get to Arsenal we are - once again - handing them the Premier League trophy after they extended their lead at the top in a chaotic and unpredictable weekend.  Lars Sivertsen and Gavin Cooney join us to talk through the action.  A lot of people probably gave up on Tottenham-City with Guardiola's team 2-0 up at half-time. They miss...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed an epic end to the Champions League league phase, Arsenal's Premier League wobble, Arteta's body language, Heated Rivalry, Jose's appeal, Madrid rot, the NFL playoffs, and on Friday it's a Winter Olympics preview. To become a member and hear our shows all week it costs 5 euro a month and there’s no ads, no sign up fee, no...

The Gaelic football season is back, and after a winter spent poring over stats sheets and risk-reward scenarios, it looks like the coaching class of 2026 decided to throw the shackles off and have some fun. Paul Flynn is in studio to talk to us about the Andy Moran impact in Mayo, the most impressive of the young guns we saw taking over games this weekend, why the hooter is an agent of confusion,...

Last night at the Emirates we saw the Premier League game of the season - but will it prove a pivotal moment? That's up to Arsenal and how they react. The one thing we can likely count on with Mikel Arteta is that he will keep doing things his own way until the end. Meanwhile, a new psychological study has revealed the typical personality profile and cognitive skills package of the elite footballe...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show! This week we discussed Davos, Greenland, World Cup boycotts, the Beckhams, LIV V PGA, Arne Slot's low block mental block, Steve G's hair, Man City's slump in form and players reimbursing fans. Plus there's Arsenal muscling up, Allianz and the GAA, US Murph on the NFL playoffs and the great injury mystery of San Francisco. To become a member and hear...

People were calling this AFCON predictable but in the end, it showed us something we've never seen before in a major final - a walk-off that initially looked like a turning point in humanity's war against VAR, and only got weirder from there.  After another weekend of ... rugged ... PL games, we discuss why so many fanbases seem angry and whether it has to do with the way the game is bei...

Dingle are the undisputed kings of heroic comebacks with late wins in the Munster final, the All-Ireland semi and now the final. We chat about a classic club final, Geaney's clutch kick, and codebreaker Mark O'Connor. Leinster are also good at comebacks this season, and their win in Bayonne on Saturday means they have Edinburgh at home in the last 16 of the Champions Cup, and they're on the o...

Welcome to our weekly World Service taster show which covers LinkedIn's football takeover, Rosenior-speak, the white sneaker manager era, Madrid sacking Alonso, why there are so few good managers for the top clubs to employ, the NFL playoffs and Steven Flowe. 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 o...

Four tries, two comebacks, a last second kick to win it against their fiercest rivals and elation in the stands - and yet Leinster were cut open and exposed for most of this thrilling game against La Rochelle.  Shane and Gerry weigh up the positives and negatives, we ask how on earth did Leinster win it and is a clutch kick and a late La Rochelle collapse papering over the many defensive crac...

FA Cup third round weekend brings the usual desperate scrabbling around for stuff to talk about. Can we really call Macclesfield-Palace the greatest upset of all time when the holders picked a B team? Are Chelsea fans singing against Keir Starmer because of something to do with Roman Abramovich, or do they just hate him anyway? And is the era of kissing Fergie's ring drawing to a close at Old Traf...

The reigning champions V the champions-in-waiting... Slot's defence of the PL title, and maybe his job, could end tonight and we will, of course, dedicate tomorrow’s World Service pod to this clash. Plus there's Keith's feats with Brentford, Kelleher's form in goal, the managerial situation at Man Utd, Arsenal-cup-drinking Thomas Frank, the NFL playoffs with US Murph, and the European Champio...