The Second Captains Podcast

Two more All-Ireland contenders make their summer bow this weekend - Mike Quirke and Karol Mannion talk Donegal, and Kerry... and debate whether Roscommon deserve to be in that bracket too. We talk about the Muslim footballers playing in Euro 2016 and competing at the highest level while also observing Ramadan with journalist and activist Shireen Ahmed. Plus there's tedious Euros bus slogans, Ken'...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran are in the grip of Euro fever, as Jerome Boateng becomes a political football, the sportswear marketing campaigns become ever more complex, and Zlatan reveals another reason why he didn't fit in at Barcelona. We check in with Philippe Auclair to talk about the Yin and Yang of Frenchitude, on the eve of the tournament. And Oluwashina Okeleji joins us to pay tribute to his frien...

Ken has arrived in France, and reports live from his old town of Marseilles as preparations for Euro 2016 continue. Ireland have already had a couple of media storms, with Martin O'Neill's "queers" comment from last week revealed, and then apologised for over the weekend. Miguel Delaney joins us to talk about the relatively restrained reaction. Plus there's Ken's rapprochement with Basile Boli, la...

Waterford are All-Ireland contenders, and one of us is convinced they're about to win their first Liam McCarthy since 1959. Eoin Kelly and Malachy Clerkin are in studio to talk about their convincing win over Clare on Sunday. We discuss Jim McGuinness' 5-point plan to beat the Dubs, and Eoin relays in exhaustive detail his journey with the Hill on tour. Plus there's Muhammad Ali's magic tricks, em...

Come and join our celebration of the life of The Greatest. Murph and Ken are ruthlessly axed from this momentous show in favour of World Champion boxer Andy Lee and Second Captains producer/Ali superfan Mark Horgan. Eoin, Mark and Andy are joined by one of America’s foremost civil rights figures, Reverend Jesse Jackson, to discuss Ali’s role in the freedom struggle and to hear Rev. Jackson’s perso...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss Roy Keane's addiction to truth, Roy Hodgson's determination not to be remembered as Boring Roy, and the ongoing racism controversy in French footballEmmet Malone joins us in studio to analyse Keane's remarks and bring us up to speed on what's been happening down in Cork. Plus there’s Martin O'Neill's pop at Dunphy, Paul McGrath, and Matt Spiro talks to us about L'Affai...

Armagh's manager Kieran McGeeney has been fiercely criticised since their heavy championship defeat to Cavan. His old team-mate Oisin McConville is in studio to talk about Brolly, McGeeney and the strained relationship between Armagh and his club Crossmaglen Rangers. With the NBA Finals about to tip off, a husky voiced US Murph tells us about the Golden State Warriors' thrilling comeback from 3-1...

To celebrate Ireland’s first international in Cork since 1985, we went to one of the city’s finest establishments, Crane Lane Theatre, to talk all things Euros. Brian Kerr, Stephen Hunt and Dion Fanning joined us on stage to discuss O’Neill, realistic ambitions, our group opponents, and the secret sauce that drives all Irish football teams to success at major tournaments. Plus there’s Sergio Ramos...

Exciting on the field, classy off it, successful, joyful noisy fans, loveable underdogs, beating old foes, saving their best performance for the final - this has been the perfect season for Connacht. Shane Horgan and Gerry Thornley reflect on an amazing year for Pat Lam's team, what makes them tick, and look at what the future holds for all involved. Plus there's limp Leinster, comparing Real Madr...

Ken is in Milan for the Champions League final between Atletico and Real Madrid, and is so far unimpressed by the brutalist architecture of that great city's train station. Emmet Malone came straight from the Ireland camp to discuss the latest squad permutations and gives us a possible surprise inclusion when Martin O'Neill eventually names his squad next Tuesday night, after Ireland-Belarus. Plus...

It's seldom enough you can say with certainty that you are talking to a man who, however briefly, was the most famous man on the planet. Ben Johnson, the man stripped of the 100m gold medal in the 88 Olympics, joins us in studio. He give us his thoughts on Usain Bolt, his old rival Carl Lewis, mental health, his childhood, and how he has found peace in retirement. We speak to Eddie Bolger, coach t...

Rory McIlroy had a pretty good weekend - winning the Irish Open in thrilling style at the K Club. We reflect on how he saved the tournament, breathed new life into it, and at long last finally put together 4 good rounds on the course. Connacht were mainlining fan frenzy in Galway, while Leinster had their best game of the season - we talk to Gerry Thornley and Shane Horgan about emotion, back stor...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the sacking of Louis van Gaal, the appointment of Jose Mourinho, and the path Manchester United are plotting back to the top. (It's a gold-bricked, silver-lampposted, diamante-studded Real Madrid path).Dion Fanning and Miguel Delaney join us to analyse the leaks and hatchet jobs of the weekend and give their opinion on whether United have chosen the right man. Plus the...

Liverpool led the Europa League final for 10 minutes, then it all fell apart - Ken forms a super group of football journalists in Basel to help explain the second half collapse, and what players should be sold off this summer. As we prepare for the FA Cup final on Saturday, we look back to Manchester United's last win in the tournament in 2004. Millwall provided the opposition that day and up agai...

Cork v Tipperary in the Munster hurling championship is always a big game - but this year, it feels like Clare and Waterford are hogging the limelight. Author and journalist Michael Foley tell us why Cork are still capable of springing a surprise. Former Irish amateur boxing prodigy Jason Quigley has won all 11 professional fights in a stunning start to his career in the paid ranks - he joins us f...

We talk to Micheal Quirke and Karol Mannion about the injustice of forcing Dublin fans to travel outside the city, Paul Galvin's disdain for provincial titles, and who the realistic contenders are for an All Ireland title. Post Tiger was supposed to be the Rory McIlroy - Jordan Spieth era, then along came Jason Day. We talk to Sam Weinman of Golf Digest about the Australian golfing machine. Plus t...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss John Terry's emotional farewell speech, Carlo Ancelotti's fresh insight into "managing up" at Chelsea, and Olivier Giroud's brutal hazing of a young Irishman trying to make his way in the game. Oliver Kay was at Old Trafford on a bizarre day that started with uncertainty and tension and ended in farce. And John Brewin witnessed the passionate love of the Geordie masses...

Natalya Coyle won Mixed Relay Gold at the Modern Pentathlon World Cup in Florida on Sunday and joined us in studio to talk about Olympic qualifying stress, fencing tears and staying cool under pressure. We talk to David Epstein, author of "The Sports Gene", about Caster Semenya's return to the public consciousness and the sports world's attempts to make the male/female issue a binary one. Plus the...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss Martin O'Neill's 35-man squad, an awkward phone call between Carlo Ancelotti and Mario Götze, and the final apotheosis of Allardyce. Dion Fanning reflects on what the post-Euros future might be for Ireland's management duo. And Jacob Steinberg joins us to talk about a transformative season for West Ham United. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

Clare are League champions for the first time since 1978, thanks to the last-minute heroics of 2013 Hurler of the Year Tony Kelly. Malachy Clerkin and Eoin Kelly think this could be a good result for both teams ahead of this year's championship. Connacht are following the Glasgow blueprint, but how long can both teams sustain their Moneyball-esque balancing act? The BBC's Tom English joins us. Plu...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the Leicester title party, Vardy's nose rubbing, Kompany's misery, the difficulties of being on Pep Guardiola's medical staff, and Jurgen Klopp's Basel-invite u-turn. Jonathan Wilson thinks Sunderland are on the up after the win over Chelsea that promises Premier League redemption. And John Brewin joins us to analyse the Mancunian scramble for fourth place. Hosted on A...

The reverberations of Leicester City's Premier League win have reached the Bay Area - we talk to US Murph about the greatest shocks in US sport, Ted Cruz's downfall, movie moments, and the corn fields of Iowa. We have the Return of the Mack, Ken's boxing nickname, and the Barack Obama comedy show. And Andy Lee comes into studio to help us look ahead to Saul Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan. Hosted on...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran talk about nerd nonsense Versus mindless gut instinct, two Champions League semi-finals of contrasting quality, Sturrdige The Martian, and the golden afterglow of Leicester's title win. Raphael Honigstein joins us to discuss whether Pep has failed at Bayern. And Sid Lowe looks forward to another all-Spanish Champions League knife fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Ken caught up with Kevin Keegan to discuss Leicester's triumph, drugs in football, and the time Kevin mocked a young Eoin McDevitt. We also discuss likeable football men, 50 mile runs, Fergie's self praise and Richard Keys' sixth sense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We rate Leicester's PL win alongside the all-time shocks in sport, Ken explains his Black Swan theory and we talk to the real life Jason Bourne....of BBC Radio Leicester. Davy Fitz wasn't his usual phlegmatic self in the league final, even with Donal Og alongside him. Eoin Kelly and Malachy Clerkin analyse the Clare Waterford trilogy. Plus there's Nesbitt watch, and Gerry Thornley on an angry John...