The Second Captains Podcast

Eoin, Ken and Murph discuss the possible return of Shay Given to the Irish squad, and the rise and rise of Captain Wayne Rooney. Sid Lowe explains why managerial ambitions could explain why Xabi Alonso is joining Bayern Munich. And Tim Vickery is more excited about what Angel Di Maria will bring to Manchester United, than what Dunga will bring to Brazil in his second stint as manager. Hosted on Ac...

As part of our week long '250th show' celebrations we're looking back at some memorable moments, giving away SC survival bags, and catching up with some special guests. Today we welcome Bill O'Herlihy into studio. We talk to Bill about Ireland's relationship with football, Italia 90, the Giles, Dunphy, Brady gang, the irrelevance of sport, RTE, the art of television, PR Versus journalism and how t...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss Angel Di Maria, the MOTD50 documentary and managerial brainwashing techniques. We ask Jonathan Wilson whether English football is culturally resistant to 3-5-2.And Ed Malyon joins us to explain Crystal Palace's next step. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate our 250th show with The Irish Times we're broadcasting 6 shows this week, including two specials which will include Second Captains memories, special guests, Second Captains survival kits and other sports related fun. Today we talk joyous football, Mayo's recovery, Kerry's tenacity, Limerick vs Croker, GAA planning skills, taking a stand and replay repercussions with Shane Curran, Ain...

Eoin, Ken and Murph discuss Balotelli's move to Liverpool, the Malky Mackay scandal, the new Ireland squad and Paul Scholes' prescription for what ails Manchester United. Richie Sadlier joins us in studio to talk about the mystery of strikers' confidence. Murph provides insight into his own predatory mindset. And Gabriele Marcotti is convinced Liverpool are in a no-lose situation with the signing...

Are Mayo past their peak or coming to the boil at just the right time? Oisin McConville believes his tip for the All-Ireland this year are timing their run beautifully – Karol Mannion joins Eoin and Murph in studio. We talk to US Murph about the Little League World Series, a baseball tournament for kids that’s watched by millions, is shown live on ESPN, and makes heroes and villains out of pre-tee...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the new, angry Jamie Redknapp, and the new, relentlessly self-critical Wayne Rooney. John Brewin dissects Manchester United's opening-day defeat and fact that Van Gaal is 33/1 to be next sacked manager in PL.And Jacob Steinberg analyses Big Sad Sam Allardyce's troubled relationship with his bosses at West Ham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

Tipperary stormed into the All-Ireland semi-final, but the question on everyone’s lips now is – have they done enough to impress Eoin McDevitt? The man who could put out a patent on the “back Kilkenny regardless of form or circumstance” mindset talks to Malachy Clerkin and Maurice O’Brien. The European athletics championships were a successful few days for a new-look Irish team – we’re joined by o...

Eoin and Ken talk about the start of the Premier League season, potential top 4 and whether Louis van Gaal is feeling the same love for his club officials that Jose Mourinho professes to feel for the Chelsea hierarchy. Miguel Delaney joins us to explain why Chelsea are so many people's favourites for the title. And Rob Smyth talks to us about Danish Dynamite, the book he recently co-authored with...

Eoin is feeling sore after England's women's rugby team trampled on his dreams and Ken thinks Tiger's mum may have sent him some mixed messages. In the wake of a heavy semi final defeat to England we discuss success, failure, the end of a generation and future prospects for women's rugby in Ireland with team captain Fiona Coghlan. US Murph talks to us about the post Tiger era in America, Rory's tv...

Eoin and Ken talk about Arsene Wenger's optimism, Aaron Ramsey's dynamism, and Liam Brady's pessimism about the future of Irish football. Jonathan Wilson tells us whether this really is going to be Arsenal's year. And Henk Ten Cate joins us to talk about what he's learned in a football life that's taken him to Ajax, Barcelona and Chelsea among many other clubs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Rory McIlroy showed that he could tough it out in the majors when he took the USPGA title again last night. We discuss the remarkable performance, where Rory goes from here & the slow play of Mickleson and Fowler with Dave Hannigan and Malachy Clerkin. Nicky English will dissect yesterday's dramatic match at Croke Park between Kilkenny and Limerick and Anthony Moyles and recently retired Meath foo...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the new MOTD panel, the attractiveness of the Celtic job and the pre-season sourness of Pep Guardiola. Alex Massie joins us to talk about the Hearts team of 1914 who volunteered en masse to fight in the First World War. And with Liverpool having already spent about £88m on new players this summer, Tony Barrett assesses whether even more investment is needed. Hosted on...

The Irish women's rugby team's defeat of New Zealand on Tuesday evening was a monument to hard work, belief, and skill - we speak to Ireland's most capped player and friend of the show Lynne Cantwell about where she thinks this team can go in the tournament. Do Limerick have it within them to beat Kilkenny this weekend - at least one member of the Second Captains is willing to stake whatever's lef...

Eoin, Ken and Ciaran discuss the perils of commentating off tube and the difference between upward and downward communications. Andrew Mangan of Arseblog joins us in studio to talk about the growth of football in the US and Arsenal's smooth, suave pre-season. And John Brewin analyses the state of Manchester United after they shook up the world by beating Liverpool 3-1 in The Game America Wanted To...

Ken Early makes his triumphant return to studio after a week of foam parties in Playa Des Ingles, and there's plenty to discuss. Aindriu Mac Lochlainn and Karol Mannion tell us why we need more pre-match WWE-style grandstanding by GAA managers, and we add further fuel to the vile anti-Colm Cooper propaganda currently sweeping the nation. Rory McIlroy is back at number 1 in the world rankings, and...

Everyone said they'd like to be the man AFTER the man chosen to replace Alex Ferguson at Manchester United - Louis van Gaal is the man in that enviable position now, and he appears not to have put a foot wrong. He's winning friendlies, glorying in the comparisons between him and Moyes... the only dark cloud on the horizon for him is that at some stage the Premier League season is going to have to...

The action in the gaelic football and hurling championships is now focused solely on Croke Park, and with four games this weekend, Oisin McConville and Anthony Moyles tell us about how the stadium itself elevates this to another level of competition altogether. Conor McGregor's win in the UFC in the o2 was one of the most talked-about sporting events of the year so far. We talk to his coach and th...

On the basis of yesterday's double-header in Thurles, hurling is in crisis. Can we stand idly by and watch the demise of our national sport, or was it maybe just a case of hurling finally having a disappointing day after 2 years of consistent soaring excellence? Malachy Clerkin and Maurice O'Brien separate the hurling from the hyperbole, discuss Daly's future with Dubs and why Tipp are over rated....

Before he became the greatest interviewer of all time, Michael Parkinson wrote about football for his local newspaper in Barnsley. He went on to become a well respected sports columnist for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times, and was named sports writer of the year in 1998.In his early days on the beat in Yorkshire he came across Arthur Hopcraft, who wrote one of the greatest sports books of...

At 17, Stephen McPhail was dubbed 'the new Liam Brady' by his then-club manager George Graham. He went on to play for Leeds United in the Premier League, UEFA Cup and in a Champions League semi final. He represented his country 10 times, became the seventh Irishman to captain an FA Cup final team, fought cancer and other health issues, and is now back playing for his boyhood team Shamrock Rovers....

A documentary following Paul Kimmage through two of the most turbulent years of his life, incorporating the Lance Armstrong downfall, professional frustrations, a UCI law-suit, Team Sky and last year's Tour de France are captured in a new documentary, airing on RTE next Monday night at 9.35pm. It's called "Rough Rider" and we speak to Kimmage, and his director Adrian McCarthy. US Murph talks to us...

The entire nation of Brazil was thrown in gut-wrenching, heart-breaking retrospection after their 7-1 defeat to Germany in the World Cup semi-final. After a couple of weeks of navel-gazing, it looks like they're going to appoint Dunga, arch-pragmatist, as the successor to Big Phil Scolari. The much-heralded root and branch revolution has been postponed indefinitely it seems - we speak to James You...

Rory McIlroy has won his third golf major by the age of 25 - good news if you're looking to draw comparison between him and Jack Nicklaus and Tiger, and also good news if you happened to back him at 400/1 to win a British Open before he turns 26. We speak to Niall Quinn, Lawrence Donegan and Philip Reid on the significance of his victory at Hoylake. And as the Dubs machine rumbles relentlessly on,...

Wexford have been the story of the hurling summer so far – having taken out the All-Ireland champions last weekend, they face Waterford this Saturday. The modern-day godfather of Wexford hurling Liam Griffin talks to us about their summer so far, the youth of today, talent spotting and his involvement with the current squad. WADA has reported that Rugby Union has a higher percentage of positive dr...