The Sports Desk

Sir Jim Ratcliffe sits down with BBC sports editor Dan Roan after completing his deal to buy a 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United. The British billionaire's investment is worth about £1.25bn. He says it's a boyhood dream to be involved in United and that restoring them to the pinnacle of English and European football is the greatest challenge. Sir Jim also discusses how it's his "preference"...

We catch up with England captain Harry Kane after his brilliant start to life at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Kane talks to Alex Howell about his pre-move nerves, his pride at his goalscoring feats and his hopes of ending his personal trophy drought. We also hear from Bayern fans, who have taken Kane to their hearts. Kane also talks about the work he and his wife are doing to promote mental he...

The public has watched with growing astonishment at the 16 year old darts prodigy who has beaten players forty years his senior to progress in one of the biggest tournaments in the world. We discuss the impact Luke Littler has had on the sport already and how his success could change darts in the years to come. Jane Dougall is joined by semi-professional darts player Deta Hedman, who has known Luk...

Whether it’s the Saudi Pro League's £750m spending spree, the unopposed bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup or the growing influence in golf, tennis, boxing and F1, the scale of Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions seem boundless. But the more money that’s spent, the greater the concerns over human rights, the environment and the very integrity of sport. BBC sports editor Dan Roan has been to Saudi Arab...

As the Israel-Gaza war intensifies, we examine the stance taken by football and some of its key protagonists. Following the row over the decision not to light the Wembley arch in Israeli colours - and fans being urged not to bring Palestinian flags into stadiums - what considerations are clubs, players and governing bodies having to make when responding to an international crisis? And what geopoli...

England captain Leah Williamson and star Beth Mead were among more than 25 players to miss the Women's World Cup due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, drawing attention to an injury that's threatening to derail the progress of the women's game. Women's health expert Dr Emma Ross from The Well HQ explains some of the reasons why women are six times more likely to have a non-contact ACL in...

Katie Smith is joined by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague and reporter Antia Andre from RNE radio to react to the news that most of the Spain women's team have agreed to end their boycott. The deal was reached at 05:00 local time on Wednesday after more than seven hours of meetings. They discuss how the decision was reached following government intervention and whether it will bring lasting...

On the eve of the Women's World Cup, we discuss Karen Carney's landmark review into domestic women's football. Carney joins the podcast panel to outline her plan to drive investment and growth by creating two fully professional leagues, better grassroots facilities, a regular TV slot - and much more. Carney warns that unless her proposals are acted upon "the moment of the Lionessess in 2022 could...

As Wimbledon becomes the latest major sporting event to be disrupted by protestors we discuss what impact protest has on sport and explore the cause of the activists. Sarah Mulkerrins is joined by BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Managing Director of Silverstone Stuart Pringle and historian Dr Fern Riddell - expert on the Suffragette movement - to discuss the impact of recent protests on sporting event...

A long-awaited independent report has painted a sorry picture of deep-rooted discrimination in English cricket and challenged its governing body to adopt recommendations to transform the culture and structure of the game. We hear shocking evidence from the chair of The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) Cindy Butts, an apology from Richard Thompson, chairman of the England & W...

A special edition reacting to the shock merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabian-backed circuit LIV golf. The surprise announcement comes after a year of unprecedented disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV. It means pending litigation between the tours will be halted and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise. Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Iain Cart...

Erling Haaland sits down with BBC sports editor Dan Roan before he and his Manchester City teammates play the final two matches in their hunt for the treble. The Norway striker has scored 52 goals in an unforgettable first season in English football, breaking the record for the number of goals scored in a Premier League season in the process. He discusses the realities of being one of the most fam...

Will global outrage at the racial abuse of Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr prompt change? We analyse the week’s events, ask whether football’s anti-racism protocols are strong enough and assess whether this episode can be a line in the sand moment for kicking racism out of football. Hear from La Liga chief Javier Tebas, former Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón, FIFPRO's Jonas Baer-Hoffmann and Englan...

The biggest leagues in Europe may have taken a break this week – but it’s been a busy time for the powerbrokers shaping the future of the world’s most popular sport. Are the Premier League really willing to give more money to the football pyramid? And will they apply more scrutiny to foreign owners? Plus, find out why the expansion of the European Club Association could strengthen the influence of...

Manchester to Leicester. Nottingham to Blackpool. Liverpool to Newcastle. Just a small sample of the routes Premier League clubs have travelled by plane rather than road or rail despite the increased damage to the environment. In this week’s podcast, a BBC Sport investigation reveals that Premier League clubs have taken more than 80 private charter flights between matches in the past two months –...

It’s one of the highlights of the racing calendar but the build-up to this year’s Cheltenham festival has been dominated by controversy over one piece of a rider’s kit: the whip. So, are new restrictions over its use a necessary step to protect horse welfare and improve the sport’s image? Or, are they an over-the-top reaction to a non-existent problem that’s forcing riders to reinvent their techni...

Note: This episode contains issues surrounding mental health. If you, or someone you know, have been affected by any issues raised in this podcast, support and information is available at BBC Action Line. Even the most active of us know how tough it can be to even slide a toe out of bed on a cold morning, never mind put our kit on to go for a run or get to the gym. Perhaps it can be a little intim...

There won’t be many of us out there who play sports or who keep active and have avoided injury. Perhaps a little niggle, something that’s forced you to go and see a physio or rest up; or perhaps it was something more serious, a break or a fracture, where you’ve been out on the sidelines for months. Women in particular are more likely than men to suffer a sports related injury. But break your leg,...

There is no end to the talent line of brilliant black players in English football – but why are so few of them going on to become managers or executives in the game? As new research from the Black Footballers Partnership claims the career ladder for black players is "missing rungs", we hear from the Premier League’s only black manager Patrick Vieira, QPR director of football Les Ferdinand and form...

How does tailored sportswear empower women and improve athletic performance? In this episode we explore how women’s sportswear is changing - and where we’re seeing that. Women’s dress codes in sport have often been determined by ‘traditions’ that are both outdated and gendered. However, in the past year we’ve seen Wimbledon relax their all-white dress code for women to help ease anxiety around the...

‘If men had periods menstruation would become an inevitable boast-worthy, masculine event: men would brag about how long and how much’ - Gloria Steinem, 1978 The majority of women experience a period every month and that’s no exception for female athletes. So why do we still know so little about periods? In the first episode of a new series, Women’s Sport Matters, Katie Smith explores how the mens...

One year on from the start of the Ukraine war, we explore the moral and financial dilemma facing Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association as they come under increasing pressure to fall into line with the rest of tennis and lift their ban on players from Russia and Belarus. We hear from Ukrainian tennis player turned soldier Sergiy Stakhovsky and the presenter of the BBC’s Ukrainecast podcast Vita...

As the world’s richest football league charges its champions with serial rule-breaking, we assess how the case could alter the landscape of English football. What could it mean for the regulation of the game and the growing number of clubs owned by nation states? We hear from the general secretary of the Man City Supporters Club and ask a leading sports lawyer what to expect from a legal fight tha...

A radical new ruling banning tackling above the waist in amateur rugby has sent shockwaves through the sport. But is it a necessary change to address the epidemic of serious head injuries, or a radical departure that alters the essence of rugby and could prompt a mass exodus from the game? We take you to a grassroots rugby club still reeling from the ruling - and hear from influential scientist Ro...

In his first interview since the 2022 World Cup, Gareth Southgate reveals how close he came to quitting as England manager. Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Southgate says he wrestled with his future in the build-up to Qatar because of “concern” that criticism was “divisive and inhibits performance”. He says he has no regrets about his tactics in the quarter-final defeat to France and expla...