Second Captains

The Community Shield has never lied to us yet, so what exactly should we make of Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City?  

Gavin Cooney is with us to say goodbye to Man City, and to crown Arsenal as back-to-back champions.  Is Elliot Anderson worth 116 million quid, or is his now-teammate Erling Haaland correct?  Martin Odegaard looks like he's got his swagger back, and Declan Rice is back for another year in the salt-mines....

Man United and Leeds selling out the home of the GAA, James McClean's Derry disaster, our lust for glory medal charge at the European swimming and athletics championships, the dog whisperer, trying to figure out who blew up the Nordstream Pipeline… it’s been another wild week of podcasting on the Second Captains World Service.

To listen to all our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Cap...

The warring football confederations of the world have once again spent the weekend slinging statements at one another. But is Gianni Infantino’s position substantively any worse than it was this time last week?

We look at some of the pre-publicity for the new Jose Mourinho Netflix documentary and wonder how we have come to such a pass that Mourinho can be considered ‘old school’.

There’s also more on w...

Camogie is in it’s “Let It Flow” era, and it made for a hell of a game between Cork and Galway, two sides that keep meeting in finals and two sides that.... straight up don’t like each other.

We chat to friend of the show Sinead O’Carroll of The Journal about Cork's narrow win, the beef between these two and the levels of physicality in the game now.

Plus there's Branno's fruit theory, Galway in ...

This week on the Pod the curious World of FIFA continued to unravel before our eyes. To help guide us through the labyrinth, experienced FIFA-ologist Sam Kunti joined us to chat Infantino and possible contenders for the throne.

To listen to all our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast a...

Galway are All-Ireland women’s football champions for 2026, ending a 22-year wait for their second title, but the result was in doubt right until the final whistle. And earlier in the weekend, 10,000 miles away, a collection of Ireland’s best gaelic footballers were taking on the best Australian AFLW players in a first international Aussie Rules match.

Five-time All-Ireland winner Noelle Healy, and one of Ireland&rsq...

You'd have thought Gianni Infantino’s rambling, incoherent, self congratulatory instagram post to all the losers and haters out there would have been the main FIFA story of the week, but he has trumped it by unveiling a plan to sell the World Cup to private investors. Ken explained why selling the soul of football to American businessmen is bad for everyone involved in the game.

We also chatted to Tariq Panja of the N...

Given their underdog status, the weight of history and the Clifford factor, how did Mayo pull this off?

We chat to Paul Flynn and Dara Ó Cinnéide about Moran's masterplan, teenage kicks, Mayo's energy edge and a sensational display from Ryan O'Donoghue.

Was this the greatest football season ever? Was this better than the World Cup? And what data did Ken utilise in order to predict a Mayo win?

Plus there's Cubs caps, Coyne'...

75 years, the curse, the finals, all those heroes denied ... until yesterday, it finally happened, Mayo are the All Ireland Champions!

This morning Murph caught up with Kobe McDonald, Jordan Flynn and manager Andy Moran.

We discuss the greatest ever day in Croker, the many Hollywood moments and the reality living up to the dream.

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This week on the Pod marked the return of Ken from the New World and with him he brings tales of Argentinian conspiracy theories. We also had Gavin Cooney drop by to chat about the legacy of Kevin Keegan.

To listen to all of our programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our ...

Galway wanted it to be one way, but it was the other way. Limerick are All-Ireland champions for the sixth time in nine years, and they were seldom troubled by an opposition that were outplayed, outfought and outgunned.

Jamie Wall and Joe Canning talk us through how Limerick came good on All-Ireland final day - again; the ageless brilliance of their best players, the new blood coming through, and why they’re still the ulti...

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, well maybe Messi wishes he had. Spain are Campeones del Mundo!

It was a strange final leaving questions lingering of how FIFA has been allowed to reduce the centre-piece of the football world to an add-on alongside a tacky, ill-conceived concert.

Ken dials in for the last time this tournament. We hope you’ve enjoyed it all. 

H...

Welcome to our World Cup taster show which this week has us throw you - the listener- straight into the middle of Ken Early's report live from Atlanta as Argentina celebrate their classic semi-final win over England below him. You'll also hear Tim Vickery and David Sneyd and if you sign up you'll hear a lot more...

To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There&...

Two sell-outs in Croke Park this weekend, a bewildering cocktail of storylines, and a Kerry/Mayo final to look forward to in 2 weeks time - Dara Ó Cinnéide and Paul Flynn discuss VAR, Mayo’s forwards, and Louth hitting the wall.

And Oisin McConville joins us to tell us how he and his Wicklow team turned a 13-point deficit into the most glorious day in their football history.

All that plus concertina solos, high emotion,...

England will wake up on Sunday morning with a hangover and a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The once maligned Jude Bellingham again rescued this English team before becoming embroiled in a bizarre post-match back and forth with his manager via the medium of ITV.

We chat to Lars about the view from Oslo (well, Dallas) and discuss TV cable interference, and the hooking of Rice and Haaland.

Welcome to our World Cup taster show which this week finds us in Atlanta as Ken expertly reports live from the stadium moments after Argentina overcome Egypt in one of the games of the tournament.

To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees and shows can be listened to on all good podcast apps, on Spotify or through our w...

The hurling season needed two big semi-finals, and this weekend was redemptive.

Galway provided the shock, Clare came within minutes of joining them, and the fifth meeting of Cork and Limerick will not materialise after all. Jamie Wall and Joe Canning talk the Cork hype train, the mental scars from last year, Galway’s third-quarter masterclass, and Limerick’s resilience and composure down the stretch.

Plus there&...

England survived weather delays, altitude, the home fans, a red card, a penalty and their own history to overcome Mexico 3-2 at the Azteca and go through to a World Cup QF against Norway.

It will be Norway's first ever World Cup QF with Haaland bossing the Brazil defence, scoring two goals and cementing his status as one of the greats.

We chat to Ken in NYC and Lars in Dallas about an epic night of football and Trump lobbying...

Welcome to our World Cup taster show which includes slow moving Americans, German ghosts and Ken on the range. Tonight we cover Spain Austria and Ronaldo's latest/last shot at winning the World Cup. Ken and Branno are in NYC and will be covering Pico V Messi and Vini V Haaland.

To listen to all our World Cup programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. There’s no contracts, no hidden fees a...