Football Uncovered

This week we look into the untold truths behind the rise and fall of QPR. One of the more recent cases of well meaning owners getting it wrong at the top of the English game. 
When F1 tycoons Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore handed the keys to Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, Ranger’s fans thought the sky was the limit but that wasn’t the case. Fernandes all starry eyed had his sights set on Champions League football with his ambitious Four Year Plan.
We are talking huge transfers of Rio Ferdinand and Loic Remy, record breaking losses and undoubted ambition as we pull back the curtain at what has gone wrong at Loftus Road.

In this episode we head North of the border as we focus on two lesser told stories in Scotland, Gretna and Hearts. The pair will forever be entwined by the 2006 Scottish Cup final but that is where the similarities end.
Gretna, Scotish minos rising through the ranks thanks to Brooks Mileson’s injection of ambition and a fair bit of cash ending in a red letter day at Hampden Park. Tragedy followed for Gretna but the ride is something from a fairytale.
Hearts on the other hand led by Vladimir Romanov with his eccentric, endlessly quotable antics driving the Jam Tarts to the top. The drama filled-story of two well meaning owners who took too much on.

There are 4 major football clubs within 14 miles of each other in Birmingham and West Midlands that have been or are owned by Chinese businessmen: Birmingham, Aston Villa, West Brom and Wolves.
Two of these have largely been success stories with Wolves under Fosun and West Brom under Lai Guochuan. However, Villa and Birmingham didn’t have the same fortunes. 
This is the story of Carson Yeung’s and Tony Xia’s time in the West Midlands. Yeung will forever be remembered by Birmingham fan’s for pushing them to League Cup success in 2011 but his tenure wasn’t always fairytale stuff. Relegations and prison sentences followed for the pair as the cracks in the road began to show. 
Xia on the other hand with his outlandish ideas looked to make Aston Villa a Premier League powerhouse. From the bright lights of China and an Aston Villa theme park on the cards to winding up orders. This is the turbulent tale of Villa and Birmingham.

This week we get the inside scoop on what could have been one of the biggest mishaps in world football history. Of course we are talking about the ill-fated tenure of Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Liverpool FC.
We are opening the door to what really happened behind the scenes at Anfield. From broken stadium promises and bank injections to flirting with administration the pair took the Reds through the mill both on and off the pitch.   Hear about a near-miss with Thaksin Shinawatra and the inside track on how Kenny Huang locked himself in a toilet to avoid the press, This is the incredible tale of Liverpool FC's turbulent pass-the-parcel ownership. 

Portsmouth’s fall from the pinnacle of English football has been well documented over the years but the untold truths are really hard to believe.
Much remembered for the 2006 FA Cup triumph Portsmouth have been on a rollercoaster journey leading to the present day. We are talking about 6 owners, 2 administrations, arms deals, mobsters and ‘fictional’ characters all connected with Pompey.
We are lifting the lid on one of the most unbelievable stories in the world of football told by the man with the inside knowledge, Nick Harris. 

Leeds United are one of the most decorated football clubs in England with a dazzling history. This episode we cover some of the stories that Leeds fans wish would have been kept under wraps. Nick Harris opens the door to some of the most outrageous years in history books of Leeds United. 
We are talking the attempted sacking of Brian McDermott at half time via the phone, outrageous spending habits and goldfish monthly wages?! 
From Peter Ridsdale's financial gambles, through the turbulent Ken Bates era, the infamous GFH takeover and the crazy Cellino times, we pull back the  curtain on one of the most unbelievable stories in football ownership. 

Introducing Football Uncovered, a new investigative podcast series from SPORF. 
Together with Sporting Intelligence's Nick Harris, we’re shedding light on some of the most notorious tales of football ownership.
Episode one covers a very turbulent time in the history of former Premier League champions, Blackburn Rovers.
Often remembered for the heroics of Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton and Kenny Daglish this is a very different type of story. We are talking about the Richest people in India taking over at Ewood Park. From talks of Premier League talent joining the club to the likes of Raul, Ronaldinho and David Beckham being branded around. 
It wasn’t clean sailing for the Venky’s in Blackburn as they brought with them crafty middlemen and mega money agents. This is the story of the yo-yo tenure of the Venky’s as told by Nick Harris, Will Brazier and Richard Johnson. 

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Football Uncovered by SPORF,  with Sporting Intelligence's Nick Harris will peel back the curtain on the business of football. 
We bring to life true tales of the most weird and wonderful football owners in football history, that will have fans of all clubs scratching their heads as to how some of this was even possible!

Our first episode launches early November, so ensure you are following or subscribed to ensure you don't miss these amazing untold stories.