Second Captains

Kilmacud Crokes beat Glen of Derry to win the All Ireland Club Football Final this weekend, but footage shows they had 17 men on the pitch for the final play of the game. Should Glen appeal? Should the GAA offer a replay? Or should they go with Ken Early's suggestion and kick Kilmacud out of the competition altogether?

Munster scored one of the greatest tries in their history, away to Toulouse, thanks to a series of sharp passes and smart running lines. They lost the game but even in defeat gained energy, joy, excitement and hope that they can be a great side once again.... even if they have a horrible last 16 tie away to Siya Kolisi's Sharks. 

We chat to Gavan Casey of The42 about World Champion Amy Broadhurst's defeat to Grainne Walsh in the National Elite Boxing Championship Finals, and what it means for Broadhurst's Olympic Qualification hopes.

And with Edinburgh failing to understand what they needed from their game against Saracens, permutations man feels compelled to have his say.

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Mikel Arteta described Arsenal's 3-2 win over Manchester United as "increlliant" - which just about covers it.

Led by Saka and Zinchenko (thanks Pep!), Arsenal recovered from the gut punch of Marcus Rashford's brilliant opening goal to turn the game around and all but knock United out of the title race. 

Andrew Mangan and David Sneyd join us to talk about the weekend's football. If Arsenal do win the title should Pep Guardiola get a medal for selling them Zinchenko? Did City's 3-0 defeat of Wolves suggest they might be about to go on one of their 18-match winning runs? And the question everyone is asking: who is better between Haaland and Ferguson?

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We were delighted to welcome Ian Wright to the World Service this week to talk about Arsenal's hot streak, how he eventually came to find his voice in broadcasting, as well as the role of the modern striker - namely Haaland and our very own Evan Ferguson. 

Plus there's US Murph on how it's often the humble kickers that shape lives and legacies.

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Starting with a McGrath Cup game for Kerry on January 5th, 2022, he played 34 games, scored 20-187 and won eight trophies from nine competitions.  David Clifford has had a hell of a season.  

Malachy Clerkin of the Irish Times joins us to talk to us about Fossa’s win in the All-Ireland junior club final yesterday, and the travelling circus that has accompanied their route through the Kerry, Munster and All-Ireland championship, with crowds following Clifford wherever he went. 

We also pay tribute to Paudie Clifford’s victory speech, comparing it favourably to Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame acceptance, and there’s also the return to top-class international rugby of Eddie Jones.  

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Manchester United surging back into title contention, Arsenal winning at Spurs, City and Liverpool losing on the same Saturday for the first time in ten years... is the long-established PL order transforming before our eyes?

But while many things thought solid are melting into air, other old truths remain: Chelsea are outspending everyone, Everton are engulfed in revolutionary tumult, and VAR is still happily inserting mistakes.

Miguel Delaney and Mark Critchley join us to talk about the Manchester and London derbies, whether Manchester City have what it takes to reel Arsenal in, and whether Jurgen Klopp is reaching the end of the road at Liverpool.

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One of the great Irish sporting controversies dominated the World Service this week.. who really was at fault for the opening French goal in our 2-0 defeat in Paris in 1976?

There's also Ken's case for Bale's footballing immortality, as well as US Murph on what's making the Buffalo Bills' march to the NFL playoffs just so damn Hollywood.

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2023 is but a pup and already Irish rugby fans are fretting over the team's World Cup chances if Johnny Sexton isn't fit.

Since his switch to loosehead prop just over a year ago Andrew Porter has become almost as important to both Leinster and Ireland. Simon caught up with him to discuss winning streaks, how Porter separates work from the rest of his life and his work with the Tackle Your Feelings campaign which aims to help people be proactive about their mental health, a topic close to Porter's heart since he lost his mother to cancer at 12 years of age.

We also look at Ulster's latest loss in Italy, Vialli's stats and The Buffalo Bills.

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Graeme Potter is the Chelsea coach... but why were the Chelsea fans singing the name of Thomas Tuchel at the Etihad last night? 

The Currency's Dion Fanning and Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian join us on today's show to talk about Chelsea supporters' unrealistic expectations, why Potter's body language matters, why none of this is his fault - and why his blamelessness doesn't actually matter. 

We also talk about Evan Ferguson's prospects of playing for England (hands off, Lee Carsley), Wout Weghurst's triumphant return to the Premier League, and why Zinedine Zidane has fallen foul of a quote-friendly sports administrator. 

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The Premier League has returned to our screens in the wake of the winter World Cup, so there's been plenty to get into in the first week of the year on the Second Captains World Service. 

Firstly though we pay tribute to the life and career of Gianluca Vialli, the legendary Italian striker who died this week aged 58. Terry Daley joins us from Milan to discuss the style, charm and dignity of the man, whose appeal transcended club and national loyalties. 

We also dust off an old interview from 2007 featuring a young Eoin McDevitt and Ken Early grilling the great man with questions like 'Is Ruud Gullit a bit of an asshole?' 

Plus Bohemians coach Trevor Croly, who coached Ireland's emerging Premier League talent Evan Ferguson, on how they worked on his game at Bohs and brought him into the first team at just 14 years old. As well as Ken on where Cristiano Ronaldo stacks up against the great players of his generation. 

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As dawn breaks on a New Year most Premier League clubs have only completed 16 fixtures - the season is about to get intense, but that doesn't stop Ken making a bold prediction on the destination of the title. 

Guardiola's big-man-up-top system continues to reap goals for Erling Haaland; Eoin, Ken and The Guardian's John Brewin, discuss whether or not the Norwegian's scoring stats are enough for Manchester City to catch Arsenal.

One man who tried to halt the Arsenal title march was former Bohs striker Evan Ferguson. The 18 year old became Ireland’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer on Saturday when bagging Brighton & Hove Albion’s second in their 4-2 defeat by Arsenal at the Amex Stadium

While Ken and Eoin debate whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to a country he recently told Piers Morgan he would not be transferring to, has finally settled where his place in the football pantheon lies; 'second-tier' greatness. 

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