Episodes
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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" to build a new stadium for the club that can also "serve the north of England".
Producer: Jonathan McKeith
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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 health and resilience in schools via the Harry Kane Foundation.
Germany football commentator Taufig Khalil joins the podcast to explain why Kane has been such a hit on and off the field.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Alex Howell, Taufig Khalil
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 Luke since he was just ten years old, and darts journalist Chris Hammer from Sporting Life, who believes the teenager’s achievements aren’t a flash in the pan and that he will go on to emulate the success of other sports people like snooker's Ronnie O’Sullivan.
We also hear from PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter who talks about the challenges of the world championships for someone as young as Luke and how he’s been coping with the pressure of playing in front of the Alexandra Palace crowd. Presenter: Jane DougallPanel: Deta Hedman, Matt Porter, Chris HammerProducer: Jonathan McKeith
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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 Arabia to interview Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal and several other key figures in Saudi sport.
We also hear from Amnesty International and tennis great Martina Navratilova.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Dan Roan, Ian Herbert, Mohamed Qoutb
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 geopolitical forces are influencing those decisions?
Does football and its star players have a moral obligation to use their power and influence in global affairs – or should it stay out of politics all together?
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Prof Simon Chadwick, Jacob Steinberg & Bassil Mikdadi
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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 injury than men, while orthopaedic surgeon Nev Davies details how the Power Up To Play grassroots warm-up routine could reduce the risk of ACL injury.
We hear from Birmingham City's Siobhan Wilson, who is currently recovering from an ACL injury – and football’s global players’ union Fifpro on what needs to change to support women in football.
Panel: Katie Smith, Elizabeth Conway, Emma Ross, Nev Davies
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 change for women in Spanish football and society.
The players began the boycott after then RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso following Spain's triumph over England in the Women's World Cup final last month.
The kiss, which Hermoso said was not consensual, led to Rubiales' resignation, while Spain manager Jorge Vilda was sacked.
Presenter: Katie Smith
Producer: Sam Sheringham
Photo: Ivana Andrés of Spain lifts the Women's World Cup trophy and players celebrate the winning of the tournament during the ceremony after the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final game between England and Spain at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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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 be lost and the team deserves more than that."
Panel: Katie Smith, Emma Sanders, Karen Carney, Siobhan Chamberlain
Producer: Sam Sheringham
Image: Georgia Stanway of England celebrates after scoring their team's second goal with teammates Chloe Kelly, Rachel Daly and Fran Kirby during the Women's International Friendly match between England and USA at Wembley Stadium on October 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
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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 events. We also hear clips from Nesta McGregor’s interview with Lord Coe and Gary Lineker.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Dan Roan, historian Dr Fern Riddell.
Producer: Jonathan McKeith
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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 & Wales Cricket Board and the thoughts of England Test captain Ben Stokes.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Dan Roan, Former umpire John Holder, Isabelle Westbury
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 Carter & Zane Scotland
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 famous footballers in the world and admits that Manchester City signed him to win the Champions League.
Producer: Jordan Elgott
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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 England manager Gareth Southgate.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Nesta McGregor, Piara Powar, Juan Castro
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 Paris Saint-Germain and the state of Qatar.
Panel: Jane Dougall, Dan Roan, Miguel Delaney, Kevin Miles, Simon Stone
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 – with some spending less than 30 minutes in the air.
We also reveal the frequent use of positioning flights – which are often empty - to get the planes to the players.
So are these flights an unjustifiable extravagance in the face of our global climate emergency – or a necessary evil at the elite end of sport where marginal gains and player welfare come first?
We hear the views of former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, Forest Green chairman Dale Vince, football physio Matt Konopinski and Dr Sally Cairns, an aviation specialist from the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions.
Panel: Nesta McGregor, Dan Roan, David Lockwood, Pat Nevin, Sally Cairns
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 techniques at the peak of the jump racing season?
Ex Gold Cup-winning jockey Andrew Thornton argues that whip use is "not a welfare issue", while Roly Owers, the CEO of World Horse Welfare, insists that the whip should only be used for safety and training, not to encourage a horse.
Panel: Nesta McGregor, John Hunt, Andrew Thornton & Roly Owers.
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 intimidating too? If you’re running alone you want to feel safe and comfortable. If you’re working out in the gym, you might not want to be in a weights section dominated by men. Perhaps you’re menopausal or coming back from pregnancy and don’t want to be surrounded by lots of other people while you sweat away.
Of course this isn’t the case for everyone, but it’s just some of the reasons why women might falter when trying to create healthy habits in an active lifestyle.
Plus with so many online platforms and influencers to turn to in the world of health and fitness, how do you know what’s right for you?
In this episode of Women’s Sport Matters, Katie Smith goes to Muscle Works, a body-building gym in Orpington to look at why and how we exercise.
Katie’s joined by Kat Merchant, England World Cup winning rugby union star, now turned online trainer, who tells us how she helps clients find confidence in whatever activity they enjoy, and how she’s overcome online trolls commenting on her body.
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys helped to set up the charity Black Trail Runners following the pandemic, creating a safe community for black people to learn about and enjoy the beauty of trail running in this country. She reveals her battles against rural racism, alcoholism and depression and tells us how running saved her life.
Meanwhile Doctor Candice Lingam-Willgoss, senior lecturer in sport and fitness at the Open University, gives insight into how and why we may find creating routine and exercise habits difficult. Plus BBC Sport’s Becky Grey details the safety issues that many elite and recreational runners feel when out running alone.
We also hear from online fitness influencer Alexia Clark who has over two million followers on social media. We discuss the benefits and pitfalls of influencers online.
Panel: Kat Merchant, Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, Candice Lingam-Willgoss, Becky Grey, Alexia Clark
Producer: Jonathan McKeith
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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, dislocate your shoulder or pull a muscle and you’ll be given a timeframe of recovery. What about the mind though as you go through that? That will have been affected too. How long will you have to wait until you’re back healthy and will it be the same when you return? How might your body change in that time and could your confidence be impacted too?
On this episode of Women’s Sport Matters, Katie Smith asks the question - how connected are mind and muscle when it comes to injury? And which heals quicker?
Katie is joined by four time Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox who re-lives her unique journey from able-bodied athlete to para-athlete and the physical and mental challenges she’s faced since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014.
Meanwhile England and Manchester City defender Esme Morgan reveals how her own unrealistic expectations of how quickly she could recover from breaking her leg made her feel like ‘a failure’. Esme studies sports science alongside her football and explains how it’s made her more aware of how her body and mind connect - and also made her a bit of a nightmare for the physios at City (her words not ours)!
Plus Doctor Caroline Heaney, Senior lecturer in Sport and Fitness at the Open University and sport psychologist, explains why women are four and a half times more likely to suffer a non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury than their male counterparts. Dr Heaney also explains why it’s crucial for physiotherapists to be able to deal with both the physical and psychological when it comes to injuries.
Panel: Kadeena Cox, Esme Morgan, Dr Caroline Heaney
Producer: Jonathan McKeith
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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 former England striker Jermain Defoe on his quest to become a head coach.
We also talk to Tony Burnett, chief executive of anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, who is calling for government legislation to force clubs to meet diversity targets.
Presenters: Delyth Lloyd & Alex Howell
Producer: Sam Sheringham
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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 their menstrual cycles. Meanwhile Manchester City women are one of a number of football clubs to have also ditched their traditional white shorts.
Plus in a year that contains the netball and football World Cups, why is it still easier to find unisex boots than those designed specifically for women? And should sports bras and fittings be a mandatory part of the kit given to sportswomen to compete in?
Katie Smith is joined by England netballer Ellie Cardwell who used her own experience of poor-fitting sports bras and body image issues to start making social media reviews of the different types of bras on offer.
Doctor Jessica Pinchbeck, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Fitness at the Open University, explains why it’s essential to wear appropriate kit and the dangers that may come with not doing that or treating female athletes like small men.
Meanwhile co-founder of IDA Sport, Laura Youngson, tells the story of how playing football on Mount Kilimanjaro led her to begin creating football boots designed for women and how research is helping to reduce injuries and give women a range of options that have previously only been available to men.
We also hear from Tonje Lerstad, part of the Norwegian Beach Handball team who were fined for wearing bike shorts instead of bikini bottoms during a European Championship match in Bulgaria in 2021.
Panel: Ellie Cardwell, Dr Jessica Pinchbeck, Laura Youngson, Tonje Lerstad.
Producer: Jonathan McKeith
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