11-A-Side

In this week’s episode, Lukas talks to Cas Mudde, an academic on the populist right and fellow football lover. They talk about PSV, the rootlessness of modern football and the reaction against this from fans and footballers alike.

This week I speak to Paul Cleal about diversity and inclusion in football.  This summer Paul was appointed to the Premier League board as an independent equality advisor, to work with them and the clubs in advancing anti-discrimination policy.  Paul has over 30 years experience specialising in corporate finance, consulting and HR. His work in promoting diversity and inclusion made him an OBE in 2020.   I discuss with Paul about what diversity and inclusion looks like in practice, we take a look at football’s anti-discrimination efforts so far, and we talk about how the new FA football leadership Diversity code might change things. 

In this latest edition, 11-A-Side explores football's role in education, and its ability to help young people who are disengaged at school, excel in later life.  Chris speaks to Jasper, Tom, and Debra from Football Beyond Borders, a hugely successful football education charity which reaches over 1000 students each year across London, Essex and the North West. In a wide ranging interview, we discuss FBB’s work, the impact of 2020, mental health, discrimination against girls football, BLM, Marcus Rashford, and so much more. 

Football's growing carbon footprint is a rarely discussed topic in the industry, but it is only a matter of time before the global game's business model is challenged as the climate crisis worsens. Chris and Lukas speak to Tim Walters about his article 'The football industry needs to wake up to the climate emergency'. The piece picked up in The Guardian for its thought-provoking conclusions on the scale of changes needed to reshape the football industry for a carbon neutral future.

Chris and Lukas reflect on a remarkable week in Marcus Rashford's campaign for free school meals, as the debate came to a head on Wednesday. We discuss Marcus Rashford's role in the debate, the Conservatives response, and the morals behind both arguments. 

In the second part of our look at football's relationship with the gambling industry, Chris and Lukas speak to James Grimes, founder of The Big Step. The campaign calls for an end to gambling advertising, sponsorship and promotion in football. James speaks candidly about the campaign's efforts, his own experiences with gambling addiction, and why he believes the tide might be beginning to turn on the betting industry.  

This week, 11-A-Side are looking at Gambling and football, and question whether the relationship between the two is out of control. From the volume of adverts, to the numbers of sponsors, gambling has become embedded within football. In the podcast Chris and Lukas speak to the director of Clean Up Gambling, Matt Zarb-Cousin.  In a thought-provoking discussion, we explore the key problems that have arisen from this unhealthy relationship, and ultimately what needs to change.

Back after a summer hiatus, football is faced with the prospect of no fans in stadiums until at least March.  Chris chats to close friend and Sheffield United season ticket holder Sam Ward, about what football means in our lives and what we lose from watching the game we love at arms length.

In light of Manchester City's successful appeal against a two-year ban from European competition, for an alleged breach of Financial Fair Play rules, 11-A-Side spoke to Kieran Maguire. Kieran is a football finance expert and the man behind "The Price of Football". He explains why Manchester won their appeal, what it means for FFP, and the misconstrued perception of what "Fair Play" is in football. 

In light of the government’s U-Turn on children’s free school meals this summer, Chris and Lukas discuss the importance of footballers using their platform for political change, it’s limitations and what’s unique about this generation of footballers. They also talk about the Black Lives Matter movement, its relationship with the players and the Premier League.

This week, Chris and Lukas talk about the Saudi-backed £300 million takeover of Newcastle United being in danger of collapse. The decision to go ahead with Liverpool v Atletico Madrid in mid-March is also discussed, as is the prospect of there being no fans in stadiums until 2021. 

Chris and Lukas discuss the return of the Bundesliga, and what it could mean for football going into next season. 

Lukas and Chris talk about the crisis of finances within football, amidst the global pandemic that has brought the game to a standstill.  In this episode, they explain the stand-off occurring between the owners of the clubs, the broadcasters, and the players.  What is the right way forwards out of the logjam? 

February is LGBT history month and the football v homophobia campaign's month of action.  Discrimination is however on the rise. A recent YouGov survey found that 20 per cent of football fans are 'comfortable' with homophobia in game, and Kick It Out found that last season, discrimination related to sexual orientation increased by 12 per cent. We explored the campaign's work fighting homophobia, and tried to tackle  the question of whether stamping it out could be done through football, or if the problem lay at the feet of society.

"Raising the benchmark" is the first in a series of interviews that delves into how someone can excel in the world of football.  Laura McAllister fits this description perfectly, being a key part in developing the woman's game in Wales, along with captaining both Cardiff City and Wales during her playing career. Laura was also chair of Sport Wales from 2010-2016 and is a highly successful academic outside of sport.  This interview explores her achievements, how football has developed in the past few decades, and where the game might be headed next. 

A short explainer from Chris and Lukas on what the podcast is about.