The Speaking Frankly Football Show

TSFFS S3 EP15 We explore non-league football in the North West once again. The final team from the North West Counties bowed out of the FA Cup on Tuesday night. Trafford will feel unlucky, as they were winning the match at home on Saturday until Essa Janneh scored a late equaliser in the 90th minute. 1,092 people watched the game at Shawe View against Atherton Collieries. However, the replay was a different story, as they lost 3-0. Marine beat Warrington Town to set up an exciting away tie at Hartlepool United in the final qualifying round. Bury will face Harrogate Town at Gigg Lane. Mark Duffy has been announced as the new manager of Southport FC, with some supporters calling it a "cheap and easy appointment." Owners Kieran Malone and David Cunningham have been open about their investment in the club and said their priority was financial sustainability. However, they have also been honest that they don't have unlimited funds. With so many sporting giants in the region, we ask whether a consortium could be formed to take control of Southport and eventually re-establish them in the Football League. Are the rumours unfounded, or could figures like Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Bellew, Duncan Ferguson, and Steven Gerrard pool their resources and have a go? It would be fantastic if they did. Grant Shenton has left Avro to take a vacancy at Radcliffe, while Jon Macken has been sacked at Stalybridge. Bootle's impressive run continues as they sit top of the NPL West with a perfect record. Prescot are in second place and performing well after last season's relegation. In "controversial corner," we examine post-match footage of a fight that broke out after Maghull's exit from the Edward Case Cup on Tuesday night. Cammell Laird won the tie on penalties. Maghull was previously involved in similar trouble during last season's play-off final against Droylsden. Droylsden FC were punished after being found guilty of three charges, fined £710, and subjected to two match ground closures. A third match closure was suspended for 12 months. An official statement claimed Maghull's players were "assaulted by members of the public." The footage doesn't look good regardless of the circumstances, and the repercussions could significantly impact the hosting club financially. We review Skelmersdale United's latest results and also take a broader look at the Liverpool Premier League. We also dispel rumours that one of our hosts attempted to profit from a merger with Skelmersdale Town. Finally, we share our usual predictions and expert analysis at the end of the show. All that and more.

TSFFS S3 EP14 This week's episode features a roundup of the Macron Cup, the NWCFL, and all local non-league football. Richard Brodie gate-crashes the party once again and gives us his thoughts on our defeat at East Villa Rail last weekend. In a controversial corner, we examine Edith & Belvedere, who nearly faced financial ruin because of legacy debts. The chairman and the club are doing their best to keep the club afloat, which raises the question: why are people so unforgiving when money is mentioned? Previous regimes are often accused of overspending and jeopardising the club's future, but why aren't people more sympathetic towards those trying to protect a football club's history? And is there a difference between legacy debts and legacy issues? We believe there is. Losing your ground due to a third-party decision, and then persevering to protect a club and stay in business, should be praised. Unfortunately, some sectors of society create a false narrative that too many people end up believing. In our humble opinion, those who genuinely try to protect their clubs deserve praise, not criticism. But we would say that, wouldn't we? We finish off the show with our usual predictions and expert analysis.

TSFFS S3 EP13 In this week's show, we give our usual roundup of the NWCFL before hopping around the local, non-league and amateur football scene. In Controversial Corner, we talk about homophobic language within the game, how it can be combatted and what kind of punishment it will take to achieve this. Pagham FC have received complaints about the noise levels at their recent games. It appears they are victims of their own success. However, they have issued a public apology, albeit tongue-in-cheek. FC 219 is the brainchild of successful entrepreneur Tom Baker. He hails from Liverpool but is bringing 22 scholars from the USA to play at Tier 10 of the NLS. Tom has announced that his American team will be playing at Step 6 next season and most likely in the NWCFL. This was news to chairman Chris Sturrup, who first read about it in the Non-League Paper. How will this work, if indeed it happens, and where will they be playing their home games? There is growing unrest at National League side Gateshead after several members of last season's side were placed in a "bomb squad". They have been told to stay away from the first team, train separately in the afternoon and removed from the group chat. Lee Cattermole's side are 24th in the table, with one win so far. The scenes following their latest defeat, when they lost 6-1 to Southend United, were extremely hostile. We finish off with our usual predictions and expert analysis. All this and more.

TSFFS S3 EP12 We reveal our first formal complaint in the pre-show segment. We then proceed with our usual roundup of North West Counties results, before exploring the broader field of non-league football in the North West. We take a look at the movers and shakers in the FA Vase & FA Trophy. Could Southport FC be taken over by a consortium led by former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard? It's been suggested, and why wouldn't it work, surrounded by figures like Tony Bellew and Duncan Ferguson? If they have taken advice from people like Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, you might think they'd steer clear. We speak to Andy McCann once again, following his Cheshire Football League representative side winning their UEFA regions group stage in Sweden on Sunday. They had to do it the hard way. Rob Payne came off the bench to score the winning goal in the fifth minute of injury time. We discuss how they managed it and look ahead to next year's finals. Controversial Corner examines Widnes Town and the news that they could be expelled from the league after playing just seven games in their brief history. The question remains: should the FA have sanctioned their admission to the NWCFL in the first place? It appears the FA did not do their homework. Doncaster City has resigned from the NCEL. Quite controversially, Doncaster City FC applied for permission to compete in the Scottish Cup when it was formed in 2022. The club believed a peace treaty dating back to 1136—which ceded Doncaster to the Scottish king—should allow them to participate in the knockout competition north of the border. Football agent Willie McKay established the club in what has since been regarded as an ill-fated experiment. We share our predictions and expert analysis of the NWCFL and Liverpool Premier League, and discuss what Skelmersdale United must do to turn their fortunes around. We are straightforward and unreserved in our critique. All this and more.

TSFFS S3 EP11 In this week's episode, we kick off with our usual pre-show, show. Everything was going smoothly until Richard Brodie gatecrashed the opening segment. But being the true professionals we are, we managed to secure an interview with him! Chris Bull, manager of Ormskirk West End, joins us as a studio guest. We discuss his club and their plans for the future. We also cover the usual topics of NWCFL and other local non-league and amateur football. Who are the early movers and shakers, and who already looks like cannon fodder? This week's show is full of controversy. Prescot Cables' main stand is all but condemned, with talks about them potentially making a permanent move. Runcorn Linnets are facing ground issues too—their hybrid pitch has reached the end of its natural life, and there's also the small matter of replacing their perimeter fence. This comes at a significant cost, with the club needing to raise at least £100,000 to stay afloat. Has the Liverpool Senior Cup lost its credibility? Last season's final has still not been played. Rumours of a revamped competition have been circulating. Lancaster City and Maldon & Tiptree are both under new ownership, while Widnes Town have appointed a new chairman. Gainsborough Trinity found themselves victims of someone falsely claiming to be their First-Team Manager, Russ Wilcox. He appeared to be offering contracts and wages to various players, until Trinity caught wind of it. They have now issued a statement: "Stop impersonating our manager, stop wasting the time of players and clubs across the non-league game, and quite frankly, get a life." We conclude the show by looking at both Skelmersdale United and Ormskirk West End in the Liverpool Premier League. We also make our bold predictions for the upcoming fixtures. All this and much more.