The Speaking Frankly Football Show

TSFFS S3 E17 In the pre-show show, Frank revealed that he now identifies as grass…the green, green grass of ganja variety, as he's passively inhaled far too much for his own health. There's a subliminal message in his revelation. AJ didn't help, as he turned up late with a new hair rinse more dangerous to the eye than looking directly at a solar eclipse. Studio guest Richard Brodie isn't sure if it's a good idea to have him in the dugout this weekend, but with the dark nights closing in, it was agreed that he might be a good substitute for floodlights should it get too dark at Edgehill! We start the show with our usual round-up of non-league football in the North West. We also take a look at Marine's success in the FA Cup after beating Hartlepool 2-0. They will now face Bradford City at Valley Parade in the First Round Proper. It's the funny season when chairmen get a little bit twitchy and managers lose their jobs. Normally, when this happens, it's down to results, but at Southport the narrative is a little bit different, as Mark Duffy's tenure came to an abrupt end following revelations that his X account had allegedly expressed support for far-right figure Tommy Robinson. The question is: can you ever be forgiven in these circumstances, and is this the end of the line for his career in football management? We also take a look at illegal approaches, following alleged revelations that Darragh MacAnthony, the chairman of Peterborough United, approached Robbie Savage before he formally approached Dale Vince at Forest Green Rovers. We pose the question: is the seven-day notice of approach, particularly at our level, an antiquated ruling, given the fact that players and managers often tout themselves anyway? We also touch on the subject of overseas sports investment brokers who try to set up billionaires with football clubs. It happened to Skelmersdale United once upon a time. Which clubs do you think would benefit from investment that could propel them into the big time? How about Bury for starters? We finish the episode by looking at the Liverpool Premier League, Skelmersdale United's big win over City of Liverpool, and all the other results around the league. We continue with our usual predictions and expert analysis of the NWCFL. And to give the show greater gravitas, we get a bird's-eye perspective from "The Gate Crasher, Richard Brodie" as he gives his thoughts as an ex-professional footballer turned manager. All this and more.

TSFFS S3 EP 16 In this week's show, we take a peek at non-league and amateur football right across the North West. Mind you, Skem manager Richard Brodie interrupts us once again! We look at all the movers and shakers in the FA Vase before crossing over to this weekend's fixtures in the FA Cup. We take a look at Bury, who face Harrogate Town at home, and Marine, who take a trip to Hartlepool United. The winners will go into the draw for the First Round Proper on Monday. Managers have been coming and going lately, and some are under pressure despite having only recently started. Mark Duffy has lost his Sporting Director at Southport and, after Saturday's defeat, they dropped into the relegation zone. Mark has gone on record saying that finding solutions will not be a "quick fix". It's been 22 years since they were plying their trade at Step Three of the NLS, with some supporters believing that's where they are heading once again. Can money fix the situation, and does anyone have any to give? In Controversial Corner, we discuss football cuisine, ask whether the FA Vase competition should be nationalised earlier, and consider a super play-off between all the feeder leagues to decide promotion to the NLS. We also discuss the shady side of football: clubs that aren't viable and American investment, which is slowly getting a grip on non-league football. We finish off with talk about Skelmersdale United and the Liverpool Premier League. We give you all our predictions and expert analysis. All this and more.

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.