On The Spot Football Podcast

This week on the On The Spot Football Podcast, we sit down with Chris Curran – Cliftonville legend and fan favourite.From kicking a ball in the back streets to lifting the Irish Cup, Chris opens up like never before:⚽ His journey into football🇾🇪 Growing up a Manchester United fan🏆 Life at Cliftonville and working with Jim Magilton🧠 The mental side of knowing when to walk away🎤 And his decision to retire after going out on a high💥 This one is raw, honest and full of emotion. You don’t want to miss it.📍 Now streaming on all platforms – YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more

From ball boy at Cliftonville to Vice President of FIFA – this episode is full of stories you won’t hear anywhere else.🏟️ Cliftonville memories, managing through The Troubles⚽ Winning titles, tough decisions, the Gold Cup glory🌍 Building Northern Irish football from the ground up🕰️ The infamous FIFA watch story… and the truth behind it🧠 Plus, his powerful mission to raise funds for Alzheimer’s and dementia supportAnd yes… the big brown coat makes an appearance 😂This is football history. This is legacy. This is heart.📺 Watch now on YouTube🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon – all platforms📍 Link in bio

“From the Building Site to the Boardroom”From the building site to the boardroom, Chris Selwood is a man not afraid to get his hands dirty. In this powerful and eye-opening episode, the Ballymena United chairman opens up like never before.🔵 How he went from ball boy to boardroom💼 Running businesses while steering Ballymena through its toughest times🏗️ Rebuilding the club from the ground up – literally⚽ Appointing Jim Ervin, fighting for investment, and surviving relegation🏟️ Future hopes for the Showgrounds💬 Honest views on fans, funding, and the challenges of modern Irish League football❤️ Doing it all for the love of the club, not a penny in returnA must-watch for any Irish League supporter. One of our most detailed, honest and passionate conversations yet!

From chasing the dream in England to the emotional crash of coming home, Joe McDonnell shares his powerful, honest, and emotional story.🎧 Why didn’t he “make it”?💬 “I wasn’t good enough — and I’m not ashamed to say it.”🧠 The mental health struggles no one talks about⚽ The pressure of being a young footballer🏡 The return home, identity loss & finding purpose againThis one is raw, real, and unmissable.

We’re throwing it back to the mid-70s with John Garrett – one of the youngest ever to debut for Linfield, and a Ballymena legend.From jumping fences to watch games at the Showgrounds as a kid…To captaining Northern Ireland under-18s…To going toe-to-toe with George Best, Johan Cruyff & Benfica under the lights…John’s career is packed with unforgettable stories, raw emotion, honesty, and laughs you won’t want to miss.⚽️ Linfield debut at 16🏆 20+ major trophies💙 Playing for his boyhood club Ballymena🇬🇧 Turning down Arsenal🎯 The goal that silenced his hometown😢 Career-ending injury at 30🙌 Brotherhood, banter & legacyThis one is storytelling at its finest.John Garrett – footballer, leader, character.🎧 Live on all platforms👉 Follow & subscribe so you don’t miss it!

From GoPro to Goalposts – Marty McDevitt joins the pod!He’s gone viral for diving saves, dodgy mistakes, and pure authenticity. With over 350K followers across platforms, Marty is Northern Ireland’s grassroots goalkeeper turned social media sensation.We talk:🧤 Playing amateur football with a passion📱 Growing a huge online audience (even through the hate)😂 Camera stares, crazy comments & goalkeeping blunders⚽ The reality behind the GoPro💬 Real talk on confidence, criticism & mental health👊 And why he’s just getting started…An honest, funny, inspiring episode with someone who’s built it all from the ground up.🎧 Available on all platforms – YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon👉 Follow @onthespotfootballpodcast for more!

This week’s guest: Niall Currie – Irish League character, former keeper, and now Portadown gaffer with plenty to say!From boots out the window stories to managing on half a pitch, Niall opens up on:⚽️ His wild journey from Bangor to Glenavon🎯 Why he regrets not signing for Linfield🧤 Memories as a young keeper in the Irish League🚨 The harsh reality of part-time vs full-time football🏗️ The funding frustrations at Portadown🧠 Honest talk about pressure, mental health, and the grind of modern management🔥 And of course – hair dye, flares, and Boom Boom Room nights out 😂It’s raw, it’s real, it’s full of passion.One of our most honest conversations yet.

The full conversation with Andrew Waterworth is now streaming on all platforms!From goals and glory to the emotional moment he stepped away from the game, Andrew opens up about the highs, the pressure, and the decision to hang up his boots.A raw, honest, and inspiring episode you don’t want to miss.🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube.

Here’s what we get into:⚽ From advertising to the Irish League – becoming Larne’s GM💡 Building the “Aspire to Inspire” vision👟 Viral moments: Nike “Just Did It” billboard & “Lions vs Sheep” Irish Cup campaign🙌 Launching Larne Ladies, school flag comps & buying the drum to spark fan culture🏟️ The Inver Park transformation & installing the 3G pitch📺 Media moments: Rangers friendly, Sky Sports features & more✈️ LA stories, a private jet to Cheltenham & full-time football chaos📑 Player fees, matchday madness & running a club🤝 Working alongside Kenny Bruce – driven, generous & demanding✂️ Why he stepped away – and the now infamous barber chair fallout❤️ Candid chat on grief, therapy & his late brother, Stephen ClementsThis one’s full of mischief, momentum, and meaning – don’t miss it.

🎙 WE ARE NOW LIVE!Episode  🎧 featuring Paddy McNally is officially out now on the On the Spot Football Podcast!From the streets of the Markets to Celtic Park, Irish League highs and lows, life-changing injuries, mental battles, and walking away from football on his own terms – Paddy tells it all in a brutally honest and powerful chat with host Johnny McMurray.You don’t want to miss this one.📺 Watch now on YouTube🔊 Stream it on all major podcast platforms👇 Let us know what you think in the comments!

🎙️ Now Live – Sean Ward on The On The Spot Football PodcastGlentoran, Linfield, Crusaders, Glenavon — few players have had such a decorated Irish League career across so many top clubs.In this episode, Sean Ward opens up about:⚽️ His favourite teammates🏟️ The dressing room differences💬 Who he enjoyed playing for more — Linfield or Glentoran?💪 And how senior players shaped his mindset from day one.It’s honest, reflective, and full of brilliant behind-the-scenes stories from a 20+ year career.

20 years in the game. From Glentoran to Crusaders, from heartbreaks to heroics, and one unforgettable surprise retirement party… 👀🥃David McClelland joins On the Spot this week in an episode packed with unbelievable stories from the Irish League, coaching tales from Europe, and plenty of laughs from behind the scenes.🧤 Coaching Elliott Morris🛫 Turning down Japan for an Irish Cup semi🏆 That night against Wolves💥 Nearly pulling Johnny off before that winner at Windsor😱 Saving a man’s life before a European away trip!Whether you’re a keeper, a coach, or just love a bit of football craic – you won’t want to miss this one.

We sit down with Linfield legend and Irish League icon Michael Gault!From clean sweeps to classroom chats, U20s coaching to European nights – Michael brings honesty, humour, and a few absolute belters. Expect stories from his Linfield glory days, memories of David Jeffrey, behind-the-scenes coaching insight, and even a bit of classroom chaos! 🎒⚽This episode is packed – and you definitely don’t want to miss it.📍 Streaming Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Clarke, one of Northern Ireland’s leading football commentators, to talk about:✅ Breaking into sports media✅ Building a career without playing at the top level✅ Working with co-commentators and football legends✅ The pressures and prep behind live commentary✅ Behind-the-scenes stories from the Irish League and international games✅ Lessons from Jackie Fullerton & moreIf you’ve ever wondered what it takes to make it in football media – this is a must-listen. 🔊🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & all major platforms.

Johnny McMurray is joined by Ballymena United legend Dessie Loughery in this week’s episode — and it’s one you won’t forget.From scoring screamers and Irish Cup glory to refereeing the biggest Irish League matches and now capturing it all through the lens — Dessie shares the wild, emotional and hilarious stories from his football journey.💬 Honest.😂 Hilarious.📸 Raw.⚽ 100% football.Now live on all platforms. Go listen!

From that iconic backheel goal that went viral worldwide, to a seat at the Ballon d’Or ceremony alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho — Matty Burrows tells the full, unfiltered story.⚽ The goal that earned a FIFA Puskás Award nomination📸 Getting a photo with Ronaldo🍾 Being the only player sipping champagne while others prepped for Champions League💬 Mourinho’s verdict: “It’s the best goal – you should win.”😂 A spray tan story you’ll never forgetAnd to top it off — he flew back from Zurich and played against Ballymena United the next night!📍 Stream now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube

From street football in Greenisland to a life-changing head injury and coaching success — Scott Irvine shares his powerful journey:⚽ Debuting for Carrick Rangers at just 17💥 Surviving a traumatic head injury🧠 The road back to health and football🧥 Coaching Carrick’s U20s and first team❤️ Balancing football, family, and personal battlesAn emotional, honest, and inspiring episode you won’t want to miss.📍 Streaming this Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube

🎙️ Now Available – Matthew Tipton on On the Spot Football PodcastWho is Matthew Tipton?From growing up in Wales to becoming a goal machine and manager in the Irish League, this episode is packed with insight, stories, and laughs:⚽ Trialling at Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday & Blackburn✍️ Signing for Oldham at 14, negotiating contracts, and playing under Neil Warnock🔢 Wearing the iconic #9 shirt at Oldham and living through the highs and lows🐉 Representing Wales U21🏟️ Playing for Macclesfield, Bury, Hyde, and adapting from full-time to part-time football🇮🇪 His Irish League career and transition into management with Warrenpoint Town, Portadown & Ards📈 His current role with the Irish FA coaching setupThis one is packed with career-defining moments and brilliant behind-the-scenes stories.📍 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube

This episode picks up after the Glentoran saga and takes us through a remarkable journey of resilience and football passion:🏆 Returning to the Welders and finding the love for football again, winning the Steel & Sons Cup🤣 A hilarious story about Stuart King⚽ Moving to Ards FC, then back to the Welders✈️ Meeting Stephen Baxter in Vilamoura, and what that led to👊 Playing under Stephen Baxter at Crusaders — what it was like and the experience of playing there➡️ Moving to Larne — from the Championship to the Premiership🔄 Finally, making the leap to Derry City, where he’s now the goalkeeping coachThis one is packed with laughs, stories, and behind-the-scenes insight you won’t want to miss.📍 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube

In conversation with Michael Dougherty, we dive into:🔹 Who is Michael Dougherty?🏫 Growing up in Ashfield School and discovering his passion for goalkeeping❤️ His love for Glentoran as a fan and eventually playing for his boyhood club⚽ Playing for Harland and Wolff Welders, sharing the pitch with legends🇬🇧 Getting called up to the Junior International👔 How Alan Dornan brought him to Crusaders🔙 Returning to play under Paul Kirk at Distillery🌍 Playing for Distillery into Europe — and sharing some hilarious stories➡️ Moving to Portadown🦵 The story behind his special shin guards💥 That unforgettable incident at Ballymena United involving a ball boy❤️‍🔥 Returning to Glentoran and signing a professional contract🚪 And finally, how it all ended at Glentoran — and what really happened.This is Part 1 of a powerful, funny, and inspiring football journey.📍 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & YouTube