You may well have seen Nick Ransom reporting on Sky, ITV, BBC and plenty of other outlets – covering everything from the footballing stories of Afghan refugees to LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He’s also worked as a producer, bringing together content for events like the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Wimbledon, the Euros and more – basically, this is someone who lives and breathes sport. It’s no real surprise that Nick ended up on telly – in fact, he basically spent his childhood banging out reports for anyone who would watch, honing the skills that would eventually take him into the in ..read more

Big games deserve the big build – and that’s what John Reavey does when it comes to the Premier League. The director and creative producer is responsible for some of the video packages that you’ve seen hyping a number of the beautiful game’s massive matches – including the Manchester Derby and the start of the new season. It’s not just there that you’ll have seen his work either – from a West Ham kit launch to Anita Asante’s retirement to a documentary on out gay footballers, John has spent years combining his love of film with his love of football. And when he’s not capturing the game on scre ..read more

We feature professional wrestling on the podcast a lot – but this is only the second time that we’re speaking to someone from the world of freestyle wrestling. And honestly, what better way to do it than with Samantha Stewart?! The Canadian is a multiple-time medallist and a Pan-American champion who has been involved in the sport for more than twenty years – and has seen it take her right around the world. There’s a world championship bronze at Oslo in her trophy cabinet from 2021, along with a silver from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham a year later as well. And having just come back fr ..read more

‘It’s my church’ – that’s how Lucy Clark has previously described her love of football, and the meaning that she attaches to her involvement with the beautiful game. Her appointment at the end of January as the new manager at Sutton United Women was therefore not just a moment of personal achievement, but a landmark for the game as well – with Clark becoming the first transgender woman to manage in the top five divisions of the UK women’s game, just years after she became the football’s first transgender referee. And honestly, this is an amazing conversation with an individual who lives and br ..read more

When Robbie Manson announced that he was hanging up his oars ahead of the Tokyo Games, he’d already achieved a bucket-load of amazing sporting achievements. The New Zealander had competed at back-to-back Olympics in London and Rio, had secured a spot for Tokyo – and, with multiple World Rowing Cups and a World Rowing Championship bronze medal in 2015 under his belt, no-one would have blamed him for wanting to do something new. But as much as he enjoyed coaching, something about the sport kept pulling him back – and, after returning to full time competition, Robbie has earned himself a spot at ..read more

If you were watching professional wrestling in the mid-2010s, you’d have seen Gabbi Tuft in action – where she was better known as WWE superstar Tyler Reks. There were matches at the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, appearances on many of the WWE’s flagship shows – but it was only when wrestling came to an end that Tuft was able to become her authentic self as a trans woman. She shared her story publicly in 2021 – and one look at her Instagram now shows Gabbi sharing her love for fitness, and teasing, potentially, a return to wrestling as well. Hundreds of thousands of people follow Gabbi across ..read more

For as long as Chris Paouros can remember, she’s been a proud supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. But while she’s always loved her football team, she’s not always been sure that football has loved her back – which is why she’s spent years trying to transform the game into somewhere that everyone feels welcome. Her CV is formidable enough – a vice-chair and trustee at Kick It Out, a Board Member at the Football Supporters’ Association, a Supporters Representative on the FA Council, and the co-chair and co-founder of Proud Lilywhites, to name just a few. She’s also a brilliant talker and a fantastic ..read more

Take a look at the CV of Jason Webber, and you’ll see that a passion for equality and diversity is burned into everything does. For more than a decade, he was a campaign co-ordinator with Show Racism the Red Card – and since 2020, he’s been a key part of trying to make the beautiful game something for everyone in Wales as the senior EDI Manager at the Football Association of Wales. That love of the beautiful game runs deep in this man – with stints as an Academy Coach at Cardiff City and Merthyr Town alongside his EDI work. And now, it’s part of a commitment that runs through him to open up fo ..read more

If there’s anyone who knows about what it takes to make football inclusive, it’s James Laley. As the founder of Rainbow Blades, he’s helped embed diversity in the heart of what Sheffield United does, and it’s not just us saying that either – as James has been recognised not once but twice as this year’s Football v Homophobia Awards. So, we felt it was the perfect time to get James onto the podcast to talk about his journey in football, and the difference he’s making in the beautiful game. We chat about how he discovered Sheffield United at university and fell in love with the club; about the i ..read more

In a way, Mikey Connor has his nan to thank for his love of football. It was her who took him along to Everton games, who encouraged him to give the game a go, and told him that he should give refereeing a go as well. So really, it’s her who Mikey has to thank for his love of the beautiful game which – by his own admission – is now a sport that he absolutely can’t live without. As a former semi-pro ‘keeper, he’s done it as a player – and now, he’s making his way up through the pyramid as a referee, with his eyes firmly set on making it at the highest level that he can as a professional. And as ..read more