Advertise on podcast: America the Beautiful Game

I sit down with Rhode Island and Ipswich Town owner Brett Johnson to discuss the translantic growth of the game. We discuss the joys of promotion and relegation with Ipswich, Ed Sheeran’s authentic love of the club and spending to stay up. He tells us about taking Rhode Island to an Eastern Conference crown, the growth of the game in America and why the USL has got the model right. Brett also talks about the World Cup, developing young players and his favourite games to watch.

An honour and a privilege to have David Clarke OBE on the show. England’s top goalscorer, he smashed in 128 goals for the England blind football team, playing in tournaments across the world. He now runs Paralympics GB. We talk about goalscoring, working with David Beckham and the excitement ahead of LA28. We discuss the wider impact of disabled sport, the skill to compete at the top level and his three best goals, including one piece of brilliance against Argentina. An inspiring episode with a real football aficionado.

We talk to performance guru Darren Burgess. Currently leading Juventus having spent time with Arsenal, Liverpool and the AFL, we talk to Darren about advances in elite performance management, what different sports can learn from each other and excitement at the World Cup. He gives insights from his time at Arsenal, the joy of working in sport and how the role of head of performance really functions. We talk drinking after games, personal fitness for those working with athletes and working for your national team. Real insight about elite performance from one of the best to do it.

We talk refs today. I sit down with Erich Simmons, head of refereeing at PRO2, and we discuss refereeing, how the game has changed in America and recruiting and training new refs. We discuss referee abuse and social media, sending off Tony Meola ahead of bobblehead night and changes to the laws. It’s a bit different but a chance to humanise the men and women in the middle.

In a rare crossover episode, we combine American the Beautiful Game and United States of Dramerica and talk about football while drinking whisky. The guest is Danny Stone, head coach of Orange County Soccer Club. He drinks a Glenlivet 15 and we talk about the impact of the World Cup in America, his coaching strengths and weaknesses and his love for the game here in the States. We talk about his family's performance background, his skills as an orator and being hit by a golf ball struck by a whisky company CEO. We cover coaching ambitions, the pay to play model for young players and why he wants to share a bourbon with Frank Sinatra in Vegas.

We talk to the hugely impressive Peter Moore about his transition from CEO of the mighty Liverpool to founding Santa Barbara Sky in the USL Championship. He talks about the growth of opportunities in America, building a club from scratch and the importance of community whatever the size of the team. Peter explains why he and his wife wanted to undertake this opportunity, what Santa Barbara has to offer and the power of the badge. He describes his 4 C's of leadership, the balance between international growth at Liverpool and keeping the fans happy and whether Oprah will be coming to watch Sky games. A fascinating discussion about the passion of sport.

We talk to Andrew Fox, Orange County Soccer Club defender and legendary trivia figure. We talk about his unconventional journey to the USL, playing non-league in England, college scholarship in Texas, back to the English Football League before back to America. We also talk about his red card for Grimsby Town against Crystal Palace - the first player in the UK to be sent off following a VAR review. Fox tells us the detail of this extraordinary career footnote, why he loves football in the US and we talk promotion/relegation and fan banter.

We talk to soccer ticketing consultant Jim McCarthy. We talk about why top football teams aren’t better at ticketing, the Messi and Caitlin Clark impacts in American sport and how Championship teams in England have their models wrong. We discuss stadium seating areas, why ticketing is important and how he has turned bagel knowledge to Goldstar tickets to football.

We talk to former flying winger Gareth Ainsworth about his playing and managerial career. He tells us about his literal baptism of fire at Wimbledon, what he learned there about culture and how he models himself on Diego Simeone. Gareth talks about his desire to manage in the US, the away dressing room at Accrington Stanley and why Ryan Reynolds made such a brave choice at Wrexham. We cover promotion and relegation, causing havoc against Newcastle and his love of music - and performances with The Cold Blooded Hearts. A fun chat with a real character of the game.

We talk to entrepreneur Simon Leslie who took the plunge and bought himself a non-league team. He talks about transforming the business into a media company, bringing in celebrities and overcoming fan resistance. Simon explains why he’s in it for the long haul, changing the badge and firing the manager and trying to bring some aspects of American sport to the National League South. He tells us about his long term ambitions, how everyone told him not to buy the club and beating Manchester United to a  new shirt sponsor. Fascinating insight into sports ownership by an extraordinary entrepreneur.

I talk to Sacramento Republic boss Ashley Horsley. We talk about the excitement of running a soccer team, what a non-sports job can teach you about sports and what an Open Cup run do for a team. We talk about women in sport, the public nature of the job and trying to conduct a business conversation during a match. Data in sport, cheering the front office team up after a loss and growing the team in a tough business environment are all covered in our wide-ranging conversation.

Today is Open Cup day and we speak to Cody Copper, former US Youth and MLS keeper now plying his trade for Orange County Soccer Club. He talks about the magic of the cup, returning to an MLS stadium and why the USL is such a growing league. He tells us about his time in England with Ipswich and Southampton, having bags of urine thrown at him in Guatemala and why America crowds are meaner to goalkeepers. We talk about MK Dons and how much he knew about their franchise story, conceding 13 goals in two games for Mew England and which goals haunt him. A fascinating insight into the mind of a goalkeeper with transatlantic experience.

We talk to ex-player and now leading commentator and analyst Devon Kerr. Together we reminisce about Orange County's 2021 USL Championship victory, the growth of the US game and how much the young American player's experience abroad has changed. We talk about cherishing victories, emotionless commentary and deep research. Devon tells us about his time playing in Germany, training with great players and his move to the commentary box. We talk passion for the game, the growth of the USL and a long discussion about promotion and relegation. A great discussion with a genuine soccer enthusiast.

We talk to the hilarious and fascinating Mark Donaldson, long-time ESPN commentator. We talk to editing radio with a knife, the first team ever to beat the New York Cosmos and writing four sports books. He tells us about his love for Hearts, the importance of Succession to the club’s growth, covering American sports as a Scotsman and who will be the next USMNT coach. Fun, fascinating and nostalgic in equal measure.

We talk to LA Times soccer writer Kevin Baxter. We talk the battle for LA supremacy, the rise and fall of LA Galaxy and his love of Manchester City - and his car. He tells us about his reluctant move away from baseball reporting, how his wife shamed into improving his soccer coverage and the use of statistics in covering sports. We talk World Cups, women’s football and America’s chances in 2026. A romp through the world of soccer and sports journalism with one of the best in the business.