Here at the Second Captains Book Club, we call the shots – we pick the books and we match them up with the sports stars, but on this occasion the match couldn’t have been more successful. We talk to Jim Carney – uncle of Murph (and spiritual uncle to the rest of us), first presenter of the Sunday Game, RTE commentator, and journalistic titan of the West – about his favourite ever sports book “This Sporting Life” by David Storey.

 

 

Storey’s book is about a rugby league player Arthur Machin, a brutish presence on the pitch, and oftentimes off it. Jim talks to us about the cultural school of gritty realism from which the book sprang, his lifelong love of the work of David Storey, the film adaptation which made Richard Harris a massive star, and his own time in London as a teenager.

 

 

And there’s even time for some readings from the book, so it’s a special hour of podcasting, recorded live from Frances Murphy’s kitchen table. It’s episode 6 of the Second Captains “I’ll Tell You Who Wrote It’ Book Club – Jim Carney on “This Sporting Life”.

 

Click the image at the top of the page to play the show. Monday’s shows are free to all – to listen to our programming throughout the rest of the week, join the Second Captains World Service. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with feature interviews, breaking news, Richie Sadlier’s Player’s Chair, The Politics Podcast, and lots of added extras.

Go to Patreon

CHECK OUT OUR UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS & GET TICKETS WHEREVER YOU ARE.

LIVE SHOW TICKETS

BECOME A SECOND CAPTAINS WORLD SERVICE MEMBER AND GET COMPLETE ACCESS TO ALL OUR SHOWS AND ARCHIVE.

JOIN US