Football Untold

In this week's episode we host a live Q&A event at the top of the Radio City Tower in Liverpool joined by Clarke Carlisle and Simon Howarth. We discuss the impacts of gambling in football and our wider society as well as the panel taking questions from our live audience.

In this weeks episode we're going to talk about the stigma that exists within the game around addiction. We'll discuss the views held that hold people back from getting the help they need, and how we can look to change things for future generations.

This week's incredible guest is former Spurs, QPR and Liverpool defender Steven Caulker. Steven has battled addiction throughout his career - and became a problem gambler at an early age. In episode 4 of Football Untold he tells the lads how loan spells away from home made the situation worse, how his impulsive behaviour meant he left Spurs under a cloud, and how casino trips abroad left him feeling suicidal. Having spent the season back in the Championship - Steven also explores what he hopes to achieve in the game and gives us the inside story on THAT move to Liverpool.

We step down a couple of leagues in this week’s episode to hear the incredible story of Sam Wedgbury. Starting his career at Sheffield United, Sam had spells in non-league and in Hungary before playing for Macclesfield Town, Forest Green Rovers and a host of clubs in the football pyramid. Sam discusses the key events in his problem gambling journey, including losing more than £20k on online roulette machines in the space of an hour, and the moment he was confronted by his wife in a bookmakers. Sam also shares how he talks about his problem gambling with managers to make sure he doesn’t relapse in his recovery and how Gamblers Anonymous has played a key part in ensuring he stays on the right path.

Former Wales international Simon Haworth is our second guest on Football Untold. The former Cardiff, Coventry, Tranmere and Wigan striker discusses how he fell into problem gambling at the end of his career. Simon’s problems were based around the horse racing industry – and Simon explores how his behaviour in his 30s echoed issues he had from growing up as a child.

In the new series of Football Untold – former Burnley captain, and ex-Chair of the PFA Clarke Carlisle is the first of our footballers to share his story of problem gambling, and how his problematic behaviour led to a suicide attempt. Clarke opens up about the impact of gambling on his life, how it changed him as a person, and the difficulties he faced finding a new path beyond gambling.

Mick Coyle explores the dark side of the beautiful game by speaking to professional footballers, past and present. They share their personal struggles, to shine a light on men's mental health and the help that is out there