I Had Trials Once...

This episode of IHTO was filmed last year as a Patreon exclusive, but we thought with Lewis taking over at Avro, it would be the right time to release it for free!

Lewis sits down with the boys to discuss all things football from starting out at Blackburn to retiring early at 22 because of a heart condition.

The lads start the pod talking about Lewis' time at Blackburn Rovers in the academy with Willem Tomlinson, John Buckley & Lewis Travis.

Lewis then talks about dropping into non-league on loan where he played with Gaz & Jordan at Salford and why playing men's football at a young age is so crucial.

Lewis chats about his bad decision to join Port Vale on loan where he had issues with manager Neil Aspin, struggling to cope mentally with not being the team and why the move set his career back.

The trio then discuss Lewis' move to Barrow, working with Ian Evatt and David Dunn as well as early heart issues starting to affect his career.

Lewis openly talks about how heart issues forced him to retire early at 22 years old, how he struggled to deal with his health issues and what life looks like after he hung up his boots.

Finally they discuss Lewis journey into coaching and his aims of becoming a first team manager in the near future.

🔗 Join our Patreon below for as little as £3 a month and get access to all of the best unfiltered and unedited stories that normally have to be cut! 👇
/ membership

🎧 You can listen to the full episode wherever you normally get your podcasts via the link below!
https://podfollow.com/i-had-trials-once

📳 Make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe & turn on notifications so it lets you know when a new episode drops.

Let us know in the comments who you want to see on a future episode of the Podcast! 👇

📲 Follow us on social!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Twitter: / ihadtrialsonce
Instagram: / ihadtrialsonce
TikTok: / ihadtrialsonce
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro with Lewis Hardcastle
14:25 Moving into coaching.
18:00 Early life at Blackburn Rovers.
24:08 Dropping into non-league.
35:30 Port Vale loan move.
46:25 Fresh start at Barrow.
52:06 Retiring at 22 with a heart issue.
1:01:15 Becoming a coach.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grant Shenton joins Gaz Seddon, Gary Stopforth and the NLOTO lads to reveal the inside story behind his move from Avro into the Radcliffe manager’s seat, including how the opportunity came about, what he’s been asked to do and whether Jordan Hulme will remain captain.

There’s plenty more chaos too, including the Gateshead “bomb squad” and players being removed from the WhatsApp group, the bizarre Ben Mayhew and anonymous Twitter account (undercover chairman?) row at Bury Town, and Kerry Katona’s alleged video doing the rounds in non-league group chats.

The lads also debate whether clubs should prioritise an FA Cup run or chasing promotion, before getting stuck into some classic non-league stories, social media aliases, ringers and a few football games to finish.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:51 Grant Shenton: The Inside Story of Radcliffe Move
7:06 Grant’s Expectations At Radcliffe
8:45 Will Jordan Hulme Stay Captain?
10:38 Grant’s First Game In Charge
14:23 Kerry Katona Alleged Video & The Non-League WhatsApp Groups
15:26 Gateshead’s Bomb Squad & WhatsApp Chaos
21:47 Gateshead’s Finances & Club Structure
22:44 The Undercover Chairman & Ben Mayhew Row
26:40 Fake Accounts & Non-League Twitter
30:06 Parents, Aliases & Social Media
31:32 Social Media Clips & Player Hype
34:33 The Ringer Story
38:18 The Fan Who Scored
40:32 FA Cup Earnings & Jordan Hulme’s Form
44:46 FA Cup Money, TV & Gate Receipts
46:38 FA Cup Run Or Promotion?
48:36 Blind Ranking Footballers
52:05 Name That Player
52:24 The Footballer Link Game
54:16 Outro

👋 Got someone you'd love to see on the podcast? Drop us a message on any of our socials or let us know in the comments.

👌 If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe, and turn notifications on so you never miss a new episode.

👀 Join I Had Trials Once on Patreon for just £3 a month for more exclusive, unfiltered content that we simply cannot get away with on YouTube

👉 https://www.patreon.com/IHadTrialsOnce

👏 A massive thanks to CAPO for sponsoring this week's episode.
👔 Check them out: https://capouk.com/

🤑 Use code IHADTRIALS at checkout to save 15%.

🤔 Who should we get on next? Let us know in the comments!

😍 Connect with us:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/ihadtrialsonce
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ihadtrialsonce
⏳ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ihadtrialsonce
🖥️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihadtrialsoncepodcast

⚽ I Had Trials Once is the football podcast where the best stories from the game get told. Every week we sit down with former footballers, current players, managers, coaches, journalists and some of football's biggest personalities for honest conversations, hilarious dressing room stories, untold career moments and behind the scenes insight.

📈 From the Premier League and EFL to Non League, grassroots football and beyond, if you love football stories, football interviews and proper football banter, you're in the right place.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny Meadowcroft joins I Had Trials Once to tell some incredible stories from a career that took him from Stockport County into the professional game & deep into the chaos of Non-League football.

Danny discusses playing at Stockport alongside future stars including Ashley Williams & Rickie Lambert, working under Carlton Palmer, his remarkable 40-yard goal, a wild tour of China, becoming captain at just 19 & making the jump into full-time football with Morecambe.

He also opens up on the reality of Non-League contracts, including contracts being left in the “top drawer”, discovering he wasn't actually under contract after an injury & the chairman who the hosts describe as a bit of a gangster.

There are stories about Steve Morison, Jamie Vardy, Christmas bookings, dressing-room drinking games, Chester, Colwyn Bay & Danny's experiences in management.

Then comes the unbelievable finale: Danny takes over at Barnton, wins the League Cup, wins the play-offs... and gets sacked.

0:00 Intro
6:36 Danny Meadowcroft
7:55 Stockport County & Carlton Palmer
12:19 Ashley Williams & Rickie Lambert
17:16 Danny Shittu: “The Beast”
20:20 Danny’s 40-Yard Goal
24:00 Mossley Captain at 19
25:07 Non-League Dressing Room Chaos
31:39 Morecambe Move & Failed Medical
38:39 Bradford Park Avenue Contract Drama
44:50 Steve Morison Battle
46:16 Jamie Vardy in Non-League
58:35 Shoulder Injury & No Contract
1:00:35 Non-League Drinking Challenges
1:07:18 10/1 Bet & Pitch Invasion
1:14:11 Colwyn Bay & Welsh Football
1:31:47 Management: Won the Cup & Got Sacked
1:34:30 Outro

👋 Got someone you'd love to see on the podcast? Drop us a message on any of our socials or let us know in the comments.

👌 If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe, and turn notifications on so you never miss a new episode.

👀 Join I Had Trials Once on Patreon for just £3 a month for more exclusive, unfiltered content that we simply cannot get away with on YouTube

👉 https://www.patreon.com/IHadTrialsOnce

👏 A massive thanks to CAPO for sponsoring this week's episode.
👔 Check them out: https://capouk.com/

🤑 Use code IHADTRIALS at checkout to save 15%.

🤔 Who should we get on next? Let us know in the comments!

😍 Connect with us:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/ihadtrialsonce
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ihadtrialsonce
⏳ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ihadtrialsonce
🖥️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihadtrialsoncepodcast

⚽ I Had Trials Once is the football podcast where the best stories from the game get told. Every week we sit down with former footballers, current players, managers, coaches, journalists and some of football's biggest personalities for honest conversations, hilarious dressing room stories, untold career moments and behind the scenes insight.

📈 From the Premier League and EFL to Non League, grassroots football and beyond, if you love football stories, football interviews and proper football banter, you're in the right place.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gareth Seddon is joined by Grant Shenton and Daniel Atherton for another episode of I Had Trials Once.

The lads discuss Chester FC, Cole Palmer withdrawing from England duty due to load management, Peterborough’s manager sacking and those bizarre text messages, Kristi Montgomery’s Scotland call-up, football bonuses, plus some questionable Spice Girls stories.

Daniel Atherton also joins the conversation after starting his career with Liverpool, playing for FC United and now training with Harrogate Town.

👋 Got someone you'd love to see on the podcast? Drop us a message on any of our socials or let us know in the comments.

👌 If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe, and turn notifications on so you never miss a new episode.

👀 Join I Had Trials Once on Patreon for just £3 a month for more exclusive, unfiltered content that we simply cannot get away with on YouTube

👉 / ihadtrialsonce

👏 A massive thanks to CAPO for sponsoring this week's episode.
👔 Check them out: https://capouk.com/

🤑 Use code IHADTRIALS at checkout to save 15%.

🤔 Who should we get on next? Let us know in the comments!

😍 Connect with us:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/ihadtrialsonce
📸 Instagram: / ihadtrialsonce
⏳ TikTok: / ihadtrialsonce
🖥️ Facebook: / ihadtrialsoncepodcast

⚽ I Had Trials Once is the football podcast where the best stories from the game get told. Every week we sit down with former footballers, current players, managers, coaches, journalists and some of football's biggest personalities for honest conversations, hilarious dressing room stories, untold career moments and behind the scenes insight.

📈 From the Premier League and EFL to Non League, grassroots football and beyond, if you love football stories, football interviews and proper football banter, you're in the right place.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Mackreth joins I Had Trials Once to look back on a football career full of unbelievable stories, from non league football and unpaid wages to Wembley heartache with Grimsby Town.

Jack reveals what it was like being paid just £150 a week in non league, before explaining how he and his teammates went without being paid and threatened to boycott an FA Cup tie because of it.

He also reflects on his time at Grimsby Town, including the experience of playing at Wembley in front of 56,000 people and the disappointment of losing on penalties, despite their confidence of winning the showpiece tie.

Jack also tells the tale of being wrongly arrested and taken into police custody after a night out with the Grimsby squad, alongside plenty of brilliant dressing room stories from throughout his career.

There's plenty more too, including the story involving Jermain Pennant and a Champions League medal, his experiences at Macclesfield and Tranmere, the injury that eventually ended his playing career, moving into accountancy and finance, helping former footballers with their finances and the phone call from Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish.

A proper football career full of brilliant stories, unforgettable moments and plenty of lessons from life after the game.

_

👋 Got someone you'd love to see on the podcast? Drop us a message on any of our socials or let us know in the comments.

👌 If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe, and turn notifications on so you never miss a new episode.

👀 Join I Had Trials Once on Patreon for just £3 a month for more exclusive, unfiltered content that we simply cannot get away with on YouTube

👉 https://www.patreon.com/IHadTrialsOnce

👏 A massive thanks to CAPO for sponsoring this week's episode.
👔 Check them out: https://capouk.com/

🤑 Use code IHADTRIALS at checkout to save 15%.

🤔 Who should we get on next? Let us know in the comments!

😍 Connect with us:
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/ihadtrialsonce
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ihadtrialsonce
⏳ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ihadtrialsonce
🖥️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihadtrialsoncepodcast

⚽ I Had Trials Once is the football podcast where the best stories from the game get told. Every week we sit down with former footballers, current players, managers, coaches, journalists and some of football's biggest personalities for honest conversations, hilarious dressing room stories, untold career moments and behind the scenes insight.

📈 From the Premier League and EFL to Non League, grassroots football and beyond, if you love football stories, football interviews and proper football banter, you're in the right place.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices