This week, Ben and Mike, chat with Ben's old football manager Martin Skinner—a legendary (and unfiltered) former coach of the Brentwood Boys. In this episode, Martin unloads a treasure trove of memories: crazy van rides, dodgy leg rubs, makeshift training camps and a philosophy that mixed old-school discipline with raw devotion.

With his trademark wit and razor-sharp memory, Martin reflects on how he stumbled into coaching, what it was like managing Ben and the challenge of running a youth team while holding down a 3am fish market shift.

From fake poo pranks to coaching his own son, Martin explains that you don’t need to be a master tactician to get a group of boys to play for you — you just need to understand them, make them laugh and they’ll run through walls for you.

He also shares why coaching the kids’ football team was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iokfootball/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iokfootball

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsonlykidsfootballpodcast/

Email: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com

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This week, Ben and Mike sit down with Paul Barry, head of coaching at Crystal Palace for U8–U12s and a 28-season veteran of the foundation phase.

Paul offers real insight on what really matters when coaching kids—from using words like "fireworks" and "magnets" to help the kids understand tactics and shape, to handling overzealous parents with clear communication and understanding.

Expect smart, practical advice on managing the jump from 5-to-7-a-side, improving player focus and how to set up a killer 60-minute session—plus why one-word feedback might be your secret weapon.

He also talks about coaching the parents, avoiding the "chimp brain," and why football is about shaping kids for the next 25 years—not the next 25 minutes.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

Paul Barry's children's books:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mr-Paul-David-Barry/author/B08VCXJZJG

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iokfootball/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/iokfootball

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iokfootball

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsonlykidsfootballpodcast/

Email: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of It’s Only Kids Football, Ben and Mike are joined by former Arsenal and England full-back Kieran Gibbs for a chat about the grassroots experiences that shaped his professional journey and the mission driving his post-playing career.

From Sunday mornings with the Purley Panthers to the pressure cooker of Hale End and winning trophies with the Gunners, Kieran shares vivid memories, hard lessons and the importance of keeping the joy in kids’ football.

He talks candidly about the emotional highs and lows—from missing a penalty as a kid to battling for his scholarship at Arsenal—and how having a twin brother by his side helped him reach the top.

Now based in Miami, Kieran explains how he's channelling those experiences into One FC, a youth academy aiming to shift the culture of American soccer.

Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/

One FC

https://onefcmiami.com/

https://www.instagram.com/onefcmiami/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iokfootball/

X (Twitter): https://x.com/iokfootball

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iokfootball

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsonlykidsfootballpodcast/

Email: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.