Last Orders: Is Football’s Love Affair with the Pub Over?

Matt Cutler and Richard Gillis take a journey deep into the world of illicit Premier League broadcasting, uncovering the true scale of the problem, speaking to the criminals making large sums of money from the demand for cheap content, and exploring the potential cost to sport should piracy not be curbed soon.

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About Last Orders: Is Football’s Love Affair with the Pub Over?

The pub has played an central role in both professional and grassroots football culture for hundreds of years. But with the number of UK licensed premises falling below 100,000 for the first time since records began last year, the two are in a marriage that’s on the rocks.

And we’re already starting to see the impact it’s having on matchday rituals, the funding of grassroots football, and male social interaction. Matt Cutler takes a journey into the relationship between football and the pub, and looks for answers for how the two can avoid divorce.

A series by Unofficial Partner Productions.

Meet the hosts

Matt Cutler

Matt is a sports business journalist and specialist communications consultant to the agency sector, best known for his time as editor of SportBusiness International (2010-2015) and Head of Communications at award-winning data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles (2017-2023). At Two Circles, Matt created and executed global communications, PR and marketing strategies and campaigns that helped take the company from plucky start-up to global leader. During his six years there, Two Circles won three coveted Sport Industry Agency of the Year awards.

Richard Gillis

Richard’s career mixes award winning journalism with a career as a strategic adviser to sports governing bodies, sponsors and agencies. He was listed number 5 in the sport category of PR Week’s Powerbook list of industry influencers. The Captain Myth, his book on leadership at the Ryder Cup, was The Guardian’s sports book of the year.