The Business of Football: Buying "Britain’s Worst Club" with Spencer Fearn

The Business of Football: Buying "Britain’s Worst Club" with Spencer Fearn

In this episode of the unLTD Business Podcast, host James Marriott chats to Spencer Fearn about the amazing true story of buying worst football club in the country. Drawing on his rich background across rugby, boxing, and professional football, Spencer shares the fascinating stories behind his career. The heart of the conversation centers on Spencer’s venture into club ownership - most notably his bold acquisition of East Stirlingshire FC, a team widely dubbed "the worst football club in Britain" after finishing bottom of the Scottish third division for five consecutive seasons. Spencer opens up about the realities of turning a failing club around off the pitch, dealing with asset-stripping predecessors, and navigating bizarre encounters, including a Guy Ritchie-style dawn meeting with Glasgow hoods. This led to his book, 'Belief', which tells the full story of his time owning the club (available now on Amazon). James and Spencer also unpack the shifting landscape of local football in South Yorkshire, discussing the financial sustainability crisis plaguing clubs and why the era of the solo, local multimillionaire owner is giving way to complex billionaire consortiums.

In conversation with David Richards MBE

This episode is recorded live at The Forum in Sheffield as part of the unLTD Business Social, March 2026. James Marriott is joined by David Richards MBE for a chat about his journey - from his first steps into the world of work, life in Silicon Valley, the success of WANdisco and subsequent stepping away from the business. And of course there was plenty of AI talk as we dig into Yorkshire AI Labs LLP and his work with The Digital Forge CIC. Plus a bit of Sheffield Wednesday, Málaga, beekeeping and plenty more.

The Exit Strategy Playbook

Recorded live at Grimm & Co in Rotherham as part of the unLTD Business Breakfast event on 25 February 2026. James Marriott hosts a panel discussion about the route to exit for business owners, from mergers to selling to a complementary business or competitor, through to the rise of Employee Ownership Trusts. Our panel includes: Lisa Pogson - sharing her journey turning Airmaster into an Employee Ownership Trust Andy Holliday - who sold his business FindAUniversity to Keystone Academic Solutions almost five years ago. Victoria Clarke Brown - bringing experience from an MBO, employee ownership and private equity-backed sale, and now serving as independent chair of an Employee Ownership Trust. Hannah Welch - A Senior Manager and Consultant with Baxendale Employee Ownership, one of the UK's leading professional advisors on employee ownership. Hannah has worked with a wide range of business owners across the UK addressing their succession via employee ownership

Dealing with imposter syndrome with Chloe Angus

As we enter a new year... James Marriott chats to Chloe Angus from Via Courses about imposter syndrome, how to spot it and how to deal with it. This is a follow up podcast from an unLTD Business workshop held a few weeks back exploring the subject in more depth.

Small is STILL Beautiful… Small Talk, One Year On

Recorded live in front of an audience at the unLTD Business Expo, October 2025. 12 months ago, we brought together a group of business owners who explained why staying small worked for them. Now, they are back to reflect on their journey since. “Small Is Beautiful… One Year On” features a dynamic panel session that reunites three of the original contributors Laura Stead, Russell Thompson and Becca Morris with host James Marriott. Are they still just as small now as they were a year ago? Have their mindsets changed? If you want their answers, come to this session and reaffirm that small, values-aligned business isn’t just a survival strategy, it can be a flourishing one.