This episode of Don't Forget Your Tickets is a special one. It’s a deeply personal and honest conversation that explores both the triumphs and tribulations of a truly extraordinary career in football. We're joined by the first guest on our podcast to have excelled at the highest level both on and off the pitch, earning caps for Ireland as a player and then taking on a club co-owner and CEO role off the pitch.

Ciara McCormack, a former Republic of Ireland international, takes us on her unique journey from the pitch to the boardroom, where she became the first female CEO and co-owner of a men's and women's club in the League of Ireland, Treaty United FC. In her conversation with our co-host Clare Kenny she shares the raw, unfiltered story of what it’s like to transition from player to club leader, offering a rare look behind the curtain of professionalising a club.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Player to CEO: Ciara discusses the transferable skills from her top-flight playing career that prepared her for the challenges of club leadership.
• A New Frontier: Hear about her experience as a pioneering female CEO in a male-dominated environment and the progress being made for women in Irish football.
• The One Club Model: Ciara explains why she championed equal resources and respect for both the men’s and women’s teams, and the backlash she faced for it.
• Volunteers vs. Professionalism: For the first time on the show, we tackle the dilemma of managing dedicated volunteers while striving to implement professional standards for match day operations and club management.
• The Fan Backlash: Ciara speaks candidly about facing a fan protest, the mental toll of online abuse, and the importance of humanising leaders in sport.

Tune in for an inspiring and eye-opening account of resilience, leadership, and the passionate pursuit of building a football club from the ground up.

Don't Forget Your Tickets is powered by TicketCo and hosted by TicketCo’s CEO, Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg. The podcast was originally named TicketingPodcast.com