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The Sports Whisperer - with Robin Welch
A podcast produced by Solid Gold · Sports, News, Sports News · 8 episodes · 2026-01-20 to 2026-07-11
Step into the inner circle of the global sports industry with host Robin Welch, a seasoned broadcasting executive who pulls back the curtain on the stories you were never meant to hear.
Drawing from his own high-stakes experiences, from negotiating deals with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone to launching sports channels across Europe, Robin offers a rare, insider perspective that goes far beyond the headlines.
This is the home of "Sports Whisperer," where the business of sport meets the human drama behind the results.
Each episode delivers unfiltered access to legends and dealmakers from the past, present, and future. These are not just interviews; they are deep conversations about the personal struggles, the glory, and the pivotal moments that define sporting history.
Beyond the nostalgia, Robin dissects the evolving landscape of modern sports, offering critical analysis on everything from the psychology of champions to the shifting trends in global sponsorship and brand intelligence. Whether you are a die-hard fan, an industry professional, or simply a lover of great storytelling, the Sports Whisperer provides the context and intelligence missing from the daily news cycle.
Join us for a journey where the real action happens off the field.
Episodes
Lovemore Ndou (Independent | World Boxing Champion, Lawyer, Author and Politician)
World champion boxer, seven-degree lawyer, and South African icon
This episode is for boxing fans, aspiring athletes, young South Africans, and anyone who needs proof that circumstances do not have to determine a person's future. Host Robin Welch sits down with Lovemore Ndou, a man who grew up in poverty in apartheid-era Mussina, overcame racial discrimination throughout his career, became IBF Super Lightweight World Champion, earned seven university degrees, practised law, and entered politics — all powered…
Ntombi Msiza (Joburg July | Event Director / Team Leader)
Matthew Booth (South African Football | Former Bafana Bafana Defender and Pundit)
South African sport, culture and community in one episode
Two compelling South African stories in one episode: the Joburg July, a brand-new horse-racing, fashion and music event launching on 25-26 July at Turfontein Racecourse, and a career retrospective with former Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth, covering resilience, mental toughness and the state of South African football. If you care about Johannesburg tourism, local culture, South African sport…
South Africa's greatest ultra-marathon champion in conversation.
Bruce Fordyce, nine-time Comrades Marathon champion and the man who brought Park Run to South Africa, sits down with Robin for a wide-ranging conversation that spans Gurkha soldiers, the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, a secret world championship 100km race in Stellenbosch, and finishing his 30th Comrades alongside Zola Budd. This episode is for sport lovers who want the insider stories and personal gems that rarely make it into the record books.
Bruce traces how the 1968 Olympics - Bob Beamon's legendary long jump, Dick Fosbury's…
2024 world champion Simon Margetts shares 4,000 years of history
This episode is for sport lovers with a taste for history and a fondness for the gems rarely found in mainstream coverage. Robin sits down with Simon Margetts, 2024 Cornish Wrestling world champion, to uncover one of sport's most remarkable hidden stories: a martial art older than the Greek Olympics that once packed arenas from Cornwall to California, Johannesburg to Japan.
Simon traces Cornish Wrestling back to the Tailteann Games of ancient Ireland, circa 2000 BC, explaining how the Celtic jacket-grappling tradition spread…
Peter Smith (Independent | Professional Boxing Trainer and Former Heavyweight Contender)
From Peter Smith in the boxing ring to Peter Cossins' grand race
This episode is for sports fans who love the raw, unvarnished stories behind the headlines: a South African heavyweight who sparred with the best in America, nearly fought Mike Tyson, and shook hands with Don King in a Beverly Hills hotel room - and a vivid retelling of the chaotic, lawless first Tour de France in 1903. If you grew up watching boxing or cycling and want the behind-the-scenes reality, this one is for you.
Peter Smith grew…
Welcome to sport's hidden machinery. This episode explores the invisible hands shaping professional athletics—from rugby agents fielding 3 AM crisis calls, to South African football's first female CEO, to a sport that conquered 350,000 South Africans in five years. We examine how million-rand endorsements now eclipse playing contracts, why Saudi money threatens rugby's governance, and what transforms a Mexican backyard game into the world's fastest-growing sport. This is sport stripped of marketing gloss—raw, complex, surprisingly human.
Rugby Agent – The Invisible Hand
Jason Smith reveals…
In this episode of Sports Whisperer, we take you on a journey through the highs, lows, and untold stories of the sports world. Host Robin Welch guides listeners through three compelling segments: a revealing conversation with South African football powerhouse Lydia Monyepao-Yele, a deep dive into the classic boxing world through Joyce Carol Oates’ legendary book 'On Boxing', and the thrilling career reflections of world champion boxer Brian Mitchell. Each segment is packed with insights, passion, and unforgettable moments that sports fans won’t want to miss.
Lydia Monyepao-Yele - The…
Brian Mitchell, Jason Smith, Bernie Ecclestone, and The Business of Winning.
In this premiere episode of The Sports Whisperer, host Robin Welch kicks off the series by weaving together the grit of the boxing ring, the high-stakes negotiation rooms of Formula One, and the chaotic dawn of professional rugby.
True to the show’s promise of covering the "past, present, and future," Robin opens the vault on his own broadcasting career while inviting two heavyweights of South African sport to share stories that have rarely been told in such raw detail. Whether you are a fan of the "Square Jungle"…
Source: the producer's own published feed and catalogue, as published. Maintained by Solid Gold · sources and corrections.