Carl Eaton - The Sequel.  We talk to Carl once again as he attempts to explain why he's set himself the biggest challenge of his life.

Not that life isn't difficult enough for this amazing human being as it is.  Born with Spina Bifida, a right leg amputee and wheelchair bound, this man mountain doesn't understand the word...limitiations.

In this episode we also talk about mental health, and what life is like for someone that faces many challenges in his life due to his disability. 

On episode 5, Gordon Johnson & Mark Hayes join me with my star guest Pascal Chimbonda.

Gordon Johnson is a former referee, who is now Vice Chairman of Skelmersdale United Football Club.  Mark Hayes is the former Chairman of Ashton Town & Pilkington FC and now Sporting Director at FC St Helens.

Pascal Chimonda needs no introduction.  The former Premier League footballer is now the manager of Skelmersdale United FC.

Along the way he discusses how he left his homeland of Guadeloupe to seek fame and fortune, first in France before his big move to Wigan Athletic.  And how he ended up taking up his first managerial role in the 9th tier of the football pyramid.

Carl Eaton is the founder & manager of Skelmersdale Men-Aces, a football team for young men with a range of disabilities.

Carl's story is a truly inspirational one. Born with Spina Bifida and later becoming a right leg amputee, he refused to allow his disability to define him as a human being.  Instead he decided to help others to achieve their own personal dreams.

When he started the Men-Aces 14-years ago, they used jumpers for goalposts and begged borrowed and improvised until they eventaully found their feet. 

With the help of his wife Mim, they went out into the local community to raise funds. With hard work and perseverance  they quickly became a fully established club within the town.

Not satisfied with that great achievement alone, Carl went on to raise more money through a range of madcap ideas, including abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower on Portsmouth's historic waterfront, to the "Great Escape," where dressed as a pair of convicts, him and his able bodied friend Peter set off in two wheelchairs without a penny piece between them, with the aim of blagging their way from Skelmersdale to Lands' End and if that wasn't bad enough, they had to do the same thing coming back.

As a result of all those escapades, Carl has managed to raise over £100,000 for good causes.  That's not gone unnoticed either, because along the way he's been rewarded with the "Freedom of the Borough of West Lancashire' and received the "Queens Award" at Buckingham Palace!

What a man!

Mark Hayes is the former Chairman of Ashton Town & Pilkington FC.

His career in non-league football has spanned over 15-years, with many highs and lows, but he's always been a happy-go-lucky kind of person.

He credits football for getting him through some of the toughest periods of his life, and it's with that kind of mindset that he's managed to achieve great success, both on and off the field.

Mark is a truly inspirational person, who's given back to society more than he's ever received.

Today's guest is the former AFC Liverpool Manager Matt Potter.  Matt took the club to its highest ever finish in its 15-year history.  That didn't go unnoticed at Skelmersdale United FC, and as such he was recenly appointed as their new manager.

My first episode is with the Regional Organiser of the RMT John Tilley.

We talk about his childhood growing up in Liverpool, what his parents did for a living, and what moulded him politically growing up.

We then talk about his career as a signalman before he was elected into office.

John explains how he come to live in Skelmersdale...when he didn't even know where it was!  And how he took time out from his stressful job by supporting and working for his local non-league football club.

Preview of Seeking Frankly Podcast.