Insider Sport’s Matchday Programme offers a personal look at the sporting moments and figures that have inspired industry stakeholders. Through candid reflections, the programme delves into the stories behind the inspirations that have shaped their perspectives and fuelled their passion for sports.
In this edition, Alan Casey, Chief Commercial Officer at TXODDS, shares how Alan Shearer’s relentless consistency and loyalty to Newcastle United made him a childhood hero and how that admiration sparked a lifelong connection with the Toon Army.
Which athlete do you think demonstrated the best winning mentality throughout their career?
Kobe Bryant. I was slightly too young to fully appreciate the Michael Jordan era, so Kobe stands out as the ultimate competitor and a pure winner for me. You could see how revered he was by his Olympic teammates. And even though, like Jordan, he was famously tough on teammates, they accepted it knowing his toughness stemmed from a pure desire to win.
Who was your childhood sports hero and why? Which of their sporting achievements had the biggest impact on you?
My childhood hero was Alan Shearer. Although trophies might have eluded him at Newcastle, his consistency – scoring goals season after season, regardless of the team’s form – was incredible. For me, his greatest achievement was demonstrating remarkable loyalty by choosing to stay at Newcastle when he could easily have pursued trophies elsewhere
What sports team do you follow the closest? Is this a family team or local side etc, and what has been the biggest moment in your history of supporting this club?
I follow both the NY Jets and Newcastle United closely, but recency bias means I’ll pick Newcastle. I was fortunate to be at Wembley for their recent League Cup final victory, ending a 68-year trophy drought. Trophy droughts seem to be a recurring theme in the teams I follow! That was actually the first major trophy won by any team I’ve supported, so I’m hoping this opens the floodgates.
I started supporting Newcastle during the Kevin Keegan era, but when Alan Shearer joined, that sealed it, I was Toon Army from then on.
Is there a team manager from any sport, whether that be football, rugby, NFL, NBA etc, who you think demonstrated the best leadership qualities?
Phil Jackson. While he undoubtedly coached exceptionally talented teams, his real brilliance lay in managing their diverse personalities. On those Bulls teams, he balanced huge, contrasting egos like Rodman, Jordan, and Pippen. The Rodman Vegas story, in particular, always sticks out to me. Later with the Lakers, he skilfully managed the challenging Kobe-Shaq dynamic, something that exploded after he initially left.
What sports tournament do you think consistently provides the biggest thrills? Which moment from this league stood out to you the most in recent memory?
Again, recency bias may be influencing me, but the Masters consistently delivers incredible drama and entertainment. This year’s 2025 tournament was arguably the most compelling ever for Rory fans. From Thursday’s opening round right through the rollercoaster Sunday finish, it was top-class.
If you could travel back in time to any historic sporting moment to watch it then and now, which would it be and why?
Given the 2025 Masters is so recent, I’d choose a similar theme and go back to Boston in 2004 or Chicago in 2016, to experience the Red Sox and Cubs ending their famous droughts. Even though both clinched the World Series away from home, the buzz around those cities in the days and weeks afterwards would have been unforgettable. Witnessing the pure joy and relief among Newcastle fans when their drought ended – albeit with a minor trophy – I can only imagine how special those World Series celebrations would have been.
If you could go out for dinner with any sporting figure, current or historical, who would it be and what would you want to learn from them?
I’d choose Rory McIlroy. I’d love to get the full, candid debrief on the Masters and everything else he’s experienced. I’d hope some of his resilience rubs off on me, and quietly hope he might invite me out for a round of golf sometime!
To read the last edition of the Matchday Programme, Josh Sparke, Managing Director of Podium, reflects on the winning mentality of Tiger Woods, click HERE.
