In this episode of The Insider’s Lounge, we sit down with Chris Gunn, Co-Founder and Managing Director of LoveGunn, the creative agency behind some of football’s most memorable branding and marketing projects.

Chris shares his early journey coaching at Chelsea FC, his transition into the creative industry, and the founding story behind LoveGunn. He talks about the leap of faith it took to start his own agency, the ups and downs of working with a co-founder, and the realities of building a new company during the challenges of the COVID-19 era.

We explore LoveGunn’s work with Oxford United, including key moments that stood out during the rebrand process, and discuss how Chris’s time at Chelsea eventually came full circle with the club becoming one of LoveGunn’s clients. He also shares insights into understanding fans across different cultures and how that influences creative strategy in football.

The conversation continues with a behind-the-scenes look at LoveGunn’s collaboration with MG and Arsenal FC, including the challenges of marketing high-value products to football audiences and coordinating creative shoots with players like Bukayo Saka and Ben White. Chris closes with memorable stories from his career, including a surprise Sir Alex Ferguson photobomb and the surreal experience of playing at Stamford Bridge.

Chris Gunn on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-gunn-47995546/
LoveGunn's Website: https://www.lovegunn.co/

🎙️ More Insider's Lounge Content: https://linktr.ee/theinsiderslounge

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:13 Transition into Coaching
08:25 What is LoveGunn?
11:39 The Founding Story
14:44 Taking the Leap of Faith
16:17 Best and Hardest Parts of Having a Co-Founder
18:34 Surviving the Covid Era
24:53 Oxford United Rebrand
29:59 Bringing Fans into the Creative Process
35:42 Key Moments from the Oxford United Rebrand
38:21 From Coaching at Chelsea to Landing Them as a Client
44:17 Understanding Global Soccer Fans
49:03 MG x Arsenal FC: Project Breakdown
55:01 How to Sell High-Value Goods to Soccer Fans
1:00:11 Shooting Content with Pro Soccer Players
1:03:21 The Sir Alex Ferguson Photobomb Story
1:06:01 Playing at Stamford Bridge
1:07:51 Outro

Man City’s dominance on the field is no secret — but their rise off the pitch is one of the most underrated stories in world football.

In this episode, Rob Gevertz walks us through his journey from sports media into one of the most commercially advanced clubs in the world. He shares how he broke into the industry, his childhood obsession with soccer brands, and what he learned during his time at Sky Sports and talkSPORT.

We then shift to the early 2010s — a time when digital was still considered an afterthought. Rob breaks down what Man City’s commercial operations looked like when he joined, how he ended up landing the job after a forgotten interview, and the key revenue streams that powered the club’s global rise.

From there, we explore how those revenue models evolved over the last decade, why brand and content alignment became so crucial, and a standout Champions League partnership that pushed creative boundaries. That leads into a broader discussion around media rights — and whether the Premier League might one day bypass broadcasters entirely.

Rob then unpacks the structure behind City Football Group and how commercial strategy works across its global portfolio. We zoom out even further to look at innovators in the space, from LIV Golf to the Kelce brothers, and how athlete-led media is starting to reshape the narrative in Europe.

To close, Rob introduces his current venture, First Five Yards, and walks us through a commercial case study on Birmingham City — a club with real potential under American ownership and the Tom Brady effect. We wrap with quickfire questions on personal branding, Ronaldo’s new movie studio, and where the business of sport is heading next.

🎙️ More Insider's Lounge Content: https://linktr.ee/theinsiderslounge

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:08 Breaking Into The Sports Industry
05:58 Childhood Obsession With Soccer Brands
07:31 Overview Of Time At Sky Sports and TalkSport
09:51 Digital Was an Afterthought — What’s the Modern-Day Equivalent?
12:00 Inside Man City’s Commercial Operations
17:23 The Job Interview That Almost Didn’t Happen — and Changed Everything
18:30 Breaking Down Man City’s Commercial Revenue Model
23:14 How Commercial Revenue Streams Have Shifted In The Last Decade
27:04 Why Club Content and Brand Fit Matters More Than Ever
28:28 A Champions League Partnership That Broke the Mold
31:59 Will the Premier League Become Its Own Broadcaster?
36:25 Understanding the Commercial Side of City Football Group
38:38 Who’s Innovating In This Space Now? LIV Golf, Baller League, Kelce Brothers, Pat McAfee
42:57 Changing the European Perspective On Athlete Media and Personal Brands
46:27 Inside Man City’s Influence on the Soccer Doc Boom
51:25 What is First Five Yards?
53:17 Case Study: Birmingham City’s Media & Commercial Potential
54:59 Understanding the Name - First Five Yards
55:52 Ronaldo’s Movie Studio & How Tom Brady Can Maximize His Image for Birmingham City Success
59:19 Quick Fire Questions
1:02:40 Outro

On this episode of The Insider’s Lounge, Chad McArthur sits down with Daniel Hall, Chairman of Dagenham & Redbridge and CEO of Club Underdog, to unpack the business, emotion, and strategy behind modern club ownership.

Daniel begins by sharing his personal journey — from a career in law to discovering Dagenham & Redbridge and navigating the complex acquisition process. He explains what you actually get when you buy a professional soccer club and how that compares to traditional business purchases.

They explore the club’s identity, Daniel’s early goals for Dagenham, and the key changes he made in the first phase of ownership. From there, they dive into the ongoing challenge of balancing the commercial side vs. the sporting side, and what makes Dagenham and Club Underdog unique in today’s football landscape.

The conversation expands into the rise of multi-club ownership (MCO), the strategy behind building a player pathway, and the next steps for Club Underdog — including future opportunities and potential expansion into women’s football.

Daniel also opens up about the emotional highs and lows of ownership — including his “What did we get ourselves into?” moment, what makes it all worth it, and why the FA Cup holds such massive importance for clubs like Dagenham.

They wrap up with a behind-the-scenes look at what fans don’t usually see, what Daniel focuses on day-to-day as CEO, and a few rapid-fire questions to close things out.

🎙️ More Insider's Lounge Content: https://linktr.ee/theinsiderslounge

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:39 From Law to Football: Daniel's Path to Club Ownership
05:27 Finding Dagenham & Redbridge: The Road to Acquisition
09:20 Buying a Soccer Team vs. a Business: What You’re Really Getting
12:49 Inside Dagenham & Redbridge: First Moves and Big Goals
16:43 Balancing the Commercial vs. Sporting Side
18:35 What Makes Club Underdog Truly Unique
20:54 The Rise of Multi-Club Ownership Explained
23:46 Building a Player Pathway Through Club Underdog
27:27 What’s Next for Club Underdog?
28:58 “What Did We Get Ourselves Into?”
30:09 What Makes Club Ownership Worth It?
32:22 Why the FA Cup Matters (Especially in the National League)
36:25 What Fans Don’t See About Club Ownership
37:26 Daniel’s Day-to-Day as CEO of Club Underdog
40:09 Quick Fire Questions
43:56 Outro