The Deck - Home of Independent Football Coverage
Welcome to The Deck, your new home of independent football news and podcasts. Founded in 2023 by FWA and NUJ journalist Ryan Whelan the company has gone on to become one of the fastest growing sports media companies in the UK.
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The Evolution of The Deck
The Deck started off as just a news website, focusing on the lower tiers of English Football. But expanded to include the Premier League and National League. It is owned outright by LSM Publishing LTD using the trading name The Deck since 2024.
The Lowdown Media division of the company was launched in 2024 and now encompasses five podcasts.
- Premier League Lowdown,
- Championship Lowdown,
- League One Lowdown,
- League Two Lowdown (Formally Fourth Tier Fever)
- National League Lowdown (Formally Natter)
The company picked up a nomination in 2025 from The Football Content Awards in the category Best Podcast – Football League. The National League Lowdown has also been nominated for the Best Non League Podcast in the NL Bible awards 2025.
The Deck adheres to a strict editorial policy which has been put together using the highest journalistic standards from the National Union of Journalists, Football Writers Association and more.
It boasts a large pool of talent that features ex-footballers, BBC broadcast journalists, and many highly qualified and experienced individuals.
The company has seen a host of exclusive interviews and articles including:
Gary Bowyer,
Robbie Savage,
Dino Maamria,
Paul Farman,
David Artell,
Andy Woodman,
John Coleman,
Graham Coughlan and many more
Meet Our Owners
Our company was created by fans for fans.
Ryan Whelan
Ryan is the owner and founder of The Deck. He is an award winning, NUJ and FWA accredited journalist with years of experience in growing and managing sports news brands. He has a NCTJ Diploma in Journalism as well as a degree in Law from the University of East Anglia. Ryan helps oversee the company's output, ensuring it adheres to the strict terms of its editorial policy. He is also now a keen member of the media department, editing and managing the five podcasts.
Callum Moseley
Callum worked his way up the ranks. He first met Ryan at former company The Real EFL and quickly became an editor after being recognised for his work. After moving to The Deck, Callum was gifted shares in the company and became a co-owner alongside Ryan. He is also the admin of the Deck's superb National League X page, and an FWA member.
Sam Griffin
Sam joined The Deck as a host of the League One Lowdown, but moved into management later that year. He was finally appointed the Head of Podcasts in 2025 which has coincided with their most successful period. An expert with numbers and stats, Sam was then gifted shares in the company.
Chris O'Brien
Chris, like Callum first started working with Ryan at The Real EFL and progressed to being an editor. He made the transition to The Deck in 2023 and helped grow the writing department. He was also gifted shares in the company and takes his place as the fourth member of the company's board.
