I Had Trials Once...

I GOT ARRESTED: Jack Mackreth On POLICE CHAOS, Jermain Pennant's HIDDEN UCL Medal & FA Cup Boycott

I Had Trials Once...

Show Notes

Jack Mackreth joins I Had Trials Once to look back on a football career full of unbelievable stories, from non league football and unpaid wages to Wembley heartache with Grimsby Town.

Jack reveals what it was like being paid just £150 a week in non league, before explaining how he and his teammates went without being paid and threatened to boycott an FA Cup tie because of it.

He also reflects on his time at Grimsby Town, including the experience of playing at Wembley in front of 56,000 people and the disappointment of losing on penalties, despite their confidence of winning the showpiece tie.

Jack also tells the tale of being wrongly arrested and taken into police custody after a night out with the Grimsby squad, alongside plenty of brilliant dressing room stories from throughout his career.

There's plenty more too, including the story involving Jermain Pennant and a Champions League medal, his experiences at Macclesfield and Tranmere, the injury that eventually ended his playing career, moving into accountancy and finance, helping former footballers with their finances and the phone call from Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish.

A proper football career full of brilliant stories, unforgettable moments and plenty of lessons from life after the game.

_

👋 Got someone you'd love to see on the podcast? Drop us a message on any of our socials or let us know in the comments.

👌 If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you Like, Comment & Subscribe, and turn notifications on so you never miss a new episode.

👀 Join I Had Trials Once on Patreon for just £3 a month for more exclusive, unfiltered content that we simply cannot get away with on YouTube

👉 https://www.patreon.com/IHadTrialsOnce

👏 A massive thanks to CAPO for sponsoring this week's episode. 👔 Check them out: https://capouk.com/

🤑 Use code IHADTRIALS at checkout to save 15%.

🤔 Who should we get on next? Let us know in the comments!

😍 Connect with us: 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/ihadtrialsonce 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ihadtrialsonce ⏳ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ihadtrialsonce 🖥️ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihadtrialsoncepodcast

⚽ I Had Trials Once is the football podcast where the best stories from the game get told. Every week we sit down with former footballers, current players, managers, coaches, journalists and some of football's biggest personalities for honest conversations, hilarious dressing room stories, untold career moments and behind the scenes insight.

📈 From the Premier League and EFL to Non League, grassroots football and beyond, if you love football stories, football interviews and proper football banter, you're in the right place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More from I Had Trials Once...

Oct 22, 2026

We're back with another exclusive episode of A (Non) League Of Their Own!

Oct 15, 2026

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Daniel Atherton joins us to tell some unbelievable stories from his time at the club, including Steven Gerrard’s brutally competitive side, Jordan Henderson making him look ridiculous in training, and the bizarre Palmer Violets incident that left him fearing his Liverpool career was over.

Oct 13, 2026

This episode of IHTO was filmed last year as a Patreon exclusive, but we thought with Lewis taking over at Avro, it would be the right time to release it for free!

Oct 8, 2026

Grant Shenton joins Gaz Seddon, Gary Stopforth and the NLOTO lads to reveal the inside story behind his move from Avro into the Radcliffe manager’s seat, including how the opportunity came about, what he’s been asked to do and whether Jordan Hulme will remain captain.

Sep 30, 2026

Danny Meadowcroft joins I Had Trials Once to tell some incredible stories from a career that took him from Stockport County into the professional game & deep into the chaos of Non-League football.

See all episodes →