The New Saints Chairman Mike Harris
6/29/20261 hr 1 min
On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel is joined by The New Saints chairman Mike Harris for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the most successful and debated clubs in Welsh football.
The interview centers on TNS’s rise from domestic powerhouse to European regular, beginning with Harris’ documentary, The New Saints: The Road to Europe — The Mike Harris Story, and how it captures both the club’s ambitions and Harris’ personal role in building the project. Chris and Mike discuss the origins of TNS, Harris’ background as an entrepreneur, the sale of Total Network Solutions to BT, and the mindset that has driven him to professionalize a club operating inside the Cymru Premier.
The conversation also explores what makes TNS so dominant, from financial investment and recruitment to structure, standards, staff, and the day-to-day professionalism behind the scenes. Harris is asked about Craig Harrison’s success as manager, the club’s player profile, the challenges of recruiting to the Cymru Premier, and how TNS keeps pushing itself domestically while chasing bigger nights in Europe.
Chris and Mike also dig into the club’s historic Conference League run, Park Hall’s long-term stadium ambitions, UEFA Category 4 requirements, and whether the club can become a regular league-phase European side. The interview goes deeper into the bigger identity questions around TNS: whether they are the best club in Wales, whether they would ever consider entering the English pyramid, and how the club balances its Oswestry and Llansantffraid roots.
The episode closes with a look at the future of Welsh domestic football, TNS’s role in raising standards, the club’s attendance challenges, Mike Harris’ wider football ambitions, and what his legacy at the club may ultimately look like.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
[upbeat music] Not the polished spin, not the safe reply. We go where the cameras don't always fly. Past the tunnel talk, past the final score. Open every door, then we open more. Not just headlines, not just noise. Bring the real ones in, let them raise their voice. The beautiful game. Unfiltered. The beautiful game. Unfiltered. No club too big, no story too small. If it matters to football, we want it all. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh.
Chris Horwedel· Host0:47
Hey everybody, I'm Chris Horwedel, and my guest today is the reason the New Saints are not just a good Welsh club. They're a case study in how to dominate a domestic football league and turn that into repeated European access. An accomplished entrepreneur, a hugely successful football chairman, and depending on who you ask, a hero or a villain. Love him or hate him, you cannot argue with the results. TNS chairman, Mike Harris. Mike, thanks for coming on the show.
Mike Harris· Guest1:16
Oh, thank you for inviting me. It's a privilege.
Chris Horwedel· Host1:19
You guys also have a documentary out called The New Saints: The Road to Europe: The Mike Harris Story, which is both a mouthful to say and an absolutely fascinating watch. That documentary is