“THESE are the bits about football clubs that people don’t see.”

Just 30 seconds into the trailer for Moment of Truth, those words from Karl Robinson sum up why it should be such a captivating listen for Oxford United fans.

The BBC Sounds podcast follows the U’s head coach and Rotherham United manager Paul Warne over the final 90 days of the Sky Bet League One season as the promotion race reaches its climax.

READ MORE: Luke McNally linked with Championship club

Both bosses gave production company Folding Pocket unparalleled access on and off the pitch at the most stressful time of the campaign, with some fascinating results.

“Everyone thinks they know what happens on a Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening, but nobody knows the truth,” says writer and producer Simon Clancy.

“I’ve been working in football for 12 years, but 90 per cent of things that happened I hadn’t seen before.

“Getting that across really helped because it allowed them to do their jobs while we blended into the background. I think that will come out when you listen to it.”

Clancy, head of longform creative at Folding Pocket, and sound engineer Liam Thorne were allowed access all areas, from the dressing room to the managers’ homes. Robinson and Warne even wore microphones during matches.

They recorded about 200 hours of footage, which has been edited and packaged into episodes narrated by actor James Nesbitt – with the first five released next Monday.

READ MORE: Former Oxford United boss takes Blackpool job

The first task was finding two managers who would be willing to cooperate, for which Folding Pocket enlisted the help of BBC Football League expert Mark Clemmit.

Clancy said: “We pitched the idea just before Christmas and spoke to Clem, asking him who would be good for this sort of project.

“It’s an awful lot of commitment at a time managers are uniquely busy.

“We wanted to do two teams who were pushing for promotion. He went away and had a few chats and Paul and Karl were always top of the list.

“I think both were really keen to show what it’s like."

Oxford Mail:

Rotherham United manager Paul Warne Picture: James Williamson

The production company met Robinson over Zoom after Christmas and spent time at United’s training ground, before attending their first match – the 2-1 win at Shrewsbury Town on March 12.

While the U’s head coach was happy to take part, Clancy was less sure if the players would buy into it.

“That was the thing I was most concerned about, because we’d already built a relationship with Karl,” he said.

“At both clubs, some of the players were happy to chat and have a bit of joke and others kept their distance – that was absolutely fine.

“I made the point very early that our intention wasn’t to get them in trouble, we just wanted to tell a story.”

TRANSFER TRACKER: All the League One moves in the summer window

That was the case even when United lost three games in a week at the start of April to all-but end their play-off hopes.

Clancy added: “Oxford were flying until that run of games, but the players were always helpful. By the end, both managers said we were a bit of an add-on to the team.

“The players were generous and the backroom staff couldn’t have been nicer.

“I felt bad, because it’s hard to keep asking questions when things aren’t going so great.”

The production company met Robinson over Zoom after Christmas and spent time at United’s training ground, before attending their first match – the 2-1 win at Shrewsbury Town on March 12.

Clancy and Thorne would arrive at each game before the players, ‘mic up’ Robinson and follow him until the players got back on the bus.

He said: “We were in the dressing room every game; you see all the high points and the rollicking.

“Half-time against MK Dons (a 1-0 win in April) was a highlight in terms of Karl losing his temper with the team, and then the joy at the end after Billy Bodin’s late goal.

“We were flies on the wall and it was incredible to see.”

READ MORE: Oxford United unique in EFL thanks to long-serving duo

Off the pitch, the podcast aims to show how a manager’s job affects their family life and Clancy sat down with Robinson, his wife Ann and daughter Jasmine.

“We wanted to get across what it’s like for the families on the other side,” he said.

“What’s the knock-on effect for marriages, or children whose dad can’t come to school parents’ evenings?

“Both managers and their families were incredibly generous. We were never not allowed access.”

Of course, fans will know already that the podcast ends better for Warne than Robinson.

Like the U’s, Rotherham lost form during the run-in but seven points in their last three matches saw them clinch the second automatic promotion spot on the final day.

Clancy had a perfect vantage point for the agony and ecstasy when the two teams met on the penultimate weekend of the campaign, with a 2-1 defeat ending United’s play-off hopes.

He said: “Before I started, my ‘dream’ was both teams would meet in the play-off final.

“As soon as I got to know both teams that became the absolute nightmare.

“Ultimately Oxford were knocked out of the play-off race by the other team we were following.

“Seeing the reaction of the players was incredibly raw. You’ve got this silence in the Oxford dressing room – the atmosphere is crackling with tension and upset. You see a couple of players in tears and the absolute desolation the fans just don’t see.

“To be there in that moment, knowing the season was over is something I’ll remember for a long time.”

The trailer for ‘Moment of Truth’ is out now on BBC Sounds.