BT Sport Films

BT Sport Films are a series of feature-length sports documentary films airing on the British subscription sports channels BT Sport. While the majority of films are about football, other sports covered include rugby, cricket, boxing, UFC, judo, speedway and MotoGP.

BT Sport Films
GenreSports documentary
Directed byvarious
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerAdam Darke
Release
Original networkBT Sport
Original releaseAugust 3, 2013 (2013-08-03) –
present (present)

Background

The initial run of seven films was conceived prior to the launch of BT Sport in 2013, with the first film being shown on the channel's third day on air.[1] The commissioning editors for the series have been Jamie Hindhaugh, Barry Andrews, Sally Brown, Simon Green and Grant Best.

A number of the films have received a limited theatrical release, in which case BT Sport Films is usually credited as one of the production companies.

On most occasions, the first transmission of a film will be commercial-free, with versions including commercial breaks used for subsequent broadcasts. The films are shown on the BT Sport channels alongside documentaries from ESPN, including 30 for 30, Nine for IX, SEC Storied and Backstory, as well as official MotoGP films. In 2015, the channel also had a season of Warren Miller ski and snowboarding films.

List of films
No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1UFC: The Story So FarAdam DarkeAugust 3, 2013 (2013-08-03)
A look at the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, telling the story of the sport's creation and its growth into a global sporting enterprise.
2Silver LiningAdam DarkeAugust 6, 2013 (2013-08-06)
A portrait of two British judokas in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Gemma Gibbons and Euan Burton, and the contrast in their fortunes and emotions.
3Football OutpostsAdam DarkeAugust 11, 2013 (2013-08-11)
Tom Watt embarks on a journey to various British football outposts, from Arbroath to Accrington Stanley.
4Winning UglyAdam DarkeAugust 3, 2013 (2013-08-03)
Former England rugby union hooker Brian Moore looks back to the hard playing, hard drinking, win-at-all-costs mentality of sport in the 1970s and '80s and comparing it to what some would term the more sanitised world of modern sport.
5Keeping up with the BrownleesAdam DarkeSeptember 17, 2013 (2013-09-17)
A profile of triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, looking into the unique dynamics of sporting rivals who are also brothers.
6CorneredAdam DarkeOctober 22, 2013 (2013-10-22)
Journeyman boxer Johnny Greaves is followed as he works towards 100 professional fights, accepting fights at short notice and for little money to provide for his young family.
7O Arise, All You SonsAdam DarkeDecember 25, 2013 (2013-12-25)
How cricket united one of the most dangerous, disparate and poverty stricken countries on earth and gave the people of Papua New Guinea purpose and identity.
8An Ordinary Hero: The Mike Hailwood StoryJon Carey and Adam DarkeMarch 26, 2014 (2014-03-26)
A portrait of tragic motorcycle rider Mike Hailwood and the daredevil world of motorsport in the 1970s and '80s.
9Walk OnIan LysaghtApril 14, 2014 (2014-04-14)
How the Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune You'll Never Walk Alone became one of the world's most famous and emotional sporting anthems.[2]
10Football Outposts: EuropeAdam DarkeMay 11, 2014 (2014-05-11)
Tom Watt travels to European football outposts, from the Faroe Islands to Kazakhstan.[3]
11The Beautiful GameVictor BuhlerMay 19, 2014 (2014-05-19)
In a revised edit of the original film, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, F. W. de Klerk, Kofi Annan and a range of players talk about the influence of football on the continent of Africa.[4]
12The Crazy Gang: When Wimbledon Won the CupAdam DarkeDecember 26, 2014 (2014-12-26)
Using interviews, archive footage and animated scenes, the story of Wimbledon's unlikely rise from non-league obscurity to winning the 1988 FA Cup Final in less than a decade.[5]
13Football's Final Frontier with David James-April 5, 2015 (2015-04-05)
The former England goalkeeper looks at the potential for the growth of football in India, having served as player-manager at Kerala Blasters.[6]
14One Day in May: The Story of The Bradford City FireIsobel WilliamsMay 11, 2015 (2015-05-11)
Thirty years on from witnessing the Valley Parade fire first-hand as a child, Gabby Logan remembers one of the worst disasters in English football history in a poignant documentary.[7]
15I Believe in MiraclesJonny OwenFebruary 16, 2016 (2016-02-16)
To a soundtrack of funk and soul music from the 1970s, the story of Nottingham Forest's rise, under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, to becoming European champions in 1979 and 1980.[8]
16Ali: The Fighter's Journey-March 2, 2016 (2016-03-02)
The remarkable story of Muhammad Ali, focusing on his heavyweight title fights with Sonny Liston in 1964 and George Foreman in 1974.[9]
17Football Outposts: When They Were Giants-April 5, 2016 (2016-04-05)
In the third of the Football Outposts series, Tom Watt travels to clubs that were once giants of European football including Nottingham Forest, Aberdeen and Steaua Bucharest.[10]
18Rocky & Wrighty: From Brockley To The Big TimeTom BoswellJanuary 4, 2017 (2017-01-04)
How childhood friends David Rocastle and Ian Wright, one a teenage prodigy and the other a late bloomer, went on to become Arsenal legends.[11]
19Ref: Stories From the WeekendDaryl GoodrichApril 4, 2017 (2017-04-04)
An in-depth look at the world of the football referee, from the global scrutiny of the Premier League to the often rowdy and intimidating Sunday morning park games.[12]
20Iron Man: The Sean Fallon StoryMark Kendrick and Luke MasseyMay 25, 2017 (2017-05-25)
Adapted from the book Sean Fallon: Celtic’s Iron Man, the story of one of the club's greatest heroes.[13]
21Don't Take Me HomeJonny OwenJune 27, 2017 (2017-06-27)
Following the players and supporters of the Wales national football team at their first major tournament in 58 years, UEFA Euro 2016. Featuring music from Jacques Dutronc, Richard Hawley, Mogwai and Super Furry Animals among others.[14]
22Packer - The Man who Changed CricketAkshay SharmaNovember 4, 2017 (2017-11-04)
How the Australian media mogul Kerry Packer's controversial breakaway World Series Cricket changed the game of cricket.[15]
23No Hunger in ParadiseTom BoswellJanuary 7, 2018 (2018-01-07)
Based on his book of the same name, Michael Calvin examines football’s academy system, talking to players who have and have not found success as well as the children starting out in the system.[16]
24Golazzo: The Football Italia StoryTom BoswellMarch 31, 2018 (2018-03-31)
James Richardson looks back at the creation of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and the impact of free access to Italian football on British viewers in the 1990s.[17]
25John Barnes: Poetry in MotionLuke MasseyMay 19, 2018 (2018-05-19)
A celebration of the career of John Barnes, from his arrival from Jamaica and early success with Watford to his stardom with Liverpool and England.
26True GritDaryl GoodrichJuly 21, 2018 (2018-07-21)
Shot entirely in black and white, an insight into the trial and torment required in order to succeed as a speedway rider.[18]
27Shoulder To ShoulderIsobel WilliamsOctober 12, 2018 (2018-10-12)
Brian O'Driscoll goes on a personal journey to learn how the Ireland national rugby union team has brought together people from both sides of the sectarian divide throughout The Troubles.[19]
28Brothers in FootballChris WatneyNovember 10, 2018 (2018-11-10)
The story of Corinthian Football Club, once one of the game's greatest teams, and how a 1914 tour of Brazil was cut short by World War I before a ball could be kicked. The modern-day amateur players of Corinthian-Casuals return to complete the visit and play their namesakes, the rich and successful SC Corinthian Paulista.[20]
29Too Good To Go DownTom BoswellDecember 5, 2018 (2018-12-05)
John Cooper Clarke narrates the story of Manchester United's relegation from the First Division during the 1973-74 season. Based on the book of the same name by Wayne Barton.[21]
30Two TribesAndy WellsMarch 30, 2019 (2019-03-30)
How the 1980s success of Liverpool's two biggest football clubs, Liverpool and Everton, contrasted with the post-industrial decline of the city itself under the Thatcher government.[22]
31State Of PlayTom BoswellMay 29, 2019 (2019-05-29)
Based on the book of the same name by Michael Calvin, this follow-up to No Hunger in Paradise looks at a range of current issues in football, including mental health, homophobia and racism, the rise of women's football, head injuries and the financial state of smaller clubs.[23]
32The GafferBen LoweAugust 14, 2019 (2019-08-14)
Fly-on-the-wall documentary following five managers during the 2018–19 National League season, Harrogate Town’s Simon Weaver, Bromley's Neil Smith, John Still at Maidstone United, Eastleigh’s Ben Strevens, and Craig Hignett at Hartlepool United.[24]
33Team Of The EightiesAlan RyanOctober 23, 2019 (2019-10-23)
Narrated by Bill Nighy. How Malcolm Allison and Terry Venables transformed the image and fortunes of Crystal Palace, leading to the prediction in 1979 that they would dominate English football in the new decade.[25]
34Stop the TourLouis MylesDecember 28, 2019 (2019-12-28)
Sir Trevor McDonald narrates an account of the protest movement in the late 1960s led by Peter Hain which helped to bring about the sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era. Reflecting on the impact that sporting protest movements can have and the inseparability of politics and sports, the film also looks at the journey South African sport has taken from the days of apartheid to the 2019 Rugby World Cup victory.[26]
35GreavsieTom BoswellFebruary 18, 2020 (2020-02-18)
A look at the life of Tottenham Hotspur's record goalscorer and one of England's greatest strikers, Jimmy Greaves. Featuring interviews with Ian St John, Sir Geoff Hurst and Harry Kane among others, the film tells the story of his time at Chelsea, A.C. Milan, Tottenham, West Ham and Barnet, his battles with alcoholism following retirement and his television popularity on Saint and Greavsie.[27]
36Proud to be TownTom Boswell and Isobel WilliamsOctober 2, 2020 (2020-10-02)
Documentary following National League side Harrogate Town, who were on the verge of promotion to the Football League for the first time when they became the first club in England to cancel a match due to COVID-19. The film documents how the club and its staff coped during the UK lockdown and prepared for the National League play-offs.[28]
37Bosman - The Player Who Changed FootballBen JonesDecember 9, 2020 (2020-12-09)
David Ginola tells the story of Jean-Marc Bosman, a little-known footballer who left a permanent mark on the game with the Bosman ruling, a landmark judgement which changed the football transfer rules in Europe but, despite his victory, saw the end of his career.[29]

Short films

Four half-hour films have been made under the BT Sport Films Shorts banner. These initial four films were made using unused material from State of Play.

  • State of Play: The Player
  • State of Play: The Manager
  • State of Play: The Club
  • State of Play: Society

BT Sport Films Club

In December 2020, nine short interstitials titled BT Sport Films Club were aired, featuring presenter Craig Doyle discussing the films Brothers in Football, The Crazy Gang, Greavsie, Cornered, Rocky and Wrighty, Team of the Eighties, No Hunger in Paradise, Shoulder to Shoulder and The Gaffer, promoting the availability of the films on demand.

Critical response

The series has had a generally good reception from critics.

The Daily Telegraph said that Rocky & Wrighty was "a fitting tribute to the much-loved [David] Rocastle",[30] while the same newspaper described Golazzo: The Football Italia Story as a "terrific documentary" and "well worth a watch."[31]

Shoulder to Shoulder attracted a "phenomenal response on social media" according to the Irish Mirror,[32] with The Irish Times calling it a "compelling documentary."[33]

On Brothers in Football, The Sportsman said "for any devoted football fanatic this is a must-watch".[34] The Liverpool Echo said Two Tribes was "evocative, poignant and stirring", capturing "a remarkable snapshot in time."[35]

References
  1. "Introducing BT Sport Films". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. "BT Sport to tell the story of You'll Never Walk Alone". Sport on the Box. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. "Football Outposts: Europe". TV Time. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  4. "The Beautiful Game". trakt.tv. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  5. "BT Sport Films: The Crazy Gang". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  6. "Football's Final Frontier with David James". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  7. "One Day in May: The Story of the Bradford City Fire". TBI. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  8. "I Believe in Miracles". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  9. "Ali - The Fighter's Journey". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  10. "Football Outposts: When They Were Giants". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  11. "Rocky & Wrighty: From Brockley to the Big Time". Eir Sport. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. "REF-Stories from the Weekend. (Documentary)". Daryl Goodrich.
  13. "False Nine and BT Sport Films present "Iron Man: The Sean Fallon Story "". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  14. Owens, David (3 March 2017). "How a reclusive French pop star was persuaded to appear on the soundtrack to hit Welsh football film". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. "Packer: The Man Who Changed Cricket". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. "BT Sport Films to premiere 'No Hunger in Paradise'". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. "BT Sport Films presents 'Golazzo: The Football Italia Story'". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  18. "True Grit". The Midnight Club. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  19. "BT Sport films: Shoulder to Shoulder explores rugby's unique unifying power on the island of Ireland". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  20. "BT Sport Films introduce: Brothers in Football - The story of the non-league club who became stars in Brazil". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  21. "Too Good To Go Down: The untold story of how relegation enabled a new Manchester United to emerge". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  22. "Two Tribes: The BT Sport Film explores how football gave the city of Liverpool new hope during troubled times". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  23. "State of Play: The BT Sport Film offers a captivating insight into the heart of the beautiful game". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  24. "The Gaffer: The latest BT Sport Film offers a unique glimpse into the world of non-league management". BT Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  25. "BT Sport examines the rise and fall of a Crystal Palace team tipped to dominate football for a decade in Team of the Eighties". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  26. "Stop the Tour". We Are Buzzers. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  27. "All-new 'Greavsie' film to premiere in February". Tottenham Hotspur. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  28. "'Proud to be Town' - Coming soon to BT Sport". BT Sport. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  29. "'Watch Bosman - The Player Who Changed Football exclusively on BT Sport". BT Sport. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  30. Tyers, Alan (2 April 2017). "Story of David Rocastle and Ian Wright shows there's much to be explored in films about football off the pitch". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  31. Tyers, Alan (1 April 2018). "Football Italia: big in the 1990s, well worth a watch on BT Sport this week". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  32. Quinn, Gavin (12 October 2018). "Everyone is saying the same thing about Brian O'Driscoll's brilliant 'Shoulder to Shoulder' Irish rugby documentary". The Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  33. Cummiskey, Gavin (2 October 2018). "Shoulder to Shoulder: How Irish rugby survived the Troubles". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  34. Porter, Jack (8 November 2018). "Forget Manchester City, Juventus, And Boca: This Is The Football Documentary You Must See This Year". The Sportsman. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  35. Prentice, David (30 March 2019). "Two Tribes - How Everton and Liverpool allowed a city to walk tall in a time when it was on its knees". The Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
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