- By Nicky Helfgott
- Half-Time Orange
During this period of isolation at home, we’re all missing our regular football fix. Indeed, the `Bundesliga has now returned but with all of the spare time that there is during the weeks, many of us desire more. Here at Half-Time Orange, we have made a list of football shows and films for all of the fans who are missing the beautiful game.
10th. Antoine Griezmann: The Making of a Legend
This hour long documentary goes into great detail regarding one of the best strikers of the modern age, Antoine Griezmann. The shows gives an insight into how coaches thought he couldn’t make it due to his small frame and it took him a long time to finally achieve a breakthrough at Real Sociedad. It shows his career development all the way up to and including the 2018 World Cup win with the French national team.
- Available on Netflix
- Language: French
9th. First Team: Juventus
This six part Netflix show portrays Juventus’ 2017/18 season and documents some of the key moments of their season. It is especially interesting as they go into the homes of some of the players and show the inside the club. Trailer here.
- Available on Netflix
- Language: Italian & English
8th. The Best Football YouTube Channels
Yes, this is not a ‘show’ as such but these channels can provide you with hours of non-stop entertainment. We’ve selected three channels which we believe provide the best football content. One of them is the Sky Sports Football YouTube. They have the brilliant ‘The Debate‘ which is always fascinating to listen to. My personal favourite from the Sky Sports Football YouTube is their “Lies” series and their “Who Am I” series. Both include Premier League footballers coming on and being quizzed on their football knowledge.
The next channel that we highly recommend is Copa90. Their series ‘Derby Days‘ is a fantastic watch and there are hundreds of insightful and enjoyable football videos on their channel.
Finally, HITC Sport is a fun channel that makes all sorts of football videos such as ‘Ranking the 50 most expensive players ever’ and ‘One player per league: World X11‘.
- Available on YouTube
- Language: English
7th. Africa United
A really unique film, Africa United tells the story of a group of young Rwandan children who make the 3000 mile journey to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. They encounter a lot of obstacles, as one would imagine, on their route to Soccer City and it is a rollercoaster of emotions for the audience. Trailer here.
- Available on Amazon Prime Video/YouTube for rent at £3.49
- Language: English
6th. Kicking & Screaming
This 2005 film starring Will Ferrell is bound to bring laughs and smiles. While it may not be the most mature football film, it is an easy watch that is guaranteed to put a smile on ones face. It tells the story of Phil Weston (Will Ferrell), who coaches a little league team but never has any success. However, with the introduction of two new young signings, he tries to get his inexperienced team of misfits to win a game of football against his fathers little league team. A very funny film that I strongly recommend, especially to watch with children. Trailer here.
- Available on Netflix
- Language: English
5th. The English Game
Released only recently, ‘The English Game’ tells the tale of the foundations of the game we all know and love today. Back in the 1870s, football was only for the wealthy. ‘The English Game’ shows how football became a game for everyone. Trailer here.
- Available on Netflix
- Language: English
4th. The Damned United
Based on the novel with the same name, 2009 film ‘The Damned United’ portrays the managerial career of Brian Clough, focusing on his cataclysmic, 44 day tenure at Leeds United, the team who who were previously so successful under Don Revie. The film also shows Clough’s struggles without longtime assistant manager Peter Taylor. This dramatic, exciting film will have you on the edge of your seat, it is a big success in our eyes here at Half-Time Orange. Trailer here.
- Available on Amazon Prime Video/YouTube for £4.99
- Language: English
3rd. Sunderland ‘Til I Die
The producers of the show described that it would “…take its audience through the highs and lows of SAFC’s first season in the Championship following its painful relegation the previous year.” It truly is a fantastic watch, giving a wonderful insight into the relationship between the fans and club. A very binge-worthy two series documentary, ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’, is a must watch for any football fans. Trailer here.
- Available on Netflix
- Language: English
2nd. Goal! (film series)
Goal is the most classic of football films. It might not have the best production or best reviews but this film is the biggest must-watch for any football fan. I’m sure most of you have watched this but if not, don’t bother reading what’s number one on our list, go and watch ‘Goal’! It shows young Mexican boy, Santiago Muñez get scouted for Newcastle and have a one month trial there. Initially, it seems like he might fail but he breaks into the first team and the rest is history. Trailer here. *Spoilers ahead*
However the story doesn’t end there! In what is the best ‘Goal’ film in my opinion, Muñez gets signed for Real Madrid, after a string of masterful performances for Newcastle. Lots of the stars of the ‘Galactico’ era appear in this film and it makes for a riveting viewing from start to finish.
The third film unfortunately is not nearly as good as the other two which brings down its overall rating although it could be worth a watch if you enjoyed the first two!
- Available on Amazon Prime Video/YouTube for rent at £3.49
- Language: English
1st. All or Nothing
Leading our list is ‘All or Nothing’. This show is simply magnificent. It follows Manchester City around for the 2017/18 season in immense detail and what a season to have done it as well! It shows footage from inside the changing room, the injury room, player’s houses and much more. As well as this, it includes so many memorable moments from the season and how the players reacted. It had the 100 point league win, the Manchester United comeback at the Etihad, the loss to Liverpool in the Champions League, the League Cup win and so much more. I can’t praise the show highly enough, despite being a Manchester United fan! Trailer here.
- Available on Amazon Prime Video
- Language: English
So there it is, Half-Time Orange’s top 10 football films and shows. There are more we have left off of our list but also many movies that we haven’t watched. If you think we have left a good show off of our list, make sure to let us know on Twitter @HTOrangeUK and let us know what you thought of our list. Also, if you watch any of these shows now, please tweet us as we would love to hear whether you enjoyed it or not.
Half-Time Orange 