Best Sports documentaries/films you've watched

[Batgirl]

Years ago I never would have thought that I would enjoy sports documentaries but it started when I had to take a class called 'Modern Sport and Society.' The subject examined the place of the modern Olympics in society and the difference sport could make in culture.

We watched 'When we were kings' documenting the major fight in Zaire between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.

Amazing documentary that captures a point in time. 

Recently due to having to stay home like the rest of the world, I watched the series on netflix called 'The Last Dance' documenting Michael Jordan's career. My little brother had always been a huge Jordan fan with his bedroom covered in posters and Chicago Bulls merchandise

but I never had any interest in basketball.

Because he 'relived' his childhood lately by watching the series about his idol I thought I'd watch it.

It has ten episodes of 50 minutes and I was hooked after episode three. Absolutely fascinating. It has the same behind the scenes follow the team feel that I'm familiar with in the F1 'Drive to survive'.  The players and coach recall the times but because the Chicago Bulls became such a media obsession there are countless clips from the day with interviews, team trips, paparazzi then etc.

Some people think Jordan isn't shown in a good light in this series and it is interesting when they have him comment on what other players has said but I think it allows the viewer to understand him better, beyond the basketball.

If someone dominates in a sport the passion and story is always intriguing. 

[Del Boy]

There are many great documentaries that cover great sporting stories. I've seen  When We Were Kings about the rumble in the jungle and its very good indeed.
It all boils down to whether you like the sports involved or at least know the stars and want to find out about their careers.  I don't mind a bit of 70s and 80s football and recently re-watched I Believe In Miracles about Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest's rise from mid table second division side into League champions straight after promotion then on to win the European Cup twice    
Probably the greatest English football story there is. Being an Arsenal fan my teams great 1989 season league program was the subject of a documentary made by ex player Lee Dixon. 89 was a really enjoyable watch and took me back to great days.

[Arthur Pringle]

I don't really follow sport much but I do like 'Escape To Victory' if that counts as a football film ( it stars Pele, Ossie Ardiles & Bobby Moore amoung other footballers ) & 'Slapshot' about ice hockey. There's also a tv documentary I've watched many times on boxer Paul Sykes, 'Paul Sykes At Large', though it doesn't feature much boxing. Another BBC documentary on the Welsh boxer Johnny Owen, 'Johnny Owen The Long Way Home' is interesting, he was knocked out by his Mexican opponent Lupe Pintor & died as a result, the film follows his father travelling to Mexico to meet Pintor.

[Del Boy]

Some good stories to check out there.  
Escape to victory had those stars you mention and some contemporary stars who were div 1 footballers at the time.  Ipswich Towns Russell Osman was in it I think.

[Cartman]

John Wark, also of Ipswich, was in it too, also Kasiu Denya who played for Man City. My favourite football film is The Damned United about Brian Cloughs brief disastrous spell at Leeds united, Michael Sheen is excellent in it, as are Timothy Spall, as Peter Taylor and Jim Broadbent as Sam Long son who was Derby County's chairman when Clough left there.

I don't follow motor sport but I did like Rush, about Niki Lauda and James Hunt and the 1976 F1 championship

[Del Boy]

Two good shouts Carty. I've seen both of those and thought they were great.

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

I've seen When were Kings too, very interesting, and very much enjoyed Rush, which I saw at the cinema, and although not much of a football fan I also went to see The Damned United and thought it very well made too.

Another fact based motor racing film recently was Le Mans 66, with Matt Damon as racing car team boss and tuner Carroll Shelby which I enjoyed very much, and would recommend.

[Steve Austin]

"Sunderland 'Till I Die" on Netflix I found very entertaining.  Full disclosure; I am a Sunderland fan but this two series documentary shows how badly a Football Club can be run and how loyal fans can be, fans of TV shows too, for example I know that some members of this forum are fans of a certain retro police show and follow all aspects of it so maybe this may persuade one or two of you to give it a go, probably not 

[Sam Tyler]

Well to be different from all the previous replies; I don't like ball sports, don't like combat sports, and any films that attempt to recreate a true story with actors and overuse of CGI are a definite no-go for me.

As many are aware I am mad keen on motorsports whether two wheels or four and as such I will only watch documentaries or films with actual footage and genuine interviews with the riders, drivers, mechanics and family in question. So films like "Rush", "Le Mans '66", or the upcoming "Sheene" that is supposedly in the pipeline with their dramatized storylines and excessive CGI hold no interest for me. Those that I have watched, and been glued to from start to finish, include the following:

McLaren (2017)


Senna (2011)


When Playboys Ruled the World: James Hunt and Barry Sheene


Legacy: A Personal History of Barry Sheene (2007)


Champion Barry Sheene: Profile of a Legend (2019)
No clip available for this one.

The other I could watch over and again is the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone where there was an epic race between Barry Sheene (Suzuki), Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) and Wil Hartog (Suzuki).  All three were swapping places for the lead  but Sheene and Roberts eventually broke away from Hartog and fought it out to finish with the win for Kenny Roberts only a few feet ahead of Sheene.


There are of course other documentaries including the rallying Group B cars, the F1 documentary of "The Killing Years", and so on for various other two or four wheel sports but those above are the biggest and strongest contenders for me that have had me totally engrossed.

I have also been to an evening presentation at Brooklands Museum where Steve Parrish (Sheene's team-mate at Suzuki) gave a fantastic, and hilarious, insight into Barry Sheene and the antics they were able to get up to and get away with in the pre-social media society that exists today where riders or drivers have to toe the corporate line for continued fear of being taken to task.

Sam.

[Cartman]

Steve, talking about Sunderland, I remember a good documentary series about them in the late 90s, when they were moving away from Roker Park and Peter Reid was manager. Premier Passions I think it was called.