40 Sports Documentaries You Need To Watch

40 Sports Documentaries You Need To Watch
Mark Farrelly
By Mark Farrelly
Share this article

If you're fed up of having to make conversation with your family and can't face into watching Home Alone for the fourth time in as many days, then why not hide yourself away and start into our incredibly long list of sports documentaries. There's enough to keep you going until at least the middle of March!

1. Sunderland 'Til I Die - The documentary on everbody's lips right now. If you haven't checked this out on Netflix yet it should be your first port of call.

2. Icarus - Another Netflix gem. Bryan Fogel started out with the intention of making a documentary about what would happen if he doped in cycling but it quickly transformed into something a lot more dramatic.

3. Take The Ball. Pass The Ball - A really good telling of Pep Guardiola's time as manager of Barcelona. It's available to rent or buy on Youtube, and it comes with our seal of approval.

4. Undefeated - If you like the tv show Friday Night Lights then you will love this. A real life version, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2012.

5. Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies - NBA fans love Christmas and in-between this year's live games you can still get your basketball fill with this great chronicling of the great rivalry between the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9PGLPLnhL8

Advertisement

6. Club for a fiver - If you think Sunderland was a basket case, get a load of this. You've probably already seen the clip of John Sitton's infamous dressing room rant but the whole doc is worth your time.

7. Early Innings - The story of America's smallest professional baseball team.

8. Keane and Vieira: The Best of Enemies - ITV's documentary about the intense rivalry between Arsenal and Man United, which was spearheaded by messrs Keane and Vieira.

Advertisement

9. CITY! - Long before their Amazon Prime doc, this 1981 documentary is based on Manchester City's time in crisis.

10. I beat Mike Tyson - The story of Monaghan boxer Kevin McBride beating former world champion Mike Tyson.

Advertisement

I BEAT MIKE TYSON - (FULL FILM) from Joshua Z Weinstein on Vimeo.

11. Marooned -  The story of Paidi O'Se and Westmeath winning the 2004 Leinster title.

12. Mourinho - An ITV production into the story behind Jose Mourinho and his unusual route to management. Could be argued he's also taking an unusual route out of it these days.

Advertisement

13. A Year til Sunday - The story of Galway's run to the All-Ireland final in 1998.

14. More Than A Game - The story of LeBron James and four of his teammates through their high school careers.

15. Fab Five - This ESPN 30 for 30 tells the story of the 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball team. Considered to be the "greatest class ever recruited".

Advertisement

16. Muhammed Ali - Then And Now. David Frost interviews Ali in 1974 and then again in 2004

17. Facing Federer - Tennis Masters Cup Uncovered - Fly on the wall documentary following Roger Federer at the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup.

Advertisement

18. Once Brothers - ESPN 30 for 30 story about two NBA players from the former Yugoslavia who were once friends but were driven apart from the Yugoslav wars.

Recommended

19. Five Ring Circus - This documentary reveals the dark side of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

20. Roll Tide War Eagle - A look at one of the biggest sports rivalries in America; Auburn vs Alabama (They're nuts).

21. Scott Hall: The Wrestler - Best know in the WWE as Razor Ramon, and in WCW as one part of the original NWO line-up Scott Hall's life has been troubled by drug and alcohol addiction. This short doc reveals a man who is a shell of his former self.

22. Big Blue Doc - This great documentary tells the story of handball on the street of New York City. A sport that is played by thousands across the city daily.

23. This Is What I Want - A new 30 for 30 which explores Jimmy Connors’ unlikely run in the 1991 US Open. They also ask why was it that he split opinion during his playing days.

24. The Big Shot - John Spano arrived as the knight in shining armour for the New York Islanders but he 'billionaire' story was nothing but a huge con. Entourage's Kevin Connelly directs this brilliant documentary.

25. Space Jam 30 for 30 - The greatest documentary ever made.

26. The Roper - The true story of Kendrick, a young calf roper we met in Louisiana who dreams of one day making it to the Las Vegas rodeo finals.

27. Didier Drogba and the Ivorian Civil War -  The chronicle of how Didier Drogba and his teammates player their part in halting the civil war in their homeland.

28. Football's Most Dangerous Rivalry - The rivalry between football clubs Rangers and Celtic goes past typical name calling and dives into violence, racial slurs and pure hatred.

29. Senna - The award winning documentary on one of motor racings most eccentric and bravest drivers.

30. Lance Armstrong - Road To Paris - Road to Paris is a 2001 documentary film showing the preparation of Lance Armstrong, then twice winner of Tour de France, and his team, US Postal Service Pro Cycling Team, for the 2001 Tour de France.

31. In My Book You Should Be Ahead - A 1975 documentary telling the story of the Shelbourne FC in the run up to the FAI cup final against Home Farm.

32. Blood On The Carpet - The Split In Darts. A good insight into the split between the BDO and the PDC and how it came about, it also looks at the attitudes of the people involved.

33. The Four Year Plan - This brilliant fly on the wall documentary tells the story of the QPR takeover and their ambitious plan to make the club a Premier League club within four years. Featuring plenty of obscure footballers and lots of manager sackings.

34. The Trillion Dollar Con Man -  BBC's Panorama track down the fraudster who stole a football club.

35. Murderball - This now famous documentary tells the story of wheelchair rugby and the passion that exists among those who play it. The storyline follows the rivalry between the United States and Canada overcoming unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

36. The Northernmost Point - The Northernmost Point follows the story of the most northerly game of Gaelic football ever played. The teams? The Oulu Irish Elks vs Helsinki Harps. The venue? Finland.

37. We Got Game: The Golden Age of Irish Basketball - Another Irish sports doc worth checking out, sends us back to the early 90s when basketball was at its heyday in Ireland.

38. The Fit Finlays - Long before Sheamus or Finn Balor there was another Irishman blazing a trail in the WWE. This brilliant doc is not so much a look at Fit Finlay's time in the WWE as it is a look at the brilliant world of Irish wrestling in the 1970s and 80s.

39. Every Heart Beats True - The Jim Stynes Story -  This is an emotional one. The story of Jim Stynes, his charity work and his battle with cancer, told through the eyes of himself and those nearest to him. It will make you laugh and cry; a must watch for anyone.

40. The Armstrong Lie - What happens when you set out to make a documentary about Lance Armstrong's cycling comeback only for him to admit to doping before you finish it. 'The Road Back' becomes 'The Armstrong Lie' and we've got a riveting watch on our hands.

Also Read: 12 Things You Must Avoid In A Sporting Handshake

Join The Monday Club Have a tip or something brilliant you wanted to share on? We're looking for loyal Balls readers free-to-join members club where top tipsters can win prizes and Balls merchandise

Processing your request...

You are now subscribed!

Share this article

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Developed by Square1 and powered by PublisherPlus.com

Advertisement