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Football at the MoviesBest Films about Soccer, the Beautiful GameSoccer (or football as it is known in the UK) has attracted movie-makers since movies were first made. Here are seven of the best films about soccer and some of the worst
1. The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939). A classic Biritsh thriller of the era in which the centre-forward (or striker in today’s parlance) of an amateur team playing Arsenal is murdered. Strangely enough, one of the actors was called Tony Adams. He was not, of course the other Tony Adams who went on to captain the club to such great success in the period to 2002. 2. The Great Game (1930 and remade in 1952). A comedy drama with a classic British comedy cast including Thora Hird and John Laurie. The glamour is provided by Diana Dors. 3. Yesterday’s Hero (1979). Scripted by Jackie Collins, this film stars former British pop-idol and very good actor Adam Faith as the manager. The team? Leicester Forest, which is appears to have been named after one of the city’s motorway service stations. 4. Gregory’s Girl (1980). One of the best, this one was directed by Bill Forsyth and tells the tale of a besotted schoolboy (John Gordon Sinclair), the object of whose affections (Dee Hepburn) is the best footballer in the school, but female. A great film also notable for a rare movie appearance by Chic Murray, one of Scotland’s greatest-ever comedians. 5. Escape to Victory (1981). Quite possibly the biggest budget film about soccer, but not one of the best. With a plot based on ‘The Great Escape’, director John Huston made the mistake of casting Sylvester Stallone in the ‘Steve McQueen’ part. Stallone plays the lone American in a German prisoner of war camp otherwise home to captured British officers, one of whom is played by Michael Caine and who beings the footballing talent to the party. The game sequences include performances by a number of footballing greats including Pele and Bobby Moore. For the rest, you’ll just have to watch the movie! 6. Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001). Starring Ricky Tomlinson, this film posits the purely fictional idea that an inept club manager (in this case of Norwich City) could become the England manager by default when the other candidates are unable to take up the job, surely an impossible scenario. Not the subject of many rave reviews. 7. Bend it Like Beckham (2002). Another story about a girl, this time from the British Asian community, who would rather play football (in this case like her hero David Beckham) than conform to the cultural stereotypes expected of her. Also, like Gregory’s Girl, one of the best received films about football.
The copyright of the article Football at the Movies in Soccer is owned by Alistair McCulloch. Permission to republish Football at the Movies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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