1. The Damned United (2009)

Brian Clough, considered to be one of England’s greatest football managers, has always been a controversial figure. In 1974, he took over as the manager at Leeds United and ruffled the feathers of fans and players alike. He lasted 44 days in the job. This film by Tom Hooper recounts those 44 days in detail.

2. Escape to Victory (1981)

Let’s stick with football for our second entry, the classic Escape to Victory.

As allied P.O.W.s prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers make plans for the team's escape.

The film stars Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine but it’s the inclusion of legendary footballers such as Pele, Booby Moore and Ossie Ardiles that elevate this film to the realms of classic.

3.The Longest Yard (1974)

Let’s move to football of the American variety now.

A sadistic warden asks former pro-quarterback, Paul Crewe (Burt Reynolds), now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on the guards. The film follows Crewe’s attempts to whip a rag-tag bunch of inmates into shape for the big game. It’s unsure whether sport analytics could’ve helped him in this endeavour.

The film has been remade twice. Once starring Adam Sandler (avoid) and once starring English footballer Vinnie Jones in the lead role. The British film transfers the action to the soccer field and is renamed The Mean Machine and is actually quite good too.

4. Moneyball (2011)

Yeah, we know that you’ve probably already seen this one but we can’t leave it out!

The story of Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players is a classic that needs no introduction.

5. Slap Shot (1977)

Time for Paul Newman’s cult-classic ice-hockey film.

Set in the world of minor-league hockey, the movie follows the efforts of player-coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) to turn around the Charlestown Chiefs' final, losing season in a dying Pennsylvania steel town.

Gritty with some moments of violence interspersed with humour, if you haven’t seen this, check it out!

6. Hoosiers (1986)

Here’s a classic basketball film for you. Hoosiers (sometimes known as Best Shot) is based on the true story of the 1954 Indiana State champs, Milan Indians and chronicles the attempts of a coach with a spotty past, and the town's basketball-loving drunk to lead their high school team to victory.

A heart-warming film.

7. Diego Maradona (2019)

A beautiful and powerful documentary of one of the greatest players football has ever seen. This shows the meteoric rise and success of Diego Armando Maradona with Argentina at the 1986 World Cup and at club level with Italian team Napoli in 1987.

But what goes up, must come down. The film goes on to document Maradona’s descent into drugs and alcohol.

A must see for football fans or anyone who likes a good story.

8. Caddyshack (1980)

There’s something about golf that lends itself to comedy. Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore are great examples of this.

They’re both worth watching but we’ll go with the zany Caddyshack where an exclusive golf course has to deal with a brash new member and a destructive dancing gopher.

9. Champions (Campeones) (2018)

We’re all aware of the story. A coach whips a bunch of seeming hopeless players into a winning team. We can see the same premise in many of the films above like The Longest Yard.

But none have done it in such as hilarious fashion as this Spanish film in which a basketball coach sentenced to community service is forced to work with a team of mentally disabled players.

Free from the sentimentally or political correctness of a Hollywood production, this is nevertheless a heart warmer for the ages.

10. Invictus (2009)

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

There’s not many films about rugby, and strictly speaking this is more about Mandela and the South African regime, but this is a beautiful film filled with fantastic performances. Enjoy!

Honourable Mentions

What? Still not enough sports action for you? Well, how about the Rocky saga. There’s 6 films plus the Creed spin-offs. More than enough to keep you going for a while.

Want more documentaries? For football fans, we recommend Zidane: A 21^st Century Portrait a beautiful film that follows one of the world’s greatest players over the course of one match, both on and off the ball. Fascinating!

Want a laugh? We’d recommend the basketball film White Men Can’t Jump. The hilarious story of two basketball hustlers in ‘90s America.

What’s Your Favourite?

So, there you have some of Nacsport’s favourite sports movies. Some classics, some cult favourites, but all worth your time. If we’ve missed any of your favourites out, let us know on Facebook or Twitter, maybe we’ll include them in a future post.

But for now, happy watching!