🔪💀 We braved the chills (and thrills) of a sudden death shootout and sat down to record a surprise Halloween episode! If Saw and Goal had a baby, it would be the monstrosity that is the creatively titled Kick - Sudden Death.----more---- Reach out on Instagram or Twitter @MatchdayMatinee to let us know what movies you want to see next and your thoug…

With Mean Machine's twenty-year anniversary quickly approaching, we thought it was finally time to review this Vinnie Jones vehicle and see if it holds up to today's standards or if it should go straight to movie jail. We're joined by friend of the show and soccer exec Chris Keem to discuss his favourite footy film! Thrown in jail after assaulting …

BBC's Marvellous tells the true story of Neil Baldwin – well-loved Stoke City kit man, registered circus clown and perennial Neil Baldwin FC football of the year. Full of happiness, optimism and a belief in the kindness of strangers, this film is a gem worth discovering. If you're into that kind of stuff. "I met a lot of people in my life, and I'm …

If we're going to have to watch awful footy movies on the Matinee, we might as well head straight to the bottom. In our quest to award a wooden spoon, we called enigmatic friend of the show and tableware expert CPL Wooden Spoon to give his recommendation and join us in reviewing the legendary four-legged footy flick, Soccer Dog: The Movie. Turns ou…

Directed by Carlos Cuarón and produced by a trio of Mexico's greatest filmmakers, Rudo y Cursi is bursting with talent. Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal star as two brothers who deal with fame in very different ways as they go from banana plantation workers to Mexican fútbol stars. We're joined by DIEZ Football's Carlos Benites to review one of ou…

Football's coming home and Martin wants to be there to greet it. 🏴 A romantic comedy set during the 1996 Euros, My Summer with Des was an utter disappointment but it did give Mark and Adam a chance to reminisce on the England-favourite edition of the tournament, Gazza and memories of other Euros gone by. 🚧 We had a few technical difficulties on thi…

Adrift in life after destroying his own marriage and family relationships, a car crash leads Eric Bishop on a series of events that unite him with his idol and Manchester United legend, 👑 Eric Cantona. Mark and Adam are joined by guest Mark AKA Basement Shaxx to review this 2009 English film from director Ken Loach!----more---- Show Notes: (0:00:00…

Season three kicks off with a look at one of modern soccer's tragic figures–the Divine Ponytail, Roberto Baggio. Flashes of brilliance are too few and far between as this Netflix Original leans heavily into the lowest point of Baggio's career at the 1994 🇺🇸 World Cup.----more---- Show Notes: 0:00:00 Start 0:01:05 What Are You Wearing? 0:04:25 Trend…

We're in peak silly season with this one! Before we add another 12 films to our roster, we're looking back at the movies we've already watched to start creating our all-time ranking of football films.----more---- (0:00:00​) Welcome to the list! (0:03:35​) 24-20 Rankings (0:06:32)​ 19-15 Rankings (0:12:23​) 14-10 Rankings (0:21:58​) 9-6 Rankings (0:…

After another round of football films on the matinee, we're returning to the red carpet with the Keepie Uppies–celebrating our favourite performances, oddities, and moments of Matchday Matinee season two. ----more---- The Keepie Uppies Awards Show II Categories (00:30) Funniest Character Award(03:30) Best Cameo Award (06:15) Weirdest Soccer Move Aw…

Liverpool have made it to the biggest fixture on the 2005 European calendar and one way or another, Tommy and Gerry are going to be there to watch Gerrard and co. lift the Champions League trophy! We're capping off our second season with a review of English road adventure One Night in Istanbul—a film that's a bit middle of that road but still pays …

It's another Manchester week as the Matinee reviews United–an excellent depiction of the Busby Babes and the 1958 Munich air disaster that shook a nation and came to define Manchester United. Starring Jack O'Connell as club legend Bobby Charlton, this 2011 BBC film is sure to please anyone looking for a historical look at the club that eventually b…

A war-time love story set against the backdrop of World War II, The Keeper is the story of Bert Trautmann–the former-Nazi turned Manchester City legend who is still revered to this day. Though this is the second WWII POW Camp movie we've covered on the Matinee (we escaped to Victory back in season one), these films couldn't have been more different…

Funny, frightening and just a little bit disgusting, Goal of the Dead is a French zom-com footy film that impressed us far more than we expected. Uniquely split between two directors, this 2014 horror genre mash-up tells the tale of a Parisian superstar returning to his hometown for a match in the twilight of his carer–But he'll have to contend wit…

We're back with the first Indian football film on the Matinee! Featuring Hindi film star Kay Kay Menon, Penalty had us anticipating a South Asian spin on Goal! but knocked it off the post instead. Lukram dreams of playing for the Indian national team, leaving his home of Manipur to head for new opportunities in Lucknow. However, ambition is not eno…

We're heading back to middle school with All the Freckles in the World–A coming-of-age comedy about a new kid in town's quest to win the heart of his dream girl by capturing the top prize at the academy's mini-World Cup. Set against the return of Mexico to the World Cup in 1994, Director Yibrán Asuad's film is a fun watch that we wished offered a b…

"Brimming with style, lacking in substance." It's a phrase that describes not only the mid-2000s Galacticos but also the star-studded film featuring the historic Spanish club. The Matchday Matinee crew had high hopes for the return of Santiago Muñez but were ultimately left disappointed by the sequel to the original hit film. After an embarrassing …

This week we're tackling a rough soccer mockumentary funded by a quaint seaside English town to boost tourism–It's small-scale propaganda that would make United Passions proud. In My English Soccer Adventure, USWNT star Keeley Jones heads to Newhaven FC for an odd footy-exchange program that pairs her with a U10 manager that's more Cretin than Clou…

In the first film from the beloved anime series, Captain Tsubasa steps beyond the competition of middle school to challenge new foes–an All-Europe dream team that plans to decimate the Japanese Youth squad by at least 20 goals! ✌ Join us as we talk about the impact of Tsubasa on Japanese football and the legacy of the series that continues to this …

On the Matinee this week we're discussing Denmark's journey to be crowned European Champions in Summer of '92–a film that's as unexpectedly great as their title win was. Filled with an excellent cast portraying the now-famous Danish squad and phenomenal football scenes that are some of the best we've seen, find out why we think Summer of '92 is a m…

This week on the Matinee we're talking Shaolin Soccer! Seeking revenge against the corrupt football star that had him crippled, Golden Leg enlists the help of Mighty Steel Leg and his Shaolin brothers to win the national cup competition and its million-dollar prize. Stephen Chow directs, writes and stars in this early-2000s cult-classic that kung-f…

After a lifetime of being told there are more important things to worry about than football, average bloke Jimmy Muir navigates a rough South Yorkshire life to get a shot at playing for Sheffield United. Starring real-life Blades supporter (and it turns out, a relative of the show) Sean Bean, When Saturday Comes kicks off our second season of the M…

Join us as we make our picks for the sophomore season of Matchday Matinee! With a full bench of choices, Mark, Raghav and Adam are selecting four football films each to round out season two's roster and build some anticipation for upcoming weekly fixtures. ----more---- Quick Note: This episode was filmed earlier this summer so yes–Manchester United…

Introducing the first-ever Keepie Uppies, our post-season awards show! We'll be digging through all twelve movies from our first season to celebrate the victorious and the incredulous (we're looking at you, United Passions). Join us for a fun hour of reminiscing and let us know what you thought or if we missed any deserved winners. ----more---- The…

In our season finale, the Matchday Matinee crew take on their most anticipated film yet–Goal! Danny Canon's 2005 hit stars Kuno Becker as Santiago Munez, a Mexican immigrant from LA who is handed the opportunity of a lifetime when he is given a trial with Newcastle United. ----more---- Show Notes: Film Introduction (03:39) Discussion (05:24) Footy …

Football fever knows no bounds or borders–even for a pair of Tibetan Monks living in a remote monastery during the France World Cup. This week on Matchday Matinee we're taking a look at the 1999 Tibetan-language film The Cup from Director and Lama Khyentse Norbu. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! The Cup (ཕོར་པ།) on IMDB Where …

This week on the matinee we're making the escape to Victory, the enthralling 1981 feature starring Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone leading a team of Allied prisoners in a football match against Nazi Germany. With a supporting cast of well-known footballers including legends Pelé and Bobby Moore, this war film promises great action both off and…

After disgrace on the international stage at the World Cup, Portuguese superstar Diamantino embarks on a journey through cloning plots, government conspiracies and neo-fascism in this acclaimed 2018 feature. Join us as we attempt to navigate our own way into this unbelievable genre-bending film. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee…

If you only know FIFA as the foul organization that rules world football with a corrupt fist, this obviously slanted propaganda film starring a slew of phenomenal actors in poor performances won't change your mind. Join us as we tough our way through the 100-year history of FIFA in United Passions!----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatin…

All Jesminder Bhamra wants to do is play football but her traditional Sikh family wants her to focus more on chapatis and less on the pitch. This week we're reviewing the 2002 fan-favourite footy flick, Bend It Like Beckham!----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! Bend It Like Beckham on IMDB Where to find our Show Hosts: Raghav Sandh…

Set against the backdrop of West Ham United’s final match at the historic Boleyn Ground, Final Score is 2018 action-thriller that stars Dave Bautista as Michael Knox, a former American soldier who is forced to tackle the only thing he hates more than soccer: Russian terrorists. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! Final Score on I…

Before he owned a successful MLS club, Will Ferrell starred as Kicking & Screaming's Phil Weston–an underdog determined to beat his competitive father at his own game by taking the reigns of his kid's soccer team. We looked at the violent world of Italian ultras, now let's dive into the vicious circle youth soccer parents.--- Send in a voice messag…

Discover the heroic origins of Pelé and the mystical side of Ginga as we tune into this week's footy film, Pelé: Birth of a Legend. This 2016 biopic follows the rise of Edson Arantes do Nascimento into the one-named wonder we know him as today and the journey to his first FIFA World Cup. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! Pelé: …

In the world of Ultras, Sandro is a Napoli supporter who must decide if he wants to continue his reckless lifestyle or find meaning beyond football. Join us as we take a look at this recent release from debut director Francesco Lettieri. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! Ultras on IMDB Where to find our Show Hosts: Raghav Sandh…

This week we're reviewing the cult classic Mike Bassett: England Manager, a 2001 mockumentary that follows a bumbling lower-leagues manager as he's called upon to bring a desperate national team to the World Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, England will be playing Four-Four-bleeping Two. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! Mike Bassett…

In Matchday Matinee's debut episode we're diving into The Damned United, a 2009 film that chronicles the career of Brian Clough and his controversial rise to manager of English side Leeds United. ----more---- Follow us on Twitter at @MatchdayMatinee! The Damned United on IMDB Where to find our Show Hosts: Raghav Sandhu: @RaghavSandhu Adam Ducker: @…