Introduction
Now why would we be covering this topic? Surely it couldn’t be because of the continued success of a certain little documentary on Disney+? Anyway, for as long as football has been going, it took a surprising amount of time for media companies to cotton onto how successful fly on the wall documentaries could be. Now, this list is by no means exhaustive so if your favourite documentary has been left off this list bear this in mind. And as evidenced by this list, Amazon Prime are the kings of football documentaries. But without further ado, let’s get into a brief history of football docs.
History
As mentioned in the introduction, Amazon Prime’s entry into fly on the wall football docs brought them truly into the mainstream. This was achieved by their All or Nothing documentary series which followed the likes of Juventus, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester City across a season and charted all the events in the changing room from the players’ perspectives. Later, a certain Hollywood takeover of Wrexham helped catapult them into the game of football documentaries because it’s a damn lucrative market which shows no signs of slowing down. Now with this out of the way, let’s get into our picks for some of the best football documentaries.
10. All Town Aren’t We? (Amazon Prime)
Whilst we all likely remember *THAT* Hollywood takeover in the National League a few years ago, we often forget what happened in that season. But Grimsby Town won’t. After a nightmarish start to the season in the National League following relegation, Grimsby have the impossible task of rebuilding their reputation and regaining their League status. And following an incredible season they face Ryan Reynolds and ROb McElhenny’s Wrexham in the playoffs. What follows is the perfect end to an incredibly underrated football doc which is definitely worth a watch. Unless you love Wrexham…
9. All or Nothing: Manchester City (Amazon Prime)
Before all the comments start going off, the numbers are purely for organisational purposes rather than the quality of each documentary. Either way, this All or Nothing is fascinating because of how it allows a brief insight into the tactical genius that is Pep Guardiola and the insane amount of pressure he faced to deliver success to a rich ass club. Whilst this Man City is far from the dominant Treble winners of 2022/23, it’s still fascinating to watch the evolution of City from a stagnant team into one of the most progressive and dominant outfits the Premier League has seen since the days of Fergie.
8. Arsene Wenger: Invincible (Amazon Prime)
Despite professional football having been around for centuries, the ultimate achievement for many managers is still the fabled Invincible season aka going the whole league season unbeaten. However, the last man to achieve this in England (in the Premier League) is Arsene Wenger which this documentary charts as well as how he revolutionised Arsenal and laid the foundations for a dynasty which he ran for decades. This documentary shows exactly why that Arsenal team is still revered today because despite drawing more than an artist on cocaine at times, the fact they’re only the second English team to ever do an Invincible season is remarkable. Although Preston North End may want a word about the Invincible title….. Another very worthwhile documentary for all the Spurs fans…..
7. Rooney (Amazon Prime)
This documentary is definitely a knockout. Just ask Phil Bardsley…. Anyway, this documentary naturally follows the career of one of England’s greatest ever players: Wayne Rooney. This includes his mental debut for Everton against Arsenal and his eventual transfer to Manchester United. However, it also does a great job touching on how this affected Rooney mentally, especially with how the entire country was praying for his fitness in 2006. A great portrait of one of the greatest players to ever be produced by England.
6. Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In (Amazon Prime)
Speaking of Wayne Rooney, we now come to his greatest ever manager at Manchester United: David Moyes. We’re kidding of course because it’s obviously about one of the greatest British managers ever: Sir Alex Ferguson. Told across his entire career to his son, this charts his greatest achievements (like the Treble United fans still go on about) to his terrifying recovery from a brain haemorrhage. There’s a reason why this documentary is so harrowing because it blends the highest of highs with the darkest and lowest of lows to damn near perfection. Essential viewing for any Man United fan.
5. Make Us Dream (Amazon Prime)
Well this has turned into a rather Scouse sandwich hasn’t it? From a Scouser who became a Man United hero to a Scouser who became a one club hero for Liverpool: Steven Gerrard. Do not underestimate how important he was as a representation of the dream of so many young Liverpudlian kids. This documentary covers his career and his ability to drag Liverpool through a tough spot again and again as well as the mental pressure this put on him to repay the fans in the stand where he once watched Liverpool play. Again, another powerful documentary which maybe goes under the radar a bit too much.
4. We Are Newcastle United (Amazon Prime)
By far the most recent of all the Amazon Prime football documentaries is We Are Newcastle United. This four part documentary follows Newcastle in the 2022/23 season in Eddie Howe’s first full season in charge at St James Park. It charts the ridiculous form which saw the Magpies qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, THAT game against Spurs and unfortunately the League Cup heartbreak against Manchester United. A fantastic look into the reawakening of the North East’s sleeping giant in the Cathedral on the Hill.
3. All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur (Amazon Prime)
Returning to the All or Nothing Series now with arguably the most memed documentary of the lot: All or Nothing Tottenham Hotspur. This documentary charts Spurs in the aftermath of losing the Champions League final, the subsequent sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and the arrival of Jose Mourinho. Now in terms of memeability, there’s the iconic scene of Jose switching off the TV in his office when there’s negative news about him, the iconic changing room rant when they play Man City, Heung Min-Son and Hugo Lloris nearly starting WW3 in the changing rooms and the entire shot of Eric Dier running to the toilet during a penalty shootout. Honestly, this is just the history of the Tottenham and it is remarkably funny to watch. Mostly because Spurs just keep delivering the silliness.
2. All or Nothing: Arsenal (Amazon Prime)
Rounding of our picks from the All or Nothing Collection on Amazon Prime is their most recent All or Nothing: Arsenal. Now for as many memes as their North London rivals spawned in their documentary, Arsenal did a good job themselves. Obviously, the iconic one was Arteta’s whiteboard drawings but don’t forget his team talk about Ivan Toney calling Arsenal a kick about in the park. That’s not even considering some of the very silly team drama and the laughably bad performances on the pitch from the players. Overall, a great look into Arteta’s Arsenal which will inevitably draw comparisons to Pep and City.
1. Welcome to Wrexham (Disney+)
And rounding out our list of the best football documentaries is Disney+’s smash hit: Welcome to Wrexham. Now whilst a lot of people might not be as enamoured by the Red Dragons success given the sheer amount of money thrown at the squad, as Everton have demonstrated you can have a lot of money but you have to utilise it well. And boy oh boy have Wrexham done that… As well as on pitch matters, the show also touches on owner gaffs, the Women’s team and the players’ lives off the pitch to help humanise them. Oh and the whole joke about Phil Parkinson being very passionate is a lovely touch. Honestly, if you only watch one documentary after this list let it be Welcome to Wrexham.
