BT Sport Films presents a look back to the hard playing mentality of sport in the 70’s and 80’s and compares it to the sanitized culture we have today in a new documentary entitled ‘Winning Ugly’.
Presented by former England hooker and renowned rugby commentator Brian Moore, ‘Winning Ugly’ goes back in time to investigate the shift in culture and mentality within British sport.
The hour-long programme is the latest of the new sports channel’s documentary strand ‘BT Sport Films’, which aims to offer a fresh insight as well as a different perspective into why sport matters to elite sportsmen, sportswomen and fans alike.
During the film, Moore aims to find out what defined the amateur era and the attitudes that prevailed, who and what were the influences involved in that change, to what extent professionalism changed the essence and nature of sport and how accurate is the definition of professionalism?
The first part of the film reminds viewers just how different things used to be in ‘the good old days’, using archive footage and stories from a very different era.
Thoughout the 70’s and 80’s, rugby and football pitches were dominated by an ‘anything goes’ culture of hard tackles and even harder drinking as ‘fat boy’ forwards and ‘bite yer ankles’ midfielders ruled the land.
As part of the documentary’s all-star line-up of interviewees, Moore speaks to former team-mates Gareth Chilcott, Wade Dooley and Paul Rendell to look back on rugby’s amateur days.
The narrative broadens to look at football during the same era. The game may have been professional in name yet was dominated by the same amateur approach.
Moore talks to the likes of Dennis Wise, Terry Hurlock and Ray Parlour to understand the ignorance and resistance towards new methods and ideas.
Moving forward in time the film then identifies the tipping point for football and rugby when professionalism was truly accepted and embraced.
As well as hearing from key rugby figures involved in the change such as Geoff Cooke, Will Carling and Tom McNabb, Moore will also meet Arsene Wenger and Roberto Martinez from the world of football to talk about the influence of foreign players and coaches as part of the evolutionary process.
The film questions how much of the shift was down to market forces, money, commercialism etc and how much was down to a new mentality, and also compares this definition of professionalism with that which pervades in successful amateur sports such as cycling and rowing.
Olympic heroes Sir Dave Brailsford and Sir Steve Redgrave also speak to Moore to define professionalism as an ideology beyond the realms of financial reward.
The film ends in present day with Moore asking how football and rugby have evolved and touching on the anti-intellectualism that still holds football back by talking to Sam Allardyce about the resistance to modern methods that still exists.
This is then compareed to rugby and the film asks how much progress has been made and how much the nature of professionals has really changed.
‘Winning Ugly’ is the latest documentary from BT Sport Films which sets out to tell the stories behind sport, its personalities and that issues that fascinate sports fans.
Each one-hour documentary will look at the back stories behind some of the sports that fans love to watch and the human challenges and achievements involved.
Writing for the BT Sport website, series producer Adam Darke said: “BT Sport Films is such an exciting venture for me because it gives me a chance to tell the kind of sports stories that I’ve always been fascinated by.
“The aim is to produce insightful, thoughtful, beautiful films that offer a unique window into the world of sport at all levels.
“The breadth and diversity of the subjects is vitally important to us and I believe our first batch of documentaries demonstrate just that.”
Speaking about the ‘Winning Ugly’ documentary, Darke said: “It’s a very light hearted look back to the “good old days” of sport and the key moments in the transformation into what we see today.
“Dear old Brian does hear a few home truths along the way as former fitness coach Tom McNabb nails him with the inspired, “You did for fitness what Quasimodo did for coat hangers”. There could be no riposte.”
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‘BT Sport Films: Winning Ugly’ premieres on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1 HD on Saturday, August 31, at 3.00pm.
The documentary will be broadcast straight after the conclusion of BT Sport’s exclusive live coverage of the Barclays Premier League clash between Manchester City and Hull City at the Etihad Stadium.
Further repeats are scheduled throughout the week following week:
Tuesday 3rd September: 7.30pm & 11.30pm, BT Sport 1
Wednesday 4th September: 9.30am & 4.30pm, BT Sport 1
Sunday 8th September: 10.30pm, BT Sport 2
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Here’s a teaser of some of the bombshells about sport’s past revealed by key players in the documentary:
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“Perhaps sport would have been different if we knew then what we know now. But I wouldn’t change it and I wonder if by going so professional we’ve lost a bit of the old magic.”
“(In the 1980s) Rugby could excuse itself to some degree, it was and always had been an amateur game. So a different set of rules were applied. Or at least that is how the England rugby players saw it then.”
BRIAN MOORE – Former England hooker / TV commentator
“I’m glad I played when I did. Our life was wonderful. The other side is, if I only I had had all what players have nowadays – how much better would I have been.”
“I was intrigued by all the staff and support and performing the basics (during his time with the Tampa Bay Bunnaneers). I decided that it was going to be my time to introduce that into football if I became a manager.”
SAM ALLARDYCE – West Ham United manager
“I think on balance we’ve gained a better game, probably to play and better to watch than it was. If I get the old videos out, its awful really”
GEOFF COOKE – Former England rugby union manager
“The game has moved on and a lot of things have been for the good of the game. But the game nowadays is devoid of a Nobby Stiles character.”
MICK HARFORD – Millwall assistant manager
“The British culture was different (in the 1980s). Preparation of the players was putting the British player in an inferior position.”
“It’s a completely different sport now. We assess every step and control everything that goes into players’ body. The game has evolved and changed massively.”
ROBERTO MARTINEZ – Everton manager
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