ReviewThis 13-part documentary comes on seven discs, and is just about the most comprehensive history of the world;s greatest game that could ever be imagined. We;re being serious. Disc One is called Origins and Football Cultures and looks at the early (and we mean early) history of the game, as well as examining the role of football in cultures as varied as Spain, the USA and Ghana. The informative yet entertaining tone of the series is established here, with Terence Stamp making his presence felt as the narrator and interviews coming from both historians and past and present footballers. Disc Two regales you with two hoursworth of delving into the history of European football, in the shape of Evolution of the European Game and European Superpowers. Interviewees include Bobby Charlton, Phil Neal, Zinedine Zidane and a whole host of other football high rollers, and there's so much archive footage it?s actually scary. Disc Three is called Brazil and The South American Superpowers, and does exactly what it says on the, er, box. Lots of footage of lithe, healthy-looking individuals fooling the opposition with their ball skills, lots of interviews with the likes of Pele, Ronaldo and Socrates. The emphasis changes slightly for Club and Country and The Dark Side, the two documentaries on Disc Four. They look at the more serious side of the game -- examining first the development of the likes of Manchester United into a global colossus, and then tragedies such as the Munich air crash and Hillsborough. If you?re still in the mood by Disc Five, the next topics for discussion are the world?s best players in Superstars and their relationship with their adoring public in The Media. Perhaps the most engaging of all the discs, number five provides a fascinating look at the way football has influenced wider culture and vice-versa. Last up are Africa, A Game for All and The Future, which look at the development of the game as a global phenomenon from Africa to Japan, as well as the increasingly important role of big business. All in all, then, a staggering collection of fascinating football documentaries, made all the more better by the generous extras.
Subtitles sendspaceThe non-English portions are undubbed. Subtitles are available for these parts only (and for some reason the interview with Jimmy Johnstone).
Technical SpecsVideo Codec: xvid
Video Bitrate: ~1660 kbps (1200 kbps for extras)
Video Resolution: 640 � 352
Video Aspect Ratio: 1:1.82 (~16:9)
Audio Codec: mp3
Audio BitRate: 192 kbps @ 48 kHz
Audio Channels: 2
RunTime Per Part: ~52:20
Number Of Parts: 13
Part Size: ~700 Mib
Ripped by bongomaniac
Part 1: Origins mininovaFrom the ancient games and rituals that predate football by thousands of years, to the playing fields of Victorian Britain, this programme explores the bloody and very often fatal origins of a sport that became a global obsession.
Part 2: Football Cultures mininovaReligion in Iran. Economics in the USA. Politics in Spain and Ghana. This programme follows football's role within international cultures.
Part 3: Evolution of the European Game mininova This episode charts the major trends that helped shape the development of European football into the game it is today from early English and Scottish pioneers to the unbeatable Italians of the 1930s, and the all-conquering Hungarians of the early 1950s.
Part 4: European Superpowers mininovaReal Madrid in the 1950s, the Dutch and Germans of the 1970s, Liverpool in the 1980s, and Milan and the French national teams of the 1990s - all teams that have changed football history. This programme charts the fluctuating balance of power between Northern and Southern Europe.
Part 5: Brazil mininovaThis programme explores Brazil's dominance as a footballing nation in the global game, as well as the more violent and racist side of Brazilian football.
Part 6: South American Superpowers mininovaSouth American countries have won eight World Cups and this programme focuses on how teams from there have changed the course of football history, from the dominance of the River Plate countries of Argentina and Uruguay in the early years, to the emergence of Columbia in the 1990s.
Part 7: For Club and Country mininovaThis programme charts the trials and tribulations of French football, how it developed over the years and how winning France '98 and Euro 2000 has helped the country to find its own footballing culture.
Also examined is the evolution of Juventus into one of the world's superclubs. Dwight Yorke talks about balancing the requirements of Manchester United with Trinidad, and Alex Ferguson discusses the changes he's seen at Manchester United. the first billion pound club.
Part 8: The Dark Side mininovaThis episode draws together events and stories that have made headline news. Tragedies that have brought communities together; a war sparked by a match, and hooliganism that has threatened the very existence of the game.
Part 9: Superstars mininovaFrom Billy Meredith and Mattias Sindelar, to Pel�, Alfredo di Stefano, Garrincha, Maradona and Zidane, this programme looks at the careers of players who have risen above the rest and left their indelible and lasting mark on the history of football.
Part 10: The Media mininovaFirst newspaper reports of football relied on pigeon-post delivering updates from the football ground to newspaper offices. By the 1990s television was fuelling the growing wealth of the game and this programme looks at how the media's role has changed over the past century.
Part 11: Africa mininovaPel� had said that an African country would win a World Cup by the turn of the 21st century. From colonial intervention, poverty and segregation, to independence and dictatorship, this programme measures Africa's huge potential against its continued failure to succeed at international level.
Part 12: A Game For All mininovaAway from the stadiums, players and fans, this episode follows the battle for the soul of football as it becomes an increasingly global game. It also focuses on the history of FIFA and other powerbrokers that influence the spread of the game culturally as well as commercially.
Part 13: Futures mininovaThis programme looks to the past to learn the lessons that will help shape the future of football as well as examining the recent growth of the game in Asia.
Extras: sendspace
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