Sporting Witness Podcast
Eye-witness accounts from sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped sport through the eyes of the people who were there.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
Episodes to download
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First international for Netherlands women's football
Yesterday
Dutch footballer Ellen Popeyus was 16 when she played for her country in the first match
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The football fans who built their own stadium
Last Saturday
When Union Berlin had financial problems, their fans volunteered to renovate the stadium
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Brojen Das: Bangladesh's Channel swimming champ
Sat 26 Oct 2024
In 1961, Brojen Das broke the world record for swimming from France to England
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Agnes Keleti: The world's oldest living Olympian
Sat 19 Oct 2024
Hungarian Agnes Keleti is the world's oldest living Olympian at 103
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The drone that started a riot
Sat 12 Oct 2024
How a politically charged match between Serbia and Albania descended into violent chaos
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The first African Cup of Champions
Sat 5 Oct 2024
In 1964, the first ever African Cup of Champions took place in Ghana
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Brian McKechnie: New Zealand's double international sportsman
Sat 28 Sep 2024
Brian McKechnie has been in New Zealand teams for both international rugby and cricket
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The Iron Ladies
Sat 21 Sep 2024
How a Thai men’s volleyball team made up of gay and trans athletes won a championship
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Formula E: The world’s first electric car championship
Sat 14 Sep 2024
Nelson Piquet Jr competed in the first Formula E race in 2014, featuring 20 electric cars
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The invention of Padel
Sat 7 Sep 2024
In 1969, Enrique and Viviana Corcuera created Padel while on holiday
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The Gambia's first Paralympic Games
Sat 31 Aug 2024
In 2012, The Gambia made their first appearance at the Paralympic Games
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Winning gold at the first Paralympics
Sat 24 Aug 2024
In 1960, the first Paralympic Games took place
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The most successful Paralympian in history
Sat 17 Aug 2024
Trischa Zorn-Hudson has won 55 Paralympic medals
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Winning Olympic gold in a borrowed boat
Sat 10 Aug 2024
How Denmark's 49er sailing team won gold by borrowing the Croatian team's boat
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Greek sprinters scandal at the Athens Olympics
Sat 27 Jul 2024
In 2004, a doping scandal broke involving two of the host nation's biggest stars
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Cyprus's first Olympic medal
Sat 20 Jul 2024
How a young sailor from Cyprus achieved success in the 2012 Olympics
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Conchita Martinez: The woman who stopped Navratilova
Sat 13 Jul 2024
In 1994, the 22-year-old Spanish tennis star won Wimbledon
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The murder of Andres Escobar
Sat 6 Jul 2024
In 1994, the footballer was shot dead following Colombia's exit from the World Cup
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The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis
Sat 29 Jun 2024
Liesl Herbst and her daughter Dorli played together at Wimbledon after World War Two
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Muhammad Ali started MMA
Sat 22 Jun 2024
Muhammad Ali’s controversial fight against professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976
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The last great days of the Soviet Union
Sat 15 Jun 2024
In 1988, the Soviet Union made it to the final of Euro '88
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The forgotten Women's World Cup
Sat 8 Jun 2024
In 1971, an unofficial Women's World Cup took place in Mexico
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John Aldridge’s touchline temper at USA '94
Sat 1 Jun 2024
In 1994, tempers flared in a football World Cup match between Ireland and Mexico
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Manchester United's record-breaking treble
Sat 25 May 2024
How Manchester United became the first team to win the treble
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The fatal crash of Ayrton Senna
Sat 18 May 2024
In 1994, three time Formula One champion Ayrton Senna died in a crash
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Ghana's 'Baby Jet'
Sat 11 May 2024
Ghanaian Alice Annum tells the story of how she became known as 'Baby Jet'
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The first Venice Cup
Sat 4 May 2024
In 1974, an international female bridge competition was launched in Italy
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Scouting Liverpool's greatest generation
Sat 27 Apr 2024
In 1967, Geoff Twentyman joined Liverpool as a chief scout
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Alex Higgins: The rock star snooker legend
Sat 20 Apr 2024
How Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins brought new audiences to snooker with his playboy lifestyle