• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Site News / Featured / London on Film: Top Five London Based Sports Films

London on Film: Top Five London Based Sports Films

Aug 25, 2016 By John Rabon

Sports are one of the most important parts of London city life, whether football, cricket, tennis, rugby, the London Marathon, and more.  The city is home to thirteen football clubs, Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon, and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.  London even has American Football teams such as the London Blitz and the London Cobras.  For decades, studios have been bringing sports tales from the pitch to the screen.  These films range from heartwarming comedies to real life dramas, but all made London a central part of their identities as much as their locations.  Enjoy a look at these five London sports films and let us know your favourites in the comments.

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery

gun__1360313720_arsenal_stadium_mystery

The 1939 film revolves around a murder that takes place on the pitch in a fictional match between London Arsenal and the Trojans.  Arsenal Stadium features heavily as a film location, and the movie also gets Arsenal manager George Allison and most of the club to play themselves, though Allison is the only member of the organisation with a speaking role.  With football suspended during World War II, the film comes at a time when Arsenal was riding a wave of success.  Even though the team aren’t the primary characters, the club’s presence in the film is undeniably a central element.

Run Fatboy Run

run-fatboy-run

With the Nike River Marathon as a key plot element (an expy of the London Marathon), this 2007 film stars Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, and Hank Azaria.  When Dennis Doyle (Pegg) leaves a pregnant Libby (Newton) at the altar, he has to compete in the marathon years later to show that he can commit and show-up her new boyfriend Whit (Azaria).  While presented as a romantic comedy, the film’s theme really becomes about endurance and dedication as an injured Dennis continues in the race to its happy conclusion.

Fever Pitch

fever-pitch

Another Arsenal-related film, 1997’s Fever Pitch is based on Nick Hornby’s semi-autographical book of the same name.  The story sees Colin Firth as Paul Ashworth, a school teacher with a serious love for London Arsenal.  The film revolves both around Paul’s love life and how his fandom affects his relationship with Sarah Hughes (Ruth Gemmell) during the club’s 1988-1989 championship season.  As with The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, portions of the movie were filmed at Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, but since the terraces had been replaced during renovations in the early 90s, those scenes were filmed at Fulham instead.

Wimbledon

can-t-get-enough-of-vision-5-more-paul-bettany-films-to-watch-391877

2004’s Wimbledon sees Paul Bettany playing aging tennis pro Peter Colt, who manages to snag a wild card spot for that year’s tournament, though he’s getting smart enough to realise that he can no longer compete at the same level against younger players.  By chance, he happens to bump into one of them, American player Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) and the two end up falling in love.  However, sport gets in the way as Lizzie’s father and manager is concerned the relationship will affect her game and tries to break them up.  Ultimately, the two find out that their strength is together and their individual games only suffer when there’s tension between them.

Bend It Like Beckham

bendhed

As much a movie about being an outsider as it is about women’s football, the 2002 film was a major success for director Gurinder Chadra and stars Parminder Nagra, Kiera Knightly, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  When Jesminder “Jess” Bharma (Nagra) encounters Jules (Knightly) and other girls playing football in the park, she seizes on her dream to play for a real club and joins them.  Throughout the movie, Jess has to deal with her parents’ disapproval, casual and overt racism, and her own self-doubt against the backdrop of the team’s matches and a burgeoning relationship with club manager Joe (Rhys Meyers).  The city and its attitudes over different times to immigrants and female athletes are on display here as are the contrasts between generations.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, Movies

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Ten Interesting Military Monuments in London
  • Museum launches campaign to acquire Florence Nightingale’s customized wheelchair
  • V&A set to open first major UK exhibition on Renaissance sculptor Donatello
  • Ten National Trust Properties in London
  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in