Football's Hidden Story

An inspirational 26-episode documentary-style program, which captures extraordinary stories from around the world of people whose lives have been positively impacted by the game of soccer. From helping sufferers of schizophrenia rehabilitate in Italy to taking orphans off the streets and getting them into schools and onto soccer fields in Nepal, Football's Hidden Story reveals true stories of lives changed and inspired by soccer.

Episode 5: A Life without Limits: Amputee Football
Amputee football transforms players from marginalised figures into examples of courage and determination. We relate the rapid emergence of the game in Liberia as a case study of Africa as a whole. An interview with Robert Karloh, President of the African Amputee Association, to explain the importance of the game, not just for the players but for the community as a whole. Then we focus on Liberian International Dennis Parker's turbulent life and see how football transformed his life from misery into a positive example to others. Players may have lost limbs through very different and terrible situations, but football offers them all the same thing: a chance for glory in The Amputee World Finals.

Episode 4: The Colombianitos: Football Fighting Violence
Colombia’s passion for football is being used to keep children in school and out of the clutches of street gangs, prostitution rings, Marxist guerrillas and drug cartels. 'Goals for a better life' is a programme run by the charity 'Colombianitos' which means 'Little Colombians'. Colombianitos now have programmes in five different parts of the Colombia helping some 2,500 children who live in dangerous and desperately poor areas. Now entering its 43rd year of civil war, Colombia finds its youth buffeted on all sides by crime and conflict. Colombianitos do not hand out money. They provide football trainers, balls and some kit. However to be part of the programme the kids have to be in school and studying hard. The Colombianitos programme keeps the kids busy in their free time and keep them off drugs. Behind the scenes a psychologist and a social worker identify vulnerable children and work with the families to keep them in school and to deal with the pressures of coping in one of the world’s most violent societies.

Episode 3: The Future is Feminine
A look at the women's game in China and in England, the country where the modern game of Association Football began. The Premier League is the most watched and wealthy league in all the world and England is in the top strata of football nations so the interest in the game is enormous. England men are ranked No.12 in the world. In China, on the other hand, football is popular and has big audiences on TV but comes second to basketball in terms of interest and the men's team is ranked only No.85 in the world. The Chinese women have been very successful internationally in the past, reaching all four of the previous FIFA World Cup Finals and coming runners-up to the USA in 1999. China is No.11 in the women's world ranking. England come below them at No.12 but, until now, the women's game has attracted little interest in England. But that is changing and more and more girls want to play football and England reached the FIFA Women's World Cup Final for only the second time.

Episode 2: Women Referees: A Hard Job Made Harder
Finding out about the life and experiences of a female Moslem referee, Fatou Gaye, who has travelled across the world from impoverished Senegal to be a part of the elite group of women referees who officiate at international matches and is now training referees herself.

Episode 1: A New Dawn: The Rebirth of a Troubled Nation
In 1974 Haiti won a place at the World Cup Finals in Germany. Thirty-three revolutionary years later, the impoverished country’s under-17 team was at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea in 2007. The team had its newly-built training ground ransacked, but due to the will and courage of many people, it has been able to maintain its training amidst the shoestring rebuild. It has managed to maintain good form and the nation hopes the national Under-17 team can harness its natural football skills and eventually bring glory back to the island. The main characters are members of the Vorbe family: Dominic Vorbe is FIFA and Haiti U-17 Co-ordinator and brother of Philippe who played in midfield in the 1974 FIFA World Cup; Fabian Vorbe is a nephew of the brothers and current star of U-17 side.