9 things for sports fans to watch when all games are off

With all live sport postponed for the foreseeable future, fans of football, cricket, rugby and more may be finding themselves at a loss.

Here are some entertaining documentaries, dramas and other series with a sporting focus to keep you entertained until all games are back on.

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The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team - Amazon Prime Video

Documentary about the Australian cricket team. Picking up immediately after the ball-tampering incident in South Africa - known as Sandpapergate - that led to an outpouring of disappointment and shock around the world, The Test begins with the appointment of Justin Langer as coach and follows the team around the world.

With full access, The Test gives viewers an inside look into the highs and lows of the long road back in the team’s fight to regain the respect of world cricket.

Andy Murray: Resurfacing - Amazon Prime Video

An unprecedented account of the tennis champion’s painstaking rehabilitation from injury told in his own words. With inside access to his life, it follows Andy from the inner-sanctum of surgical theatres, to the most intimate of spaces, shared with family and team members.

When Andy Murray stepped onto the tennis court to play at Wimbledon in 2017, he was the world number one, fighting to defend his Wimbledon title. In the resulting two-year period since sustaining a chronic hip injury, his ranking has slid towards triple figures, as he’s undergone multiple surgeries in the hope of being fit enough to compete on the world stage once more.

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Tyson Fury: The Gypsy King - ITV Hub (until 3 April)

Tyson Fury is taking on the biggest fight of his life, the fight to reclaim his title of heavyweight champion of the world and the fight to maintain his mental health. This three-part series, Tyson Fury: The Gypsy King offers exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to one of sports most flamboyant and controversial characters and his larger-than-life family.

Filmed over several months, it follows him and his nearest and dearest as he aims to fulfil his dream of becoming the heavyweight boxing champion of the world as he prepares to take on his arch-rival Deontay Wilder for a second time.

Formula 1: Drive To Survive - Netflix

The series is a gripping, high-octane 10-part series, which is the first to give exclusive and intimate access to the greatest racing competition in the world. From the makers of Senna and Amy, this series will reveal the true story of the sport – not only the fight to be number 1, but the battle for the heart, soul, and direction of this multi-billion-dollar business.

The dynamic series returns with another ten parts, following the high-stakes and adrenaline-fuelled action of the fastest sport in the world. Only 20 drivers get to compete in Formula 1, and with some of the sport’s top names racing for new teams, 2019 proved to be a season of broken alliances and renewed rivalries.

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The English Game - Netflix

The six-part drama charts the origins of football and how those involved in its creation reached across the class divide to establish the game as the world’s most-popular sport. The series is written and executive produced by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Davis v Taylor: The ‘85 Black Ball Final - BBC iPlayer

A look back at one of British sport’s golden moments – the 1985 World Championship Snooker final. At its peak, over 18-and-a-half million people sat glued to their sets as Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor battled past midnight to a final and deciding black ball, BBC Two’s biggest-ever audience.Colin Murray journeys around the UK filling in the gaps on the first time that he was allowed to see the other side of midnight.

Along the way, he finds answers to questions such as where did Dennis’s ‘upside-down glasses’ actually come from? What really went on behind those dressing room doors? How did you spread the news in a world without mobile phones? And how different would the lives of the two protagonists would have been if the result had been reversed that night?

Featuring contributions from Barry McGuigan, David Icke, Ted Lowe, Stephen Hendry and Barry Hearn.

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Take Us Home: Leeds Utd - Amazon Prime Video

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Leeds United’s 2018-19 season as they pushed for promotion under head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, after a 15 year absence from the Premier League. Academy Award-winner and avid Leeds United fan Russell Crowe narrates the six-part series.

Bielsa, the 63 year old coach who famously managed the national teams in Argentina and Chile as well as European clubs including Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Lazio and Lille, had an immediate impact at Leeds United following his appointment in June 2018. His unique style of play meant that the team, who finished thirteenth in 2017-18, were already top of the Championship midway through the 2018-19 season.

The docu-series covers the highs and lows of the season, with exclusive footage of the players and staff behind-the- scenes, and include moments such as the “spygate” scandal and the controversial uncontested goal in the April 2019 Aston Villa match.

All Or Nothing: Manchester City - Amazon Prime Video

In this ground-breaking docu-series, follow Manchester City behind-the-scenes throughout their Premier League winning, record-breaking 2017-18 season.

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Get an exclusive look into one of the best global sports clubs, including never-before-seen dressing room footage with legendary coach Pep Guardiola, and delve into the players’ lives off and on the pitch.

Britain Youngest Football Boss - BBC Three/BBC iPlayer

This series follows top flight football club West Ham United’s women’s team and their 18-year-old managing director Jack Sullivan.

As women’s football explodes into the mainstream in the run-up to next summer’s World Cup, Jack’s dad David Sullivan, one of the richest men in Britain and the joint-chairman of West Ham United, has tasked Jack with transforming the fortunes of the women’s team.

Jack’s first full-time job since leaving school at 16 sees him bringing together a squad of 18 outspoken, powerful women, overseeing a million-pound budget, and trying to raise the profile of a growing sport often dismissed and derided by male fans.

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