National Research commissioned by Showcase Cinemas has shown that Cool Runnings has been named the UK’s favourite sports movie of all time. The research has been carried out in order to celebrate the release of ‘Next Goal Wins’, the inspiring true story of the American Samoa national football team, which came out on Boxing Day.  

Cool Runnigs  was The 1993 favourite, depicting a Jamaican bobsleigh team’s journey to the Winter Olympics, took 18% of the vote, narrowly beating out competition from Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky (17%) and 80s classic Chariots of Fire (16%).  The survey revealed Bend it Like Beckham (19%), starring Keira Knightly in her breakthrough role, is the nation’s favourite football related film of all time, with World War II themed Escape to Victory (11%) landing in second place and The Damned United (6%), the real-life story of Brian Clough’s 44 days in charge of Leeds United, rounding out the top three. However, despite Brian Clough’s (5%) turbulent time at Elland Road, the Nottingham Forest legend came runner-up as the UK’s favourite football manager of all time, with Sir Alex Ferguson (13%) coming out on top and current Man City boss Pep Guardiola (4%) taking the bronze. 

 Elsewhere, Muhammad Ali (17%) was voted the UK’s number one sporting icon of all time, finishing ahead of football megastar David Beckham (16%). And, in the hotly debated battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it was the Portuguese star who topped the charts, taking 15% of the vote in comparison to Messi’s 14%. 

Over a third of Brits (36%) believe sports related films cause them to become more interested in specific sports, teams, or athletes themselves. England’s 1966 World Cup victory (10%) was named the sporting moment respondents would most like to see recreated on the big screen, while 2012’s London Olympics ‘Super Saturday’ (6%) and England Women’s Euro 2022 victory (5%) also scored high.  

Jon Dixon, UK Marketing Director at Showcase Cinemas, said: “Undoubtedly, sports films have the power to retell momentous sporting feats on the big screen. Next Goal Wins is just the latest example of that, as Taika Waititi brings a truly heart-warming, real-life story, to the cinema.

 UK’S TOP TEN SPORTS FILMS OF ALL TIME

1. COOL RUNNINGS (18%)
2. ROCKY (17%)
3. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (16%)
4. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (14%)
5. THE KARATE KID (14%)
6. FIELD OF DREAMS (14%)
7. ESCAPE TO VICTORY (13%)
8. HAPPY GILMORE (13%)
9. DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY (12%)
10. CREED (12%)  

UK’S TOP FIVE FOOTBALL FILMS OF ALL TIME 

1. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (19%)
2. ESCAPE TO VICTORY (11%)
3. THE DAMNED UNITED (6%)
4. THE FOOTBALL FACTORY (5%)
5. MIKE BASSETT: ENGLAND MANAGER (4%)

UK’S TOP FIVE SPORTING HEROES OF ALL TIME

1. MUHAMMAD ALI (17%)
2. DAVID BECKHAM (16%)
3. PELE (16%)
4. CRISTIANO RONALDO (15%)
5. LIONEL MESSI (14%)

 For further information and to purchase tickets to Next Goal Wins, please visit: https://www.showcasecinemas.co.uk/film-info/next-goal-wins