Top 10 sporting films: Rocky, The Damned United and Sea Biscuit are among Mike Cattermole's favourites

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No live sport is so tough to take, isn’t it?

If you’re like me, you’ll be battering YouTube with replays of some great sporting moments and if you need a change from those, there’s always the silver screen.

Mind you, movies about sport, especially those that recreate special moments, can be a bit hit and miss.

The list below is, again, a personal one. You may well applaud or even scoff at one or two of them. Guarantee they will make you smile or nod in appreciation.

We’d love to hear from you if you have some others. There are plenty to choose from.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2003)

My goodness, Keira Knightley’s career has come on a bit since she appeared in this! She plays one of two young girls, just desperate to play football, in a world whose culture had yet to mature.

Remember, this was not that long ago, yet the women’s game has moved on massively since this was made. What a feelgood movie it is, though. One for the family.

CHAMPIONS (1984)

John Hurt is Bob Champion as the story of one of sport’s greatest comebacks is played out under the direction of John Irvin, who I meet recently at a special showing of the film for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust.

Irvin admitted that the film looked dated now and wondered how it would be made these days with the use of CGI and drone cameras.

But it wouldn’t be the same film! The jockeys still wore woollens in those days and Hurt is pretty convincing as the cancer-stricken jockey. There is a nice turn from Ben Johnson as the wonderfully named Burly Cocks, an important mentor to the recovering rider, as well as Edward Woodward as Josh Gifford. Aldaniti played himself, of course.

And then there is the wonderful, iconic music of Carl Davis, which has become the modern anthem for the Grand National.

CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

Speaking of music, Vangelis’s work on this classic has probably gone on to outshine, certainly outlast, the movie itself. In fact, it is hard to imagine life without the main title theme. It deservedly won the Oscar for best original score.

Based on fact, it is the story of two British athletes competing at the 1924 Olympics - almost 100 years ago now. Eric Liddell, the devout Scottish Christian, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew, were played by Ian Charleson and Ben Cross respectively.

Neither became big stars, although Charleson barely got the chance as he died from complications with AIDS just a few years later.

ESCAPE TO VICTORY (1981)

I remember being impressed when this film came out. Where else would you get Michael Caine, Rocky (Sly Stallone), Pele and Bobby Moore together – and in the same movie?

A group of allied POW’s line up against the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany on the football pitch (as part of a German propaganda stunt) only for our heroes to find an opportunity to make an escape.

The POWs were up against some seriously bent officials, too, but fielded a strong side, with not only Pele and Moore, but also Ossie Ardiles, John Wark, Mike Summerbee and the brilliant Pole, Deyna.

Stallone was their unlikely goalkeeper (and some) and his celebrations at saving the penalty (A clean catch? Come on!) are truly comical.

Also, when did you ever, ever see England’s fabled World Cup-winning captain actually celebrate a goal in his career?

Yes, it’s a load of rubbish really, but fun, enjoyable rubbish!

RAGING BULL (1980)

As former world middleweight boxing champion, Jake La Motta, Robert De Niro was so convincing while training for the part that his boxing mentors reckoned he had it in him to become a ranked professional.

This is a brutal picture, filmed by Martin Scorsese deliberately in black and white where, paradoxically, blood tends to look more shocking than it does in colour.

De Niro then ballooned to play La Motta in retirement. Method acting, they say.

ROCKY (1976)

A contrast in boxing styles, here.

This will be Sylvester Stallone’s legacy and what a legacy! They are still making sequels four decades on; Creed II came out just two years ago.

I was never sure about Stallone until I realised that he was single-handedly responsible for the scripts and directed most of the films in the Rocky franchise. That’s talent, man. Yo!

RUSH (2013)

Ron Howard’s film about the rivalry between two very different characters in James Hunt and Niki Lauda, superbly portrayed by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl respectively, takes us back to a very different era of Formula 1.

As well as the uncanny likeness the lead actors have for the protagonists, it is also superbly filmed in quite a harsh colour, capturing the glitzy ‘70s perfectly, and the sound of the cars, too, is spot-on.

Howard is a gifted, highly successful director whose 100% professionalism is on full display here.

SEABISCUIT (2003)

The legendary racehorse featured in my book list last week and although the film is not quite as good, it’s still a super picture.

It’s such an inspirational story about an extraordinary horse in difficult times. All the stars aligned to create the legend. Any film with Jeff Bridges in deserves a watch and Tobey Maguire plays Red Pollard, Seabiscuit’s rider, who is also the narrator.

“You know, everybody thinks we found this broken-down horse and fixed him, but we didn't. He fixed us. Every one of us. And I guess in a way we kinda fixed each other too.”

It’s an emotional ride!

THE DAMNED UNITED (2009)

The book was quite dark but the film isn’t, quite funny in parts in fact, and was written by Peter Morgan, also responsible for “Rush”.

This is a must-see, just for the brilliant Michael Sheen as he becomes Brian Clough. The likeness is spooky and is so enjoyable.

Clough’s tenure at Leeds United was not though, lasting just 44 days after he fell out spectacularly with the all-star squad.

Mind you, things didn’t get off to the best start when, at his opening training session, he told the players to chuck their medals in the nearest dustbin “because you’ve won them all by f***ing cheating”!

Only Cloughie.

WHEN WE WERE KINGS (1996)

A superb documentary about the “Rumble In The Jungle” as Muhammad Ali regained his crown from the “big, bad monster” that was George Foreman.

Form lines with Joe Frazier and Ken Norton gave Ali little chance but he knew different and this is an excellent close-up of his preparation, the political background and the extraordinary fight itself.

The date, October 30, 1974. It was my 13th birthday. I had gone to bed as a 12-year-old fearing for Ali and awoke as a teenager with my hero even greater in stature than ever.

Feedback from readers:

Dave Cronin: Hi there, I read with interest Mike Cattermole's list of top 10 sports films along with some of the feedback.

I realise this is a highly subjective exercise but the selections seem to be high on boys own and sentimental offerings rather than those revealing the often brutal realities of top level sport.

I am surprised none of the contributors made reference to This Sporting Life, a harrowing portrayal of what happens when sporting heroes fall from grace.

Dave Chapman:

My 3 favs from your 10 were Raging Bull, The Dammed Utd and When We Were Kings Mike, but I've also loved the football long documentaries (do they class as films ? ) about The Class of 92 – the film about Matt Busby the film about George Best and the one about Bill Shankley -they were all 90 mins plus so for me they class as films.

Oh and I also loved Jen's choice of A Day At The Races.

Jen from BSE: My favourite sporting films; Somebody up there likes me (1956). A biopic of the boxer Rocky Graziano, the title role played by a young Paul Newman. Newman is brilliant and the film also won the Best Cinematography Oscar. The standard by which any sports-based film should be measured.

The Natural (1984). Based on Bernard Malamud’s debut novel. A stellar cast that does justice to the book and the best Baseball film yet made.

Pharlap (1983). My favourite horse racing film, yes it made me cry.

Honourable mention; A Day at the Races (1937). The Marx Brothers at their finest if not truly a sports film.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Derek: Folks, some great movies on the list. On the humorous side how about Caddyshack, covering golf, and Let It Ride, following the adventures of a gambler at the track. Both extremely funny in these difficult times!

Joseph Jefferson: Got to be Remember The Titans.

Andrew Pelis: Great list from Mike! There are a few other films I would add in there:

• Senna: A kind of film/documentary - a superb insight into the mind and background of perhaps motor racing's most iconic and charismatic star.
• Field of Dreams: An amazingly touching baseball film which recalls the much-fabled Chicago White Sox team, celebrates America's past-time and touches on family themes and not giving up on hope.
• Jerry Maguire: At the time this look at sports agents perhaps had more relevance to American sports, but has maybe since transitioned across the Pond.
• Phar Lap: The story of perhaps Australia's most legendary racehorse. The ending still has me in tears.
• Cool Runnings: Just for entertainment value and of course a true story!