Shadows on the Pitch: 1. No Terrorists in America

Can an ex-referee with a cryptic message help James unravel an explosive conspiracy about the build-up to World Cup USA 1994?

James travels to Bucharest to find out more …

Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

ARCHIVE: AP Archive - Iraqi football team celebrates Asia Cup victory - (Aug, 2007) Firstpost America -FirstPost Live TV - Iraq’s World Cup 2026 qualification - (March, 2026) White House Communications Agency - Clinton’s USA ‘94 opening speech - (July 1994) Spitting Image Productions - The Mary Whitehouse Experience World Cup skit anticipating America as hosts - (Oct, 1990) Los Angeles Times - Uncle Sam’s Visas? Not for Iraq, Iran : World Cup: Both fail to qualify, alleviating fears of U.S. officials over possibility of political terrorism - (Oct, 1993) CSPAN - Trump announces World Cup taskforce alongside Infantino - (March, 2025)

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Episoder(109)

Shadows on the Pitch: 5. All the Presidents Men

As the FIFA draw takes place in Washington DC and the great and the good of the footballing world convene in the US capital, spies come out of the woodwork to speak to James. Former CIA operatives and...

14 Aug 34min

Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha

World Cup qualifiers return to Doha in 2025, and so does football conspiracy, but can James see through the controversy to get to the bottom of what happened on similar pitches over thirty years ago?P...

7 Aug 39min

Shadows on the Pitch: 3. Spy Games

The world of spies and sports collide as James speaks to security specialists and those who lived to tell the tale about rumours of America’s shadowy past. From claims of secret mass surveillance of ...

31 Jul 42min

Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy

A political powder-keg World Cup qualifying tournament held in Doha. American security on the line. James tries to make sense of what went down in the desert shadows.Thirty years on he reviews the mat...

24 Jul 45min

Shadows on the Pitch: Trailer

Conspiracy theories and the football World Cup seem to go hand in hand. Football writer James Montague is digging into one that refuses to fade; a story that takes us back to the first time America...

16 Jul 3min

Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 6. The Fallout

The streak is over but the chaos is just beginning.Mark Roberts has danced naked at the centre of the Super Bowl, been tackled by an NFL linebacker, and carried off the field. What he doesn’t realise ...

13 Mar 37min

Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker: 5. Houston, We Have So Many Problems

Houston, 2004. Super Bowl XXXVIII. The biggest television event of the year — and everyone involved is chasing perfection.Inside the NFL machine, Jim Steeg is orchestrating a military-grade operation ...

6 Mar 41min