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Sport's Strangest Crimes

BBC Radio 5 Live
Match Fixing
Bruiser Brody
Wrestling
Streaking
Paris Saint-Germain
Puerto Rico
Rugby Union
Super Bowl
Hansie Cronje
Bloodgate Scandal
Harlequins
Kheira Hamraoui
Football
Bloodgate
Aminata Diallo
Dean Richards
Jose Gonzalez
Tom Williams
Match-Fixing
Organized Crime

When sport collides with true crime.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes112Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsTrue Crime

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Artwork for Sport's Strangest Crimes

Latest Episodes

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 military intelligence aficionados spill their bea... more

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?

Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt ... more

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 the Olympic Games, both home and abroad, to the cur... more

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 matches, looking for clues about why the conspiracy... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Mohammed bin Hammam
Former FIFA official, ex-president of the AFC
Qatar Football Association / FIFA
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha
Carlos Queiroz
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid coach, Oman national team manager
Oman Football Federation
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha
Charles P. Pierce
Esquire/GQ writer referenced for 1993 Doha coverage
Esquire (historical)
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha
Philip Bondi
American journalist on the ground during the 1993 qualifiers
BBC/5 Live archival contributor
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 4. The Agony of Doha
James Bamford
Investigative reporter on US security and intelligence agencies
BBC/author
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 3. Spy Games
Declan Hill
Journalist, author of The Fix and The Insider's Guide to Match Fixing
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 3. Spy Games
Ion Crouchonescu
Renowned Romanian referee, former FIFA elite referee
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy
Ala Kazim
Iraqi striker interviewee
Iraqi national team
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy
Bassam Rauf
Iraqi midfielder from Doha era
Iraqi national team
Episode: Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy

Hosts

Rich Hall
Host of Sports Strangest Crimes; brings narrative voice and multi-episode continuity across series.
Mark Butcher
Former England cricketer and host of Sports Strangest Crimes; provides sports insider perspective.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 833 ratings
  • Awful narrator

    Such a great story about Shergar and fantastic interviews but why on earth hire Vanilla Ice to narrate??? He confesses he knows nothing of the story & clearly hasn’t done any research! And his voice is terrible! Such a shame arghh

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Gilas Darnellis
    United States8 days ago
  • Depends on the host

    The Shergar story was really interesting but awful choice of host, could have been so much better. Whereas the Hansie Cronje one was very good and a much better listen in terms of host and structure.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    purple chunks
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Too much music

    A lot of people listen at bedtime. Ridiculous amount of music in the cricket season. Might as well have been in a nightclub

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Mikey HH
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Top class journalism

    Excellently narrated and researched. What an incredible story supported by world class contributors.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Barks64
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • alright

    Idk some of the seasons are amazing and im questioning how these stories are real and other ones it’s just rly bad and im questioning why these are coming to me 😭😭😔 like y do i need to know this ? 🤨 sorry not gr8 review 🫶🏻🤓😰 x

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    ~😘ฅ
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few reviews note inconsistencies in production quality or presenter delivery across seasons.
Some episodes are criticized for pacing or presenter style, impacting engagement.
Listeners praise strong storytelling and investigative depth when the host lines up archival voices.
Overall sentiment highlights high-quality journalism and compelling episodes with credible contributors.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#151
United Kingdom/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#71
Italy/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#205
Norway/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#40
Norway/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#65
New Zealand/Sports
Apple Podcasts
#73
Saudi Arabia/Sports

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Shadows on the Pitch: 2. Son of Anarchy
Q: Where did the pressure to influence refereeing decisions originate?
The host explores whether pressure came from officials, state actors, or informal networks, with Yon providing limited specifics, suggesting a complex web where directives may have flowed through multiple channels.
Shadows on the Pitch: 1. No Terrorists in America
Q: Was there an official discussion at government level about these teams during the Doра qualifiers?
Alan Rothenberg and other officials indicate there was awareness of security concerns, with background checks and a presence from state actors; however, direct evidence of government-level planning is inconclusive.
A French Football Scandal: 7. An Unhappy Ending
Q: Do you believe in the innocence of Aminatta Diallo?
The circumstances of the attack leave many baffled with varying opinions on Diallo's involvement.
Confessions of a Match Fixer: 1. Sleep with the Money
Q: Can I make a statement?
You want to come to this meeting tomorrow, but we need five. There's you, who are going to be the other three.
Confessions of a Match Fixer: 1. Sleep with the Money
Q: Why didn't that work out for you?
I weighed 70kg as a centre-half and struggled with putting on weight and was out of my depth physically in training.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Sport's Strangest Crimes

What is Sport's Strangest Crimes about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Sport's Strangest Crimes blends true crime storytelling with sports lore, exploring how high-profile athletic moments intersect with scandal, conspiracy, and cultural impact. Across episodes, listeners get investigative narration, archival interviews, and first-hand recollections from athletes, journalists, and insiders. The show often threads complex narratives—from match-fixing in cricket to infamous stadium spectacles—through a global lens, with a reputation for globe-spanning reporting and multiple co-hosts who bring domain expertise. Notable is the rotating host format and a penchant for unpacking sensational moments with serious context, making it engaging for listeners who enjoy crime journalism wrapped in sports history and pop cult... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers Sport's Strangest Crimes has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Sport's Strangest Crimes?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Sport's Strangest Crimes:

1. Tailenders
2. Test Match Special
3. For The Love Of Cricket
4. Stick to Cricket
5. Rugby Union Weekly

How many episodes of Sport's Strangest Crimes are there?

Sport's Strangest Crimes launched 5 years ago and published 112 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Sport's Strangest Crimes?

Recent guests on Sport's Strangest Crimes include:

1. Mohammed bin Hammam
2. Carlos Queiroz
3. Charles P. Pierce
4. Philip Bondi
5. James Bamford
6. Declan Hill
7. Ion Crouchonescu
8. Ala Kazim

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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