British Expatriate Network

Watched this footy movie yesterday and thought it was ok.

The characters are a bit fakey but not too much so - strangely enough, the cameo performances from the likes of Alan Shearer, David Beckham, Raul and Zidane were much worse and thankfully, quite brief.

It benefits from the big budget that was used. Footy movies are nothing new but this one actually seems to use a packed St. James Park for some of the time and there are even opposition players mentioned and filmed that you'd know, like Baros and Gerrard for Liverpool.

The Newcastle manager is an Arsene Wenger-type composite and probably not realistic as his patience level is extremely high indeed, both with naughty-boy players and a scout that he had fired when he was first hired.

The background story of the hero is quite good too and might appeal to ex-pats like us, especially when you see footage of ex-pats in the hero's home city of Los Angeles, watching a Newcastly United game in the early hours of a Saturday morning at a sports bar.

All in all, it was an entertaining football film and I'd recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.

I thought it was pretty good for a footy movie. I thought it would be Americanized and thus screwed up, but it was pretty authentic. Weren't some of the crowd scenes done by CGI?

I thought the fact that most of the Newcastle players were English was a bit odd D Its the only movie I've ever seem that actually does the whole immigration/visa thing realistically. Usually the people just up and move around the world as they please!

Apparently, if you don't have an entry visa when you go into UK, you can take a chance and say you have a trial with a Premier League team. Odds are good that you might pick the team the immigration official supports and get an entry stamp!

Thing is, IIRC, a foreign, non-EU player may not play for an English club without a work permit and they generally have to make so many appearances at international level for their country to qualify. Therefore, Santiago wouldn't have had a hope in hell.

So you missed the bit where they said he had a Welsh grandmother? ;)

Ive heard some good things about this film too
A couple of people have recommended it to me
Mind you that was from a hockey forum wink

btw spot on about about the visa stuff Pilgrim
I think there was some speculation about Tim Howard's international performances affecting his permit when he went from NY/NJ to Man Utd.
(not as though you need my confirmation wink )