Show Notes
In December 2012, Bradford City, a team that cost less than £10K to assemble, and then in danger of dropping out of the football league, wrote one of the most romantic chapters in the history of British sport when they met Arsenal, one of the elites of the game, in a competitive fixture. The game represented not only a collision of football extremes, but economic circumstance. For Bradford, the contest symbolised a broader north-south divide. So, led by former supermarket-shelf-stacker turned striker James Hanson, they set out to achieve the impossible.
New Episode every Monday
StoryCast '21: Using the timeframe of the last 21-years, Sky News returns to some of this century's biggest news stories, using the focus of extraordinary personal stories, defined by these events.
CREDITS
A Football Fairy Tale was written and produced by Rob Mulhern Original idea - Joe Rawson, Sky News Radio Sports Editor Special thanks to our contributors, James Hanson, Tim Thornton and Carl Smith. Additional recordings and digital by Tom Gillespie. Archive, Simon Windsor Sound design, Rob Mulhern TV treatment, Gemma Watson TV output editor, Emily Deeker Head of Radio, Sky News, Dave Terris Design and graphics, Brian Gillingham Social media, Chris Scott Press and Marketing, Alexandra Horton Email: [email protected] For more on this story log on to www.skynews/storycast21 #StoryCast21
More from Russell Brand: On Trial
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assault. Sky News' Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer report more of the prosecution case against Russell Brand, as the family and friends of a woman who accuses him of rape in 2009 give evidence. The woman claims she was anally raped by the comedian at his home. Her friends, family and colleagues have given their accounts of what she’d told them - including that she’d been "humiliated, scared, violated and in pain" after the alleged rape. The defence cross-examined witnesses including the ex-boyfriend of the accuser, who they claimed had given conflicting statements to the police and the court. Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Email the podcast: [email protected].
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assault. Sky News' Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer report more of the case against Russell Brand as a third woman who has accused him of rape continues giving evidence and is cross-examined. The woman alleges she had consensual vaginal sex with Russell Brand at his home, before he anally raped her. She said, ‘I felt completely degraded and like I'd been treated like an animal, like a piece of meat’. During cross-examination Ian Winter KC, for the defence, brought up conflicting accounts in her story as she shared it over the years. Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Email the podcast: [email protected].
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assault. Sky News' Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer report more of the prosecution case against Russell Brand as a third woman accuses him of rape and two more women allege he sexually assaulted them. One woman claims she was anally raped by the comedian at his home. She said that when she asked him to stop, he continued and she said she was in pain and couldn't speak or breathe. The court also heard from two more women who allege that Brand sexually assaulted them, both in their workplaces. Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Email the podcast [email protected].
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of alleged rape and sexual assault. Sky News' Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer report more from the prosecution case against Russell Brand as a second woman accuses him of rape. She alleged that within a minute of meeting her in 2004, Russell Brand grabbed her breasts, then dragged her into a Soho bar toilet and orally raped her, afterwards saying “I guess we should swap numbers now”. Brand’s defence barrister questioned why she did not report the allegation until 2023. The woman said she was afraid she would not be believed. Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Email the podcast [email protected]
Today, a second alleged victim took the stand in Russell Brand’s trial. She told the court Brand grabbed her arm and tried to pull her into a toilet, but she pulled away saying “are you mad?”. He allegedly turned from being “jovial” to a “wild eyed maniac”. Sky News’ Katie Spencer and Martin Brunt were in court for heated exchanges as Brand’s defence barrister challenged the woman. Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Email the podcast: [email protected]