More Than Just a Game – Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told

More Than Just a Game tells the little-known story of how soccer transformed the lives of political prisoners on Robben Island, an isolated hell-on-earth off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa that housed black inmates during the apartheid era. Beginning in 1964, prisoners subjected to routine beatings and starvation united in an extreme act of courage, demanding the right to play soccer during exercise periods. The prisoners were eventually allowed to form a multi-tiered, pro-level league that operated for more than two decades. Academic historian Korr and scriptwriter Close resurrect this overlooked history with a vivid narrative no doubt aided by the 2007 docudrama of the same name. Brutal depictions of prison life make for compelling, at times uncomfortable reading, and the challenges faced by the players’ association are presented in great detail, thanks to meticulous records kept by prisoners (Robben Island’s most famous inmate, Nelson Mandela, barely plays a role). Akin to a DVD’s bonus feature, a final chapter titled “The Story Behind More Than Just A Game” explains how Korr came upon what he rightly calls “the most important soccer story ever told.” Photos. (May)