Footage from North West Film Archive used in new feature-length football documentary

Footage from the North West Film Archive at Manchester Metropolitan University has been used in a feature-length documentary, appearing in cinemas across the UK.

‘The Three Kings’ looks back at the friendship of football legends Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein and how they all made history at their respective clubs of Manchester United, Liverpool and Celtic.

All three football managers were born within 30 miles of each other in Glasgow and the film looks at how their upbringing shaped their success.

The footage from the North West Film Archive (NWFA) includes interviews with fans, a candid interview with Shankly reflecting on his departure from Liverpool and a home movie shot at Old Trafford when United clinched the League Title in 1956.

Will McTaggart, Cataloguing and Access Assistant at the NWFA, said: “Our collection features in many types of productions but it is especially pleasing to see it used extensively in a feature-length documentary like this, where archive film is central to the storytelling.

“Our contributions to this project included regional BBC coverage from the 1970s and 80s combined with the unique perspectives of amateur film records in our collection, so it was a great showcase of the range of material we have to offer.”

The film was released in cinemas across the UK on Sunday, November 1 and will be available on DVD and digital download from November 16.

You can watch the trailer for ‘The Three Kings’ here: https://youtu.be/dLl2fywcU_Q