Sport's Strangest Crimes

Whilst the horse wasn’t just owned by the Aga Khan, but in fact a syndicate of many shareholders, this episode focuses on one shareholder that had a lot to lose. Stan Cosgrove. The Vet. He was keen to get his insurance payout, but the only way to do so was to prove that Shergar was in fact dead. Coordinating with the kidnappers he organised to get a polaroid to prove the horse was still alive.

The police used many methods to locate Shergar and most interestingly they sought help from psychics, diviners and the mysterious Mobius group. They claimed to be able to locate Shergar and used parts of his saddle to sniff him out. A supergrass emerges claiming he knows the identity of the masked men. Is this the end? Not for Shergar’s legacy, his sporting achievements are still adored and his name used widely today to symbolise something we may never see again.

Ross Kemp visits the Clapham joke shop at the origin of the Bloodgate cheating scandal that brought rugby union to its knees. We learn how the advent of professionalism in the 1990s brought a new win-at-all-costs mentality to the sport. And Harlequins players Tom Williams, Ugo Monye and Nick Easter explain how new coach Dean Richards transformed the club from entertaining also-rans into ruthless winners who began to push the rules to their limits and beyond. Could a loophole in the laws around blood injuries boost their chances of European silverware? Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

The story of one rugby's most notorious matches, told by those who were there. A European Cup quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster was always going to be big - but nobody knew how big. Players from both sides including Ugo Monye and Brian O’Driscoll, commentators, coaches and referee Nigel Owens recall how events unfolded before, during and after the moment that Tom Williams staggered from the field with fake blood dripping from his mouth. The Leinster officials see through the plot straight away - but can they expose the wrongdoing? Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

Gripping testimony from the Harlequins dressing-room as Tom Williams persuades club doctor Wendy Chapman to help cover up his act of cheating. But when new footage emerges of Tom appearing to chew on a fake blood capsule, European Rugby prosecutors decide to press charges against the player, his coach and the club. Quins agree a cover story - but will it hold water when matters come to a head at a Bloodgate hearing in central London? Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

After receiving his 12-month ban, Tom Williams faces pressure from the club and his team-mates as he considers blowing the whistle on the Bloodgate plot. We hear about secret meetings between Tom and the club’s board and horse-trading over what level of financial incentive might persuade him not to reveal the truth. It leads to a showdown at a board member’s house in Cobham, a decisive intervention from Tom’s girlfriend Alex and a shock resignation. Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

Bloodgate is big news - and it’s about to get even bigger… Dean Richards’ resignation has thrust Bloodgate onto the front and back pages - but details of the cover-ups remain outside the public domain. That’s until Paul Kelso, sports news correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, arrives on the scene. While Kelso, now a Sky news correspondent, starts to release details of the murky aftermath to the cheating plot, Tom Williams prepares to reveal all. Everything comes to a head at a hearing in Glasgow, with life-changing consequences for some of the key figures in the Bloodgate plot. Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

With the full Bloodgate scandal now exposed, rugby enters a period of soul-searching. Fallen Harlequins coach Dean Richards makes allegations that blood cheating goes to the very top of the game, while Ugo Monye adds his weight to the argument that other teams are culpable. And when Tom Williams returns to the rugby pitch, he’s given a less than warm welcome by opponent Chris Ashton. Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Digital Producers: Sam Huxley and Stephen Trenchard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

New coach Conor O’Shea sets about transforming Harlequins’ fortunes and restoring their reputation. Tom Williams rediscovers his form and helps the club to the Premiership final - the ultimate opportunity for redemption. Dean Richards returns to rugby with Newcastle and reflects on the Bloodgate episode, while some of the key figures in the series offer opinions on the legacy of the scandal. Narrator: Ross Kemp Reporter/Interviewer: Chris Jones Writer/Producer: Sam Sheringham Story editor: Tom Fuller Sound design/production: Jesse Howard Assistant producers: Metin Yilmaz, Jack Wood, Mujtaba Ali and Victoria Turner BBC 5 Live Sport podcast editor: Matt Smith Commissioner: Stevie Middleton

In the mid-90s, Hansie Cronje was South Africa’s golden boy, the God-fearing captain backed by Nelson Mandela and worshipped by a nation. More than just a cricketer, he was a symbol of hope. But were the cracks there all along? In the first episode of Sport’s Strangest Crimes - Hansie Cronje: Fall From Grace, former England cricketer, Mark Butcher revisits the rise of a man who seemed too good to be true and maybe was. Teammates, journalists and friends paint a picture of a leader everyone trusted… until they didn’t. Because before you fall from grace, you’ve got to be on a pedestal.

It’s the final Test of a five-match series, and everyone’s already packed their bags. Three days of rain, no result, nothing to play for. Then out of nowhere, Hansie Cronje makes an offer, and the game is back on. In Episode 2, Mark Butcher takes us inside one of the weirdest days he’s ever seen on a cricket field. At the time, it looked like a stroke of sportsmanship. But in hindsight? Let’s just say not everything is as it seems.

The Centurion Test is over. Hansie’s praised for “saving” the match. But rewind 24 hours and the real story starts to unfold. In Episode 3, we go behind the scenes of a game that never should’ve happened - cryptic calls, hotel whispers, and a captain running his own playbook. Then, by pure chance, someone’s listening. And suddenly, Hansie’s house of cards starts to wobble.

Hansie’s admitted guilt but the real drama is only just getting started. Episode 4 takes us to the King Commission, a library turned media circus, where cricket’s clean image takes hit after hit. More names come out. More matches are mentioned. And as the pressure builds, the emotion gets raw. And one big question hovers over it all: was this about getting to the truth or just controlling the damage?

June 2002. Hansie Cronje dies in a plane crash. The reaction is immediate - shock, disbelief, grief. But not everyone buys the official story. In Episode 5, Mark Butcher traces Hansie’s final hours - a missed flight, a last-minute ride on a cargo plane, and a descent through mountain cloud with broken instruments and almost no visibility. Was it pilot error, as the report claimed? Or something more? From talk of missing money and dropped investigations to strange phone calls and long-held theories, this episode explores where the facts end and the doubts begin.

Was Hansie Cronje a villain? A victim? Or something in between? In this final episode, we unpack the legacy Hansie left behind — the loyalties, the doubts, and the stories that still divide opinion. Some say he was trapped by powerful people and trying to find a way out. Others say he knew exactly what he was doing. From emotional moments with close friends to sharp takes from those who saw a darker side, this episode digs into the heart of the scandal and what it says about cricket today.

Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of Mark Roberts - who isn't your average bloke. By day, he's a painter from Liverpool. By night? He's Captain Cock - the world's most prolific streaker, a man who's dropped his kit at over 500 major sporting events across 23 countries. By 2002, Mark's conquered almost everything. Wimbledon. The Champions League Final. The Olympics. But there's one event left. The biggest stage on Earth. The Holy Grail of streaking: the Super Bowl. So in 2003, Mark jets off to San Diego. No ticket. No plan. What could possibly go wrong? Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Every superhero has an origin story. For Captain Cock, it begins in Hong Kong, 1993. Comedian Rich Hall takes us back to when Mark is a young bartender in the city’s chaotic nightlife district -far from Velcro trousers, tutus, or a global streaking career. Then comes a drunken dare at the Rugby Sevens, the kind most people laugh off and forget by morning. What happens next will set the course of his life for the next three decades. But hang on. Someone else remembers that event very differently. So what are the actual origins of this so-called origin story? Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Before Mark could streak the Super Bowl, both streaking and the Super Bowl had to become what they are. Streaking has a history. The Super Bowl has a history. And host Rich Hall? Well he has a history too, which might explain a few things. Rich Hall pulls apart the rise and fall of streaking in 1970s America - a cultural flash in the pan that somehow never quite died. Then, the evolution of the Super Bowl from a simple championship game into a global spectacle of music, money, and over-the-top showmanship. Jim Steeg, the man who ran the event for 26 years, explains how half-time transformed from a small-time, marching-band interval into a billion-dollar pop extravaganza. Meanwhile, Mark brings his act home. A charity streak at the Merseyside Derby is just a warm-up for the moment that truly makes him famous: crashing Fred’s floating weather map live on national television. Overnight, Britain knows exactly who he is. Archive: Famous for Fifteen Minutes, BBC Radio 4. Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

After failing in San Diego, Mark swore he’d never try the Super Bowl again. Then one unexpected email changes everything. Comedian Rich Hall presents the story of an eight-month mission to infiltrate Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston - rehearsals, disguises, sponsor tattoos, and a growing belief that this time, he really might pull it off. At the same time, the NFL’s Jim Steeg and MTV’s Salli Frattini are juggling post-9/11 security, a wildly complicated half-time show, and the pressure of a live global broadcast. Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham is locked in for the biggest game of his life. Mark is locked in for the biggest streak of his. Everyone's converging on Houston with their own plans. Mark's ready. The NFL's ready. The players are ready. But is anyone really ready for what is about to happen? Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Houston, 2004. Super Bowl XXXVIII. The biggest television event of the year — and everyone involved is chasing perfection. Inside the NFL machine, Jim Steeg is orchestrating a military-grade operation where every second is worth millions. In the production truck, Salli Frattini is holding together a halftime show so complex it feels like a controlled explosion: Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, pyro, thousands of performers, and cameras everywhere. On the field, Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham is inches away from the game of his life. And somewhere in the middle of all this sits Mark Roberts — disguised, tattooed, layered in Velcro, and nervously taping a tiny deflated American football over his “chicken McNugget” because Texas has him rattled. As the game kicks off, the tension builds — not just for the players, but for everyone who knows what’s riding on halftime. When it arrives, the stadium turns into a full-blown 2004 MTV spectacle: lights, dancers, smoke, sweat, and pop royalty at its most electric. It looks flawless. It sounds flawless. Everyone thinks it is flawless. But in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, something happens that almost nobody inside the stadium fully registers — yet will be replayed, analysed, and argued about for decades. And while everyone is distracted by that half-second… Mark sees his chance. Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

The streak is over but the chaos is just beginning. Mark Roberts has danced naked at the centre of the Super Bowl, been tackled by an NFL linebacker, and carried off the field. What he doesn’t realise is that minutes earlier, a “wardrobe malfunction” at halftime has triggered a media storm that might well dwarf his moment. While Mark sits in a crowded Houston holding cell — still in his Velcro referee uniform — halftime producer Salli Frattini is hauled up to the NFL commissioner’s box to explain what just happened live to 100 million viewers. Janet Jackson has vanished. Justin Timberlake is apologising. And the NFL is in crisis mode. Hours later, Mark is charged with criminal trespass and released on bail — buzzing from the streak, but now facing a very real Texas trial. What follows is a courtroom drama broadcast on Court TV and the very real threat of six months in a Texas prison for Mark. Hard to see how he can blag his way out of this one. As Mark’s legal fate unfolds, the fallout from halftime spirals: complaints flood in, careers are damaged, and senior figures begin to question their roles. Back in Liverpool, Mark rides the wave of fame — then slowly steps back as nothing can ever top the Super Bowl. Twenty years later, a diagnosis forces him to confront a harder question: not can he streak again, but should he? After three decades of running naked toward the spotlight, is the Streaker King finally ready to stop… or will there be another temptation he just can’t resist. Presented by Rich Hall Produced and written by Elle Scott Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey. Production manager: Debbie Waddell. Development Executive: Emma Shaw. Production Executive: Ian Taitt Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound Design and Composition: Julian Corrie Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Can an ex-referee with a cryptic message help James unravel an explosive conspiracy about the build-up to World Cup USA 1994? James travels to Bucharest to find out more … Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. ARCHIVE: AP Archive - Iraqi football team celebrates Asia Cup victory - (Aug, 2007) Firstpost America -FirstPost Live TV - Iraq’s World Cup 2026 qualification - (March, 2026) White House Communications Agency - Clinton’s USA ‘94 opening speech - (July 1994) Spitting Image Productions - The Mary Whitehouse Experience World Cup skit anticipating America as hosts - (Oct, 1990) Los Angeles Times - Uncle Sam’s Visas? Not for Iraq, Iran : World Cup: Both fail to qualify, alleviating fears of U.S. officials over possibility of political terrorism - (Oct, 1993) CSPAN - Trump announces World Cup taskforce alongside Infantino - (March, 2025)

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 persists, and hears what it was like to play for Iraq in the 1990s under the whip of Uday Hussein - Saddam’s son. Presented by James Montgaue Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weathrill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

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 curious World Cup interests of Henry Kissinger. But what does it all mean for the conspiracy theory he’s trying to make sense of, the claim that America influenced a World Cup qualifying tournament to protect USA ‘94? Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

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 and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

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 beans, but could the ex-CEO of USA ‘94 have the most intriguing lead? Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Patronage and power: lessons from an Italian footballing scandal. From the pitch of the San Siro to a pre-dawn FBI raid of a luxury hotel in Geneva, James gathers a new understanding of the mechanics of football-match manipulation, in a way that makes him question a footballing scar from the past that has remained close to his own heart. Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

Former referees and a FIFA insider: can the USA ‘94 conspiracy theory floated by the Iraqi Football Federation over 30 years ago finally be explained? James travels to Cologne to retrace the steps of England’s failed 1993 World Cup qualifying campaign under Graham Taylor. Could Taylor’s men really have been caught up in the same plot? If anyone will know it’s the men in black who held the whistles at the time and those working inside FIFA’s glass-walled offices who are now ready to talk. Presented by James Montague Written by Ben Wyatt and Emma Weatherill Production co-ordinator: Juliette Harvey Production manager: Debbie Waddell Development Executive: Emma Shaw Executive Producers: Ben Wyatt, Emma Weatherill and Joe Kent Sound Design and Composition: Melvin Rickarby Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

On April 30, 1993, one moment of madness changed the course of tennis history, and confronted the world of sport with an uncomfortable reality - how safe were its biggest stars? Teenage phenomenon, Monica Seles, had taken the tennis world by storm, and was one of the most famous female athletes on the planet. But on that fateful day in 1993, she became the victim of a public and violent crime - in front of thousands of onlookers, she was ambushed on court and stabbed in the back by a spectator. Hear what happened from those who were there; how shock and disbelief gave way to questions. But first we must answer: who was Monica Seles? Clare Balding charts the meteoric rise of the pocket rocket from Yugoslavia, whose raw power took her from the brutalist concrete car park courts of Serbia, to the sun-soaked state-of-the-art courts of Florida - ushering in a new era of women’s tennis. Before long, the young pretender comes up against the queen of tennis - Steffi Graf - but does Seles really have what it takes to take down Germany’s golden girl? At Roland Garros in 1989, the world got its first glimpse of the rivalry that would become one of the most talked about in the sport - but not for the reason anyone expects. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. Presented by Clare Balding Written & Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Iles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

Steffi Graf had been world number one for 3 years; it seemed like nobody could challenge her supremacy. But then along came a teenage girl from Yugoslavia, whose aggressive style - that came with grunting to match - challenged Graf’s dominance as well as the status quo. Finally, there was a contender. Clare Balding takes us through the most exciting moments in this emerging rivalry, as well as the darkness that swirled behind the scenes. How Seles’ record breaking was sidelined for her breaking of etiquette, and what it was like for young girls like her who found themselves in the very adult world of elite tennis in the 90s. In the age of the indomitable Steffi Graf, what made people think that Seles could be the greatest player the women’s game had ever seen? And what put both players on a collision course that would end with one of them in hospital? Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

After three years, women’s tennis had a new number one. Monica Seles was riding high on a wave of success; out of the last nine Grand Slams, she had played eight finals, and won seven of them. But from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. We’ll hear about the moment that changed everything - for her, and for the world of women’s tennis. Those who were there describe the shocking scenes that left them stunned, and we hear from those whose job it was to manage the aftermath of such a public act of violence. As the news spreads, waves of shock are sent rippling out across the world, and questions abound; how badly hurt is Monica Seles? How could this happen? Who is her attacker? And why would he want to try and kill a teenage tennis player? Theories emerge, but one person has a hunch about the possible motive; her biggest rival, Steffi Graf. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

As police question the attacker, the strange motive for this appalling crime is revealed - sending another shockwave through the world of tennis and beyond. We learn more about the man who attacked Monica Seles, and a worrying obsession comes to light - exposing the frightening reality that female players have been navigating behind the scenes. We hear about how something innocent can turn into something dangerous; how fandom can become fixation. Time remains suspended for one of its best players, but the multi-million dollar world of women’s tennis keeps on turning. More revelations plunge Seles into further darkness - but she is a player famed for her fighting spirit. Will she be free when justice is served? Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence. Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

On paper, Monica Seles was expected to return to winning ways in just a few short months; this shocking crime would be a dark chapter that tennis would be keen to forget. So, why did months turn to a year, one year into two? Why was everyone left wondering - where is Monica Seles? We explore one of the strangest elements of this crime - Seles’ fight for justice, and how she seemed to be the only one suffering any consequences for the crime that befell her. We’ll hear from one of the few people that spoke to Seles when she disappeared from public life, revealing the true torment she was living with after her physical wounds had healed. Plus, how using food for comfort had given way to something more insidious; something that would prove to be one of the toughest opponents to beat. After so long away from the game, was a comeback beyond the realms of possibility even for a record breaker like Monica? Her story had been hijacked on that dark day in Hamburg, but was there another chapter yet to be written? Warning: This episode contains references to eating disorders. Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

820 days after the stabbing, Monica Seles makes her return to tennis - but how can she compete with the best in the world after more than two years away from the sport? Never one to live within other people’s expectations, Monica makes a remarkable return - everyone is left wondering, how is she doing this? But nothing in private is ever as it seems in public, and Monica continues to fight a secret battle within her own mind. One that will put her back in the harsh glare of the media spotlight. More than thirty years on since she was attacked by a fixated fan of her main rival, Steffi Graf, we look at how much has changed for female tennis players today, and what has been learned about why people stalk. The crime against Monica Seles left a lasting impression, not just on tennis, but on sport in general. It changed not only tennis history, but how security is managed at all live sporting events forevermore. But Monica Seles has a legacy beyond this one act of violence and tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic reflect on her lasting impact on the game itself. Are legends made from more than titles alone? Warning: This episode contains references to eating disorders. Presented by Clare Balding Produced by Emma Roberts Additional reporting by Russell Fuller Mixed by Gareth Isles Executive Producer: Joe Haddow Assistant Commissioner: Rob Green Commissioning Executive: Stevie Middleton

Lord's 2008. The most sacred ground in cricket had never witnessed anything like it. Across the London skyline a helicopter appeared and slowly descended onto the hallowed turf. From within emerged a tall, brash Texan who was greeted by the great and the good of cricket. With him was a box of money, and not just a few quid....$20 million. The man was Allen Stanford and he had an audacious plan to revolutionise the game of cricket. One match for $20 million - winner takes all, the loser gets nothing. But who exactly was Allen Stanford, why was he willing to splash out $20 million and why was he being entertained by the English cricketing authorities? Meanwhile thousands of miles away in the USA, unbeknown to those gathered at Lord's, a file with Allen Stanford's name was passed to the FBI. Greg James sets off on his journey to tell the real story of Allen Stanford - The Man Who Bought Cricket.

England's mens cricketers are preparing for a match that could change their lives forever. A one-off game that could net them $1 million each with one run, wicket or catch. It's a unique and extraordinary sporting prospect bankrolled by Allen Stanford. But how? Wasn't he just a washed up business failure from Texas? After the collapse of his gym business Allen is declared bankrupt. However a chance meeting with a mysterious European traveller in the Caribbean reveals a surprising new business venture in offshore banking on the island of Montserrat - a place known as the 'Wild West of Banking'. Stanford targets money from Latin America with clients seeking a safe haven for their finances away from corrupt governments at home. However the activities of Stanford's business dealings soon alert the attention of both the FBI and Scotland Yard, with both having suspicions that is all is not above board. In episode two of 'Sports Strangest Crimes: Allen Stanford - The Man Who Bought Cricket' , Greg James continues on his quest to find out who exactly Allen Stanford was and the truth behind his business empire.

After leaving the island of Montserrat, Allen moves his growing banking empire to the newly independent island of Antigua. Here he quickly realises that cricket is THE sport in the Caribbean, the game that everyone loves and follows and hatches a plan to invest in a new T20 tournament in the West Indies. He invests millions of dollars, signs up the greats of Windies cricket and sets the ball rolling on his cricket revolution. However while his banking business appears to be blossoming with thousands of customers investing hundreds of millions of dollars, behind the scenes law enforcement operations are still concerned and continue investigating the Texan and his operations. There are rumours of money laundering, bribery, lax accounting and even 'blood oaths' with senior regulators. Yet nothing seems to be able to stop Allen Stanford. He is the Lord of the Manor in Antigua and now he has his eye on revolutionising the game of cricket.

Antigua, 1st November, 2008. Months after landing his helicopter on the Nursery Ground at Lord's, complete with a box of cash in tow, Allen Stanford's dream is now a reality. The waiting and talking is over. One cricket match for $20 million. The winning players will walk away with a cool $1 million each, the losers will get absolutely nothing. One catch, one wicket or one run could be the difference between winning a life changing amount of money or leaving the field with nothing. According to one player the pressure made him 'feel sick'. It was The Stanford Superstars versus England for a unique and groundbreaking cricket match organised and bankrolled by the billionaire banking magnate Sir Allen Stanford. The coverage would be beamed around the world as cricket fans across the globe prepared themselves for a cricket match like no other. However away from the glitz, glamour and headlines of a match likened to the 'OK Corral', there were growing concerns amongst some players. What would happen to squad players who didn't make the starting XI, should they get any money? What about coaches, physios, analysts and other team members? The concept of Allen's match might have looked simple on paper, but things are not always what they seem.

After the groundbreaking $20 million cricket match, Allen Stanford was headline news across the cricketing world and beyond. He had delivered on his proposal to create a unique piece of sporting theatre, a cricket match the like of which had never been seen before. So as England's mens cricketers headed home following their defeat in the million dollar match, their counterparts in the West Indies celebrated their victory. However away form the celebrations in Antigua a couple of former Stanford employees have started a chain of events that could have huge implications for Stanford and his huge business empire. But billionaires don't shy away from a fight, especially when everything could be at stake. Sensing danger Allen employs all the tools at his disposal to try and stop the whistleblowers in their tracks.

Just a few months after the $20 million cricket match in Antigua, a perfect storm is brewing around Allen Stanford and his sprawling business empire. There are 'red flags' everywhere and with the financial world imploding the authorities in America are under pressure to act quickly before it's too late. But taking on a billionaire is not for the faint-hearted, there can be consequences. Both the FBI and SEC are nervous about their next steps, but fearing he could be another Bernie Madoff and is running a Ponzi scheme they hatch a plan to try and find out the truth about Sir Robert Allen Stanford. It's a race against time with billions of dollars and people's livelihoods at stake.

After attempted undercover operations, revelations from whistleblowers and numerous investigations going back years, the authorities in the USA decide to move against Sir Allen Stanford. In doing so the shocking truth behind his business empire is at last revealed to the world. However, big questions remain: Will he face justice? Where is the money? What will happen to thousands of investors? How will the cricket authorities react to the news that the man who 'bought cricket' is not all they thought he was? What about those who assisted his criminal activities throughout the years? In the final part of 'Sport's Strangest Crimes: Allen Stanford The Man Who Bought Cricket', Greg James discovers who the real Allen Stanford actually is and the truth about his business empire.

From the world’s oldest football league club to the communist dictatorship of North Korea, this incredible story has it all. It’s a tale of greed and intrigue that takes us on a journey from the streets of Nottingham to the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. At the heart of it, a conman who fooled football bosses, a London bank and foreign regimes. Russell King’s audacious multi-million pound scam brought the world’s oldest professional football club Notts County to the brink of oblivion. The story begins at the club’s ground Meadow Lane. It’s 2009 and the team has just managed to maintain their Football League status after years of fighting for survival. Out of the blue comes a knight in shining armour with promises of untold wealth from the Middle East and ambitions to catapult the club from the lowly fourth tier to the Premier League. Enter former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and England and Arsenal legend Sol Campbell. All of a sudden Notts County are surfing the crest of a wave – they’re off to the promised land. But is all as it seems? Or are their dreams about to be shattered? Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

A consortium called Munto Finance has taken over Notts County – the oldest professional football club in the world. Supposedly backed by millions of pounds from the Middle East, the club are promised riches beyond their wildest dreams. Sven Goran Eriksson is hired as director of football and England and Arsenal legend Sol Campbell joins the club on in a multi-million pound deal. David Beckham is rumoured to be joining the club – Andy Cole, Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo are also in the frame. The fans are ecstatic - on the threshold of new, successful era. But behind the scenes, all is not as it seems. Pulling all the strings is a businessman called Russell King. But he’s about to be outed as a convicted fraudster with a string of failed businesses behind him. Journalists begin to pick away at the façade and what they uncover makes for uncomfortable reading. Next, after just one game for the club, Sol Campbell walks off the training ground never to be seen in Nottingham again. Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

Alice Levine heads to Jersey to delve deeper into fraudster Russell King’s criminal past. She discovers how King enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle on the island, living in a lavish multi-million pound home with a swimming pool and set in acres of beautiful grounds. How he owned a collection of fast cars, hired private jets and enjoyed flights in a company helicopter. He was behind a business called Belgravia - a company which provided investment funds for the rich - low risk and high returns. But, with a collapsed toy empire behind him and a two year jail sentence for fraud, King was getting himself a reputation. When he commits another fraud worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, the police are on his tail and he’s forced to flee the island for Bahrain. Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

Revelations about Russell King’s criminal past have done nothing to dampen the spirits at Notts County football club. The team and the fans are on roll, dreaming again, their sights set on promotion. Meanwhile, in one of the most bizarre episodes yet, the club’s director of football, Sven Goran Eriksson finds himself in North Korea – a guest of one of the most notorious regimes in the world. He’s with the man pulling the strings behind the scenes at Meadow Lane – Russell King , a convicted fraudster with the police on his tail. King has a plan – a trillion dollar con worthy of a chess grand master. It’s convoluted, multi-layered and audacious but could net him his biggest pay day yet. But can he convince the North Koreans to play their part? Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston