Sport's Strangest Crimes - TopPodcast.com

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Spygate: 4. The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

The 2007 Formula 1 season is hotting up, but it’s the action off the track that is really starting to burn. While Hamilton, Raikonnen and Alonso battle it out in Germany, It’s time for McLaren to face the guard dogs of Formula 1 - or, as they’re better known, the FIA. The team is off to Paris to defend themselves against charges of misconduct. But this isn’t any old trial. It’s one not only of rights and wrongs, but also of personal wills, big egos, and power struggles. Strap in, because Spygate is going on trial… F1 style.

Co-host and script consultant: Sarah Holt

Producers: Matt Nielson and Rosie Stopher

Sound design: Alex Portfelix

Showrunner: Sarah Stolarz

Any questions about this podcast: spygate@bbc.co.uk

Spygate: 3. It All Goes Wrong for Ron Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

The British Grand Prix is always a highlight in the Formula 1 calendar, but in 2007, you can cut the tension with a knife. Whilst Lewis Hamilton prepares for his first home race, behind the scenes McLaren is rocked by allegations of spying from Italy. It’s a bolt from the blue for F1 insiders: Nobody saw this coming, and especially not from ‘squeaky clean’ McLaren. And to make matters worse, Ferrari are seriously challenging the British team for the Championship. Ron Dennis might know who’s behind the allegations, but how can he protect McLaren’s reputation and damage control this mounting scandal? Has he dropped the ball on what should be the season of a lifetime?

Co-host and script consultant: Sarah Holt

Producers: Matt Nielson and Rosie Stopher

Sound design: Alex Portfelix

Showrunner: Sarah Stolarz

Any questions about this podcast: spygate@bbc.co.uk

Spygate: 2. A Strange White Powder Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Ferrari receives an alarming email - subject line: “Industrial Espionage”. In a sport of continuous engineering innovation, the last thing you want is rivals peeping at your secrets. But the spying alert comes at an especially bad time for the famous Italian team. On track, they’re in the middle of a team makeover, and behind the scenes, they’re investigating what looks like an internal sabotage scandal. Who at Ferrari would want to harm their own team? And what does this all have to do with that mysterious package of documents in the Surrey photocopy shop? When police and lawyers get involved, information is uncovered that blows Spygate wide open.

Co-host and script consultant: Sarah Holt

Producers: Matt Nielson and Rosie Stopher

Sound design: Alex Portfelix

Showrunner: Sarah Stolarz

Any questions about this podcast: spygate@bbc.co.uk

Spygate: 1. Rivals Awaken Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Excitement is in the air as the 2007 Formula 1 season gets underway. There’s a feeling that the World Championship is anyone’s for the taking. Michael Schumacher might have just retired, but Italian icon Ferrari is looking fierce and British powerhouse McLaren isn’t looking too shabby either. Under the guidance of legendary team boss Ron Dennis, the team looks like a strong contender once more with a fast car, driven by reigning world champion Fernando Alonso no less. But when their second driver - an unknown rookie called Lewis Hamilton - outperforms all expectations, it upsets the apple cart in ways that no-one can imagine. Meanwhile, in a photocopy shop in sleepy Surrey, a customer comes in to copy a package of documents that will change Formula 1 forever.

Co-host and script consultant: Sarah Holt

Producers: Matt Nielson and Rosie Stopher

Sound design: Alex Portfelix

Showrunner: Sarah Stolarz

Any questions about this podcast: spygate@bbc.co.uk

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 1. The Promised Land Feb 21, 2022

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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

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 2. Toy Story Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

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

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 3. Treasure Island Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

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

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 4. Fool’s Gold Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

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

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 5. Pay the Milkman Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

Notts County were sold a dream of untold millions and Premier League football but it’s all come crashing down.

Over the course of just a few months the club has racked up millions of pounds of debts and now they can’t even pay the milk bill.

Sven Goran Eriksson has returned from his crazy trip to North Korea and conman Russell King has vanished.

As the creditors come knocking, Sven and chairman Peter Trembling go hunting for new investors to save the club from impending closure.

Meanwhile, the hunt for the trillion dollar conman is on...

Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

The Trillion Dollar Conman: 6. To Catch a King Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

There’s nowhere to hide for serial fraudster Russell King. Holed-up in Bahrain, time has finally run out for the trillion dollar conman.

On his tail, a detective who has spent 10 years trying to bring him to justice for his crimes on the island of Jersey. But Russell King has one last throw of the dice.

Meanwhile Notts County, the football club he used and abused to satisfy his own greedy endeavours, are storming to glory in the most memorable season of their long, long history.

Despite being brought to their knees financially, the club, its fans and its players, have rallied. It’s time to celebrate.

Sound designer: Paul Lewis Producer: Nick Southall Series Producer: Ben Robinson Editor and Executive Producer: Carl Johnston

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