Sporting Witness

On 15 October 1981, at a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees in the USA, American cheerleader Krazy George Henderson got fans to stand up and sit down in sections around the stadium.

Over the next few years, the cheer spread to supporters of other sports around the country.

When crowds at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico joined in, it went global, earning the nickname the Mexican Wave.

Rachel Naylor speaks to Krazy George about why he’d prefer we call it the Krazy Wave.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: Cheerleader Krazy George Henderson at an Oakland A's baseball game in 1982 at the Oakland Coliseum in California. Credit: David Madison/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal was known for being one of the best clay court tennis players but, ever since he started playing at four years old, it was his ambition to triumph on grass and win Wimbledon. After losing twice in the final to his great rival, Roger Federer, they played one of the longest finals - finishing just before nightfall.
Rafael Nadal describes how winning Wimbledon in 2008 was the catalyst to winning 22 majors before retiring in 2024. Produced and presented by Uma Doraiswamy.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
(Photo: Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2008. Credit: Ian Walton/AFP via Getty Images)

In July 1990, West Germany won the World Cup for the third time, beating Argentina 1-0 in Rome.
The shirt the victorious players were wearing that night has become one of the most sought-after by classic kit collectors.
With its distinctive black, red and gold zigzag across the chest, West Germany’s 1990 shirt was a game changer in the world of football kits and helped usher in a new era of bold designs.
In 2025, Guy Kilty spoke to the shirt’s designer, Ina Franzmann, about how she created the famous kit.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
(Photo: West German midfielder Lothar Matthaeus and forward Pierre Littbarski celebrate with the World Cup trophy. Credit: AFP via Getty images)

In 2000, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Nazario, known as Ronaldo, suffered a career-threatening knee injury whilst playing for Inter Milan at the age of 24.
His physiotherapist, Nilton Petroni, said it was the ‘worst football injury’ he had ever seen.
Over the next two years, Nilton worked with Ronaldo to rebuild his knee so that it could withstand the pressure of playing football again after surgery.
By 2002, Ronaldo was fit again and selected for Brazil’s World Cup squad. He scored eight goals in seven games as Brazil became world champions for a record fifth time.
Nilton has been speaking to Tim O’Callaghan about Ronaldo’s amazing recovery.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the Fifa computer game was created.
(Photo: Ronaldo and Nilton during a treatment session for his knee. Credit: Antonio Scorza/AFP)

Host nation Brazil were World Cup favourites in 2014, but the German team dismantled Brazil's defense and spirit by scoring five goals in 29 minutes.
Germany's Thomas Müller tells Uma Doraiswamy how they inflicted Brazil's heaviest defeat.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
(Photo: Thomas Müller celebrates scoring his Germany's first goal. Credit: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)