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Leeds United to release new documentary with Amazon Prime

Sophie Smith - 18th August 2022

Leeds United announced yesterday that Academy Dreams: Leeds United will be released on Prime Video next month.

The six-part docuseries will be narrated by former Leeds-United player Vinnie Jones and follows the Leeds United Academy through the 21/22 season, the year that the football team broke the Premier League's record for the highest number of teen debuts in a season.

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Read More: Leeds United fans have been named the ‘most passionate fans’ in the Premier League

The series follows on from Take Us Home: Leeds United, which ahve both been produced by NEO Studios.

There will be features from local legends and England international player Kalvin Phillips, as well as more recent talent rising through the ranks like Sam Greenwood, who initially joined the team in 2020 and has now signed to stay with Leeds United until summer 2026.

Joe Gelhardth was another 2020 signing that features in the new docuseries. Having has already played a game with Leeds United in this season.

Sam Greenwood. / Image: Leeds United

Speaking about the upcoming docuseries, Angus Kinnear, Leeds United FC CEO, said to Broadcast Now: “The reaction to Take Us Home was incredibly positive from fans of Leeds United and other clubs, as they were brought closer to the club than ever before through the eyes of the team, coaches, and staff.

"We’re rightly proud of our academy continuing to provide our first team with players who identify so closely with Leeds United, and we’re delighted to partner with NEO Studios and Prime Video again to now bring their stories to life."

Read More: There’s a Leeds United college dedicated entirely to sport

The Prime series is set to land on screens on Friday 23 September 2022.

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Sport

The Crucible Theatre set for major £45m upgrade as World Snooker Championship stays in Sheffield

Danny Jones World Snooker Championship staying in Sheffield + Crucible Theatre refurb

World Snooker Championship staying in Sheffield + Crucible Theatre refurb

Sheffield Theatres' much-cherished Crucible is set for a huge upgrade as the World Snooker Championships (WSC) are set to stay in the Steel City.

Great news for sport in Yorkshire all-round.

Estimated to be worth around £45 million, the Grade II-listed structure renovations won't begin for a little while just yet, but it is set to increase the capacity of the space by more than 50%.

Announced on Tuesday, 24 March, the major refurb will be partly funded by public money and topped up by the private sector and "philanthropic partners".

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The UK government and Sheffield City Council will be pumping in approximately £35m, with a further £10m being added through the investment mentioned above.

Soon to allow the theatre to scale up or down in size, the hope is that the new 'in the round' format will enable the Crucible to serve its arts and sporting audiences for decades to come, as well as opening the big Northern stage up to new opportunities.

Due to start in the summer of 2028, it's still unclear as to the exact completion date, but the plans are in support of confirmation that the annual snooker tournament will stay put.

A fresh agreement with the WSC will see them stay in Sheff until at least 2045, with the Crucible's number of seats set to jump from just under 1,000 to 1,480.

It's also said there is an option in the deal to extend the contract until 2050, and as one of the biggest competitive events that comes to the city year in and year out, you would expect them to push hard for the Council and partners to push hard for this, too.

crucible theatre redevelopment — Credit: Bread and Butter PR (supplied)

sheffield theatres investment — Credit: Bread and Butter PR (supplied)

Dan Walker, Chair of Sheffield Theatres Trust, said in a statement: "The Crucible is a wonderful theatre with a brilliant reputation, and the positive impact of this investment will be seen for years to come.

"As a proud resident of Sheffield, I know the importance of snooker to our city, but this isn’t only good news for Sheffield: this is amazing news for the north of England and the whole of the UK."

If all goes to plan, the overhaul should take around 18 months, with productions being hosted in the Lyceium and the newest room, the Montgomery.

All the while, the Sheffield Theatres will continue to present new work both domestically and around the globe over this period, with more details coming this autumn 2026.

world snooker champs staying in sheffield — Credit: Supplied

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Sport

TV presenter’s rant pointing out double-standard over Sheffield Wednesday punishment goes viral

A TV presenter and Sheffield Wednesday supporter's speech about the perceived double standard concerning another pending points deduction at her club compared to the punishment of Premier League clubs is trending online.

Many believe she's pretty bang on the money, to be fair.

Wednesdayite Sophy Ridge, who hosts a regular Sky News show with fellow presenter Wilfred Frost, recently took the opportunity to indulge in some understandable fan frustration during a show this week.

Admittedly, getting on her soapbox a bit - and for good reason - the Richmond-born Owls fan simply shed light on the contradictory nature of Sheffield Wednesday's penalty set for the next season over financial violations when compared to top-flight offenders.

Went on a bit of a rant on telly comparing how Chelsea & Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt with#swfc

pic.twitter.com/AeHhlwNRtH
— Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky) March 17, 2026

Citing both Manchester City (with their estimated 115-130 charges still no closer to being resolved) and now Chelsea as being the most recently accused of breaking regulations, she argued that there's a significant difference between penalties teams are being slapped with - or in some cases, still avoiding.

For instance, while the Man City saga first broke back in February 2023 and relates to alleged breaches dating all the way back to 2009, they are yet to be confirmed as guilty, at least not in any public announcement.

As for the West London club, Chelsea have only just been hit with a fine, albeit a Premier League record sum of approximately £10.75 million, as well as a 12-month transfer ban, though it has already been suspended for two years.

This is due to them having made undisclosed payments to agents, players and various other individuals during the Roman Abramovich ownership era.

Meanwhile, for anyone who hasn't been following the huge furore among the long-suffering Sheffield fanbase, Wednesday fans, players, and footballing staff are the ones being penalised for what many believe is nothing more than 'improper' and 'irresponsible' management of the club at an executive level.

For context, they are currently set to start the next 2026/27 campaign in the EFL's third tier with a 15-point handicap, which could very well spell yet another disaster year, with Ridge adding: "How attractive is that [a club sale] going to be for an owner that might be looking at back-to-back relegations?"

https://thehootleeds.com/the-sheff/sheffield-wednesday-could-be-set-for-a-starting-points-deduction-next-season/

Sadly, it seems that its matchgoers and other die-hards are the ones set to pay the price this time, as they often have been; according to the sports journalist, that's often the case further down the pyramid.

For instance, Todd Boehly's Chelsea organisation seem to have been let off the hook regarding any setback in the standings due to their cooperation with the profit and sustainability (PSR) investigation, and because their offence pre-dates the modern PSR guidelines era.

In fact, Chelsea were actually said to have voluntarily reported themselves regarding historic offences within youth football, which also seems to have afforded them some leniency.

Put simply, she believes it's unfair for the soon-to-be League One side to face such harsh terms and a fee just a few million shy of the figure they've been told they 'must' pay outgoing owners, Dejphon Chansiri, while Chelsea face "no sanctions despite the fact this [illegal spending] clearly would have given them a sporting advantage" in the past.

What do you make of the whole saga, and do you think there's a difference in how so-called 'bigger' clubs are treated compared to those in lower divisions?

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Featured Images — Sky News (screenshot)/Daniel Bagshaw (via Wikimedia Commons)