Sporting Witness

In 1964, East German cyclist, Dieter Wiedemann, defected to the West to be with the woman he loved and to fulfil his dream of riding the Tour de France

In the late 1970s, three black West Bromwich Albion players revolutionised English football. Laurie Cunningham, Brendon Batson and Cyrille Regis had to face racist abuse, but won many fans thanks to their attacking flair. The three footballers even earned the affectionate nickname The Three Degrees, after a famous pop group of the time. The programme is a Whistledown Production and was first broadcast in 2012.

PHOTO: Cyrille Regis (BBC)

In 1986, Bill Buckner of the Boston Red Sox made one of the most famous errors in baseball history. With his team about to claim their first victory for 68 years, Buckner let the ball slip between his legs on a crucial play. The misfield spelled defeat for the Red Sox and convinced many fans that their team was cursed. Will Yates talks to veteran Boston Globe sports reporter Dan Shaughnessy and to a Boston fan. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

PHOTO: Bill Buckner (Getty Images).

In 1974, the British Lions rugby team made a famous and controversial tour of South Africa. As well as political controversy over Apartheid, the matches became legendary for their on-pitch violence and off-pitch partying. Alex Last talks to the Welsh winger, J.J Williams

PHOTO: J.J Williams on the tour of South Africa (Getty Images Sport).

In 1948 at the 'austerity' Olympics, newly independent India won gold on the hockey pitch. One of the stars of the Indian team was Balbir Singh.

(Photo: Balbir Singh scoring a goal against Great Britain. Credit: AP Images)

In 1991, the best golfers from the USA and Europe went head-to-head in one of the most bitter confrontations in the history of the Ryder Cup. Played shortly after the First Gulf War, some of the European team objected to the militaristic and fiercely partisan atmosphere encouraged by their American hosts. The tension spilled over into the tournament itself, which was decided on the last hole. Will Yates speaks to golfers Hale Irwin and Paul Broadhurst.

(Photo: Getty Images)

In 1988, the Canadian sprinter was disqualified 48 hours after winning the Olympic 100 metre final and setting a new world record. It was one of the biggest doping scandals in the history of sport. Simon Watts introduces Ben Johnson interviews from the BBC archives.

In 1967, the Scottish football team travelled to Wembley to play England, then the holders of the World Cup. In a match that would become legendary in Scotland, the visitors won 3-2 and taunted the English in the final few minutes of the game by playing keepy-uppy. David Whitty talks to Jim McCalliog, scorer of the winning Scottish goal.

(Photo: Jim McCalliog beats English goal-keeper, Gordon Banks. Credit: Getty Images)

In the summer of 1968, the South-African-born batsman put in a match-winning performance for England in a test match at the Oval. The ensuing row over whether Basil D'Oliveira should be picked for a tour of his country of birth led to the 25-year sporting isolation of apartheid South Africa. Sporting Witness speaks to D'Oliveira's England colleague, Norman Gifford, and his biographer, Peter Oborne.

PHOTO: Getty Images.

In the summer of 1968, the first games for athletes with intellectual disabilities was held in Chicago. They were promoted by the Kennedy family, one of whom had learning difficulties. Sporting Witness talks to Frank Olivo, who won the 50-yard race, and Anne Burke, a Chicago schoolteacher who helped organise the event.

Picture: Members of the US Special Olympic team (Private Collection)