Private Project

The Religion: 60 Years Of Loyal Support

For these football fans, and many like them, their religion is Manchester United.

This is the story of the world’s oldest Supporters’ Club . . . based 2,000 miles from Old Trafford on the Mediterranean island of Malta.

It all began when a young fan started the supporters club in memory of the players who died in the tragic Munich Air Disaster, which destroyed the greatest football team the world had ever seen in February 1958.

The film also takes us back to the Second World War when Malta was the most bombed place on the planet, and Manchester United's football stadium was also destroyed by a blitz by the Germans.

Manchester and Malta has been linked ever since.

  • JOHN GUBBA
    Director
    Denis Law - Made in Aberdeen; We are United: The Story of Mudsa
  • JOHN GUBBA
    Writer
  • JOHN GUBBA
    Producer
  • Gary Neville
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Joseph Glanville
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Joseph Tedesco
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Sir Alex Ferguson
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Father Hillary
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • John Calleja
    Key Cast
    "himself"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    sport, lifestyle
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 52 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 16, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    150,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Malta, United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Valletta
    Malta
    November 16, 2019
    world premiere (preview only)
Distribution Information
  • self-published
    Country: United Kingdom
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - JOHN GUBBA

Former TV and national newspaper reporter, John Gubba has been making films as an independent for 30 years. He specialises in sports documentaries but has a diverse background and his first TV series 'Wild Thing' premiered on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet and was shown in more than 60 countries.

'The Religion: 60 Years Of Loyal Support' is his first full length feature documentary and launches a proposed series of films about Manchester United and the unique role of the supporters who have made this the world's biggest sports brand and best supported club on the planet.

As an independent, Gubba has produced and published over 300 sports films on video and DVD. As a broadcaster, he was previously a full-time sports reporter and producer for Thames Television when it was the ITV franchise holder for London, and is currently a producer for BBC Sport's flagship programme Match of the Day.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film was a passion project. Born in Manchester, half Maltese, a lifelong United fan and celebrating my own 60th anniversary in the same year as the world's oldest Manchester United Supporter's Club this was a film I was destined to make. I risked everything to make the self-funded film, investing money from my own pension to get this feature length documentary completed. Everyone told me it was impossible. But I directed, produced, filmed, scripted, narrated and edited this film. And it is probably the best film I've ever made.