America’s Parking Lot - premieres 9pm, Tuesday 18 November (Sky 534 & Virgin Media 243) This documentary by Jonny Mars follows two diehard sports fans as they spend their last season with their team before it relocates. Cy Ditmore and Stan ’Tiger’ Schults are both life-long fans of the Dallas Cowboys, supporting their team through thick and thin over the years. One of the most successful teams in NFL history, the Cowboys have won the Super Bowl five times, although their last triumph was in 1996. An important tradition for American Football fans, established over many years, is the tailgate party, a pre-match celebration in the parking lot outside the stadium during which the fans enjoy a few drinks and a barbecue. Cy and Stan were regulars at the ‘Gate 6’ party at the Texas Stadium, which was one of the noisiest and best-attended in the NFL. In 2006, however, tradition came under threat as sport collided with big business. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, announced plans to build a new stadium at Arlington, 20 miles west of Dallas. The new arena, now known as the AT & T Stadium, was opened three years later. The Cowboys’ new home is a far more salubrious venue than their previous one, but the move alienated many fans and threatened to dissolve friendships that had been built over decades. The AT & T Stadium still sees a tailgate party before each game, but for many fans things will never be the same.

• published: 15 Oct 2014
• views: 8