Documentary on Northern Ireland footballer wins at Sports Emmy awards

The Irish documentary about the deceased footballer Jimmy Hasty won the Outstanding Short Documentary award at the Sports Emmys on Tuesday night in New York.

Directed by Richard Milway, the 27 minute UEFA documentary follows the life of Northern Irish football player Jimmy Hasty.

The footballer lost his left arm due to an industrial accident which occurred in Belfast, his hometown, hence his nickname: One-Armed Wonder. Despite losing his left arm at 14, Hasty still had a successful career as a professional football player.

Best known for his time as a forward for the Dundalk FC team between 1960 and 1966 where he became the club's top goal scorer, he also went on to play in the first match Ireland won abroad in Europe in 1963 against Zurich.

The footballer was tragically murdered in Belfast by loyalist paramilitaries in 1974 as he was walking to work.

Milway expressed his gratitude on Tuesday night when he won the Sports Emmy, saying,

"I'd like to thank the Hasty family, Jimmy's sons Paul and Martin and his wife, Margaret. It's 50 years since Jimmy was killed, and this was the first time that Margaret spoke about Jimmy's death. She did so with amazing grace and courage, and I'd like to dedicate this award to her."

The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Short Documentary goes to Extraordinary Stories | One-Armed Wonder: The Extraordinary Story of Jimmy Hasty (https://t.co/DOVoou0GdN). pic.twitter.com/nWhq25HHv9

— Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) May 22, 2024