Fight at the Fort

In the heart of the Scottish Highlands, Shadab Iftikhar has become Britain’s only Asian football manager. Desperate for a break, he has taken on one of the hardest jobs in the country - trying to save Fort William FC from relegation.

Fort William FC’s picturesque home sits at the foot of Ben Nevis, but in January 2022, a more ominous threat overshadows the club - the Highland League has controversially introduced relegation for the bottom-placed team, a position Fort William has occupied for the past five years. Relegation and its financial ramifications could be the end for the community club, and, to make matters worse, the league has deemed their pitch to be substandard, ordering the team to play all their home games away.

In a remarkable twist, new chairman John Trew has secured the services of a young manager with a CV unlike any other in the league. At 22, Shadab Ifitkhar was one of the youngest ever coaches to gain a Uefa A Licence. At just 31 years old, Shadab has managed in Mongolia, Samoa and scouted for the Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez. Shadab is now set to become the only Muslim and Asian football manager in the country. He has a mountain to climb, arriving halfway through a thus-far winless season, with the club rooted to the bottom of the table.

Fight at the Fort follows the efforts of the eager young manager to save the club as he battles challenges on and off the pitch. The film explores both his and his players’ desire to make it at the highest level possible, at all costs. Can Shadab and his team become local heroes, prove themselves and save Fort William FC?