大象传媒

In 2008, Union Berlin played in the third division in German football. They were best known for the extraordinary atmosphere at their unique stadium, the Stadion An der Alten F枚rsterei, which is surrounded by forest in East Berlin.

But long term financial challenges for the club meant the stadium was becoming too run down to use. The team was at risk of having to move, until fans volunteered in their thousands to take on the renovation work themselves.

Lifelong Union fan Sylvia Weisheit oversaw the project, and she tells her story to Kit Holden. This is a Whistledown production for the 大象传媒 World Service.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You鈥檒l hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women鈥檚 World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football鈥檚 biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who鈥檝e had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: A supporter cements stairs during renovation work at Union Berlin's stadium. Credit: John MacDougall / AFP via Getty Images)