Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams: BBC One release date, where is Andrew Flintoff from and who is his wife?

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is a new series that sees the sportsman and presenter try to start a cricket club in his hometown of Preston.

The series, which starts on BBC One on Tuesday 5 July, is three episodes in total.

Here’s everything you need to know about Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.

What is it about?

With two-thirds of England’s current cricket team privately educated, Freddie Flintoff is one of relatively few working-class athletes involved in the sport.

This new series sees Flintoff try to start a cricket club in his home town of Preston, to try and foster more local engagement in the sport and to redress the balance in cricket more broadly.

As the official BBC synopsis explains, “for today’s young generation the opportunity to take Freddie’s path is unlikely, and he wants to change that.”

“Flintoff heads back to his hometown of Preston to start a new cricket team with an unlikely group of teens.  He’s determined to prove that anyone can play competitive cricket whatever their background. Undeterred by the somewhat negative reception to his idea, he holds try outs and starts a training regime with a group of lively teenagers.”

Who is Freddie Flintoff?

Andrew Flintoff – Freddie is a nickname – is a television presenter and former international cricket player. He started playing cricket professionally in 1995, at the age of just 18.

As a cricketer, he was one of the sport’s leading all-rounders: a fast bowler, a middle-order batsman, and a slip fielder.

Since retiring from full-time cricket in 2010, Flintoff has gone on to become a television presenter and personality. He’s probably best known as one of the presenters of Sky’s A League of their Own, and of BBC One’s current iteration of Top Gear.

Who is his wife?

Freddie Flintoff’s wife is called Rachel. They got married in London in March 2005, and have four children together.

Where is Freddie Flintoff from?

Flintoff is from Preston, which is a city in Lancashire. He grew up there, attending Ribbleton Hall High School (since renamed City of Preston High School) and playing many of his first cricket games with the Lancashire Schools under-11s and under-15s teams.

Flintoff Way in Preston is named after Freddie’s grandparents Tom and Alice Flintoff.

Interestingly, Preston is actually the first name of Flintoff’s fourth child.

Is there a trailer for Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams?

Yes, there is! Production company South Shore, the team behind the show, shared this trailer on twitter.

A longer clip from the series, which sees Freddie Flintoff connecting with some of the teen players, has also been released. You can watch that here.

When and how can I watch Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams?

Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams is starting on BBC One at 9pm on Tuesday 5 July.

New episodes will air weekly, and you’ll also be able to watch the series on BBC iPlayer.

How many episodes is Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams?

There are three episodes in Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams.

In the first episode, Freddie and the team play their first practice game, after only a few short weeks of training.

In the second episode, Freddie takes steps to arrange funding for the team – while a surprising new addition to the team and general teenage antics make their path forward a little more complicated.

In the third and final episode, Freddie and the team are ready for their big match against a local private school. Who will win – and will Freddie be proven right that anyone can play cricket?

Why is he called Freddie Flintoff if his name is Andrew?

It was a nickname given to him by a coach, the idea being that Flintoff sounded like Flintstone – hence Freddie like Fred Flintstone.

Why should I watch Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams?

It’s one to watch if you’re a fan of Flintoff as a presenter (or as an athlete). It also looks set to be an interesting and informative look at the role class plays in sport – while also being entertaining too.