Season 8 Episode 3 Episode 327 Sky One Transmission Date: Sunday 31st October 2004 Directed by Kate Robinson

Dean, Eli Emma Lee, Jeff Jeff, Nikki Chelsea

GS: Eli Knox (Shane Lynch) Emma Casey (Nichola Jane Theobald) With the team playing Sporting Lisbon at home next week, they are guaranteed £16M in group stage revenue if they win, scoring enough to pay the players wages for the rest of the season. Eli tells Dean to stall any transfer deals as by the time they have won the game Eli can honour the contracts and the players will have to stay. Dean is uncomfortable betraying his friends, and Eli tells him he can have either his friends or his job, not both. A young woman arrives and introduces herself as Emma Casey, telling Dean Eli has asked her to help with the transfer deals. Before long however, Emma is on the phone to Eli saying she can keep Dean on the straight and narrow until after the match. Jeff tells Lee that Barcelona have come in for him at £12.5M. When Nikki admits she dreads the thought of telling Jeff about Portugal, Lee says he will tell Jeff himself as he won't let anything get in the way of them being together. Jeff takes Lee by surprise when he thinks Nikki is falling for him and that the feeling is mutual. Nikki thinks Jeff is acting weird and when Lee tells her that Jeff thinks he has a chance with her Nikki is horrified, stating that she could never feel that way about Jeff. At training, Lee winds Viv up saying he doesn't know why Bolton are interested to which Viv announces to the team that Lee is seeing Nikki. When Curtis tells Dean of how his dream to play for Charlton is coming true, the news gets to him and he pens his resignation to Eli. Emma gets onto Eli who says he was expecting this and has a plan. Emma arrives with keys for Dean's new car - the Aston Martin DV7 and a cheque for £250K from Eli, who is also giving Dean the same Champions League bonus as the players. When Emma suggests that Curtis could be the one deal he lets slip through, Dean is relived and shreds his resignation letter. Chelsea tells Dean that Bolton need Viv's medical records. Emma suggests they send the psychological report by "accident", which reads how Viv is not mentally fit to be playing professional sports. Nikki arrives with the Barca contract forcing Dean to sign it straight away. He tells Emma they cannot lose two strikers and she tells him to get down to Curtis's deal whilst she will stall sending Lee's to Barca. As he waits for Curtis's deal to complete, Emma texts saying she had to fax Lee's contract, and Dean stops Curtis's dream deal. When the team joke about Lee giving Nikki a kiss, Jeff is humiliated to learn the truth. At the house, Jeff tells Nikki he has just spoken to Barcelona who haven't received any paperwork. Jeff storms into Dean's office demanding to know why the contract did not go to Spain, upon which Dean realises what Emma has been doing and has made him screw over Curtis. Jeff goes down to the tunnel where he tells Lee what Eli will do if they win and asks him to lose the game. Nikki shows Jeff cheques Lee has sent them for £600K - the money they would have received if the Barcelona deal had gone through. Jeff says it's a golden handshake and Lee is saying goodbye to them. The team win the game and Dean hands out their cheques. He must then break the news that all outgoing transfers have been cancelled. A furious Curtis goes for Dean and has to be held back whilst Chelsea realises Dean knew about this all along and slaps him. Notes: Last appearances of Jeff Stein (Ray MacAllan) and Nikki Peggs (Nina Muschallik) Best Known For: Nichola Theobald appeared in the Wrigley’s Extra chewing gum sponsor ads for “Hollyoaks” in the late 00’s. The Best: Emma is a good bitch. Jeff and Nikki’s final scene, with her asking what he is going to do, and Jeff replying he honestly doesn't know, before spotting a kid kicking a ball and saying he knows he'll be all right though. They then walk off in different directions. We are also treated to lots of Nikki’s “What? Oh my God!” catchphrases for her final episode. Quotes: Don, upon Jeff and Nikki bursting into the team dinner to tell Lee that they are going to Barcelona: "Hey what do you think this is, a tea party?!". Viv, when Curtis makes his speech about how proud he has been to play with them: "Give it a rest Wordsworth!" Continuity: Curtis tells Dean of how his father used to take he and Linton to Charlton as a kid and how he saw the club get promoted in 1986. Additional Info: Curtis, Lee, Viv, Sully and Danny Mills all have transfer requests coming in: Bolton for Viv, Palace for Millsey, Newcastle for Sully and previously Man U for Presley, but they withdrew their offer as he is cup-tied for the Champions League. What Was The Score?: Harchester end up losing 2-1 to Sporting Lisbon at the Jorge Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon. At the home game at the Lair, Harchester win 1-0 taking them (all!) to the group stage of the Champions League. Soundtrack: Blur: "Out of time", Chicane: "No ordinary morning", Chris Isaak: "Wicked Game", Franz Ferdinand: "Come on Home", Futureheads: "The city is here for you to use", Radiohead: "Karma Police", Red Hot Chilli Peppers: “Give It Away”, Stone Roses: "I am the Resurrection” <<SE08 EP02 | Season 8 Main Page | SE08 EP04>>