Tony Boyle (Alan Stocks) 2003

First Regular Appearance: 7.1 (#293) Groundhog Day  Sunday 28th September 2003

Last Regular Appearance: 7.13 (#305) Oh Come All Ye Faithful  Sunday 21st December 2003

Duration: EP: 293 - 305  |  SE: 7.1 – 7.13

Position: Owner of Boyles Builders

Last Seen: Dead from a heart attack outside the Dragon's Lair, after being caught out with Donna by son Dean and wife Karen.

A man who was never going to win any awards for Father of the Year (or lifetime), Tony spent his life in the building trade where he begged, stole and borrowed (literally) to set up his own small business, Boyles Builders. He had a son, Dean, but Tony was an absent and neglectful father throughout his childhood. Dean however, idolized his father and longed for his approval and praise, which only ever came once in a blue moon.

Tony took Dean into the "family business" but often left him to do all the hard work while he spent his time in pubs and stashing money away for himself. Despite his selfish, lazy nature, Tony could still charm, and met Karen Gibb, who would have been more suited to Dean, a new easily impressionable wife he could mould into the perfect housewife in his life. Dean fell in love with Karen's sister Donna, who Tony too had his eye on. Not caring about his son's feelings once more, Tony seduced Donna, and with Dean now old enough to realise his father wasn't the dad he deserved, goes off on his own. With the threat of Donna hanging over his life with Karen, Tony was glad to see the back of his sister-in-law and didn't try to persuade Dean to stay, in fact he didn't bother with his son for another two years.

It is Karen who pushes to get father and son back together for Dean's birthday, where they can share the one thing Tony and Dean always had a common love for - Everton Football club and its replay against Harchester United at the Dragon's Lair. The family turn up to the game and typical Tony admits he hasn't bought any tickets, sending Dean to find some which he does from a tout, only they are for the home crowd. Although Everton lose, the day takes a whole new turn when Phil Wallis raffles off the club to the seat Donna is sitting in, and Tony uses Dean's claim as owner of the ticket to latch onto his son being the new chairman. With Clyde Connelly's further claim to the club put forward, Tony takes control of the family and pitches their caravan outside the club. The biggest threat to the Boyle's claim is the tout, Steve Johnson, who sold them Clyde's tickets, and Tony plans to send him on his way with a bashing from he and Dean, but they witness Ryan kill Steve beforehand.

Tony is glad when he manages to force Donna out of the family, but into Clyde's arms and goes ahead with her own claim to the club. Tony discovers Donna has cheated on Clyde with Curtis, and after Matt Webster is taken out of the running for the ownership, Tony warns Donna to drop her claim or he'll reveal all. When Donna calls his bluff, Tony goes on Sky Sports and does what he promised. Thrown out by Clyde, Donna plots the ultimate revenge on Tony, by exposing him to Karen and Dean and making sure he never gets anything from the club. Pretending she is giving up her claim, Donna returns to the family and when alone with Tony at the club seduces him as easy as before, only with her finger on the loudspeaker Tony's actions are recorded for Dean and Karen to hear. Tony chases Karen as she runs away, and he collapses from a heart attack outside the Lair. As a fitting punishment, Karen has Tony buried in Harchester instead of his beloved Liverpool.