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Season 2 Episode 76 Episode 140 Sky One Transmission Date: Written By Paul Hodson Directed By |
Billy, Kelly, Julie John Alex, Luis Ian, Luis Jerry, Billy Lynda, Luis |
GS: Trudi Peyton (Shelly Minto) Clare Farrow (Sarah Farooqui) Clayton Richards ( It's the morning of the Cup Final match, and Lynda is alarmed when Jerry presents her with tickets (from Hilary at BudJet Flights
Denise is shocked when Frank wants to wait until after the game to deal with what she's saying regarding Leon and Alex. As the team board the coach to be taken to Wembley, Denise knows she must give it one last shot for
After arriving at the stadium, Jerry, carrying his briefcase, is stopped by a security guard who is none other than Mr MacKinley! John admits to Luis that his knee might not hold up and would feel better with
Alex returns to his room to collect his belongings after being expelled from the team. Denise is waiting there for him, and tries to get him to see she did it for him, and couldn't allow him to ruin somebody else's life. When Denise cries over how he's cost her both Frank and her job, Alex just walks out on her. A clash with Teddy Sheringham leads to an elbow in the face for Luis. Lynda can't bare to watch and inside encounters Coates, who goads her about how long Jerry has really known about her and Luis.
The teams go in at half-time, still goal-less. As Luis makes his half-time team talk, Coates appears, demanding he take back control of his team. He smashes his bottle and holds it to Luis's throat, having to be talked down by his two oldest friends Frank and John. A broken Ian is led away as the team go out for the second half. Jerry has joined Lynda inside and is eager to get back out now the game has kicked off again. Lynda can take no more and spills everything about how she has been having an affair with Luis, convinced Jerry already knows. Jerry is quite convincing as he pretends he had no idea, and Lynda is almost believing his reaction.
Jerry asks Lynda is it because she wants someone younger, and that he's always tried to give her the best of things. She tells him there's more to love than money and materialistic goods, and their marriage finished ages ago. Coates is escorted from the ground by the police. Jerry encounters a sozzled Billy in the gents, who gets on his knees and whines to the chairman about how he doesn't have his £25K. Jerry is more concerned with keeping Lynda and just tells Billy to forget it. After Luis’s second goal, Jerry directly calls MacKinley and says he wants ‘it’ done.
Into 4 mins of stoppage time and the Harchester fans are just longing for the final whistle to be blown. It comes, and Harchester United have won the FA Cup for the first time in their history. As the players and fans celebrate, Mr MacKinley is making his way up to behind the scoreboard. The team line up to lift the cup, with John Black doing the honours first, followed by Luis,
The team parade the trophy on the pitch, and Jerry drags a reluctant Lynda down to celebrate with them. MacKinley is in place, but to Jerry's horror Fletch pulls Lynda away into the path of Luis... and the firing line! MacKinley shoots... Notes: Last appearances of Ian Coates (Francis Johnson), Alex Wilkinson (Craig Robert Young), Denise Wilkinson (Joanna Monro) and John Black (Gary McDonald) · Terry Kiely’s first regular stint as Karl Fletcher ends here, though he is back for a guest appearance in 3.7 before rejoining in 3.48. John Salthouse moves behind the scenes to Executive Producer, also making a guest appearance as Frank in 3.7. The Best: John at Wembley, touching the grass. The moment he had been dreaming of his entire career. Julie and Kelly’s purple Dragon face paints. Kelly drinking Billy's (mostly) vodka and orange. The downfall of Alex and justice for Leon! All of the Wembley scenes, Harchester’s victory and the various liftings of the Cup. MacKinley’s rifle slowing poking through the scoreboard. · Quotes: Lynda (to Luis on her Jerry fears): "He's playing with us, he's booked us [she and Jerry] a holiday" Luis: "I know your husband. If he knew about us, he would do something more serious than book you a holiday!". Billy [hugging Jerry after Luis's second goal, with the worst possible statement followed by a big wet kiss]: "Don't you just love him hey? Don't you just love Luis Amor Rodriguez?!!" Foreshadowing: This is the last time we see Ian, but in two years time following Alan Rothman’s exit as Harchester manager, newspapers link him to a possible return to the job [5.5 (#233) Situation Vacant]. Though Stevie Shaw adds Coates is “drying out in a clinic” at that time. · Additional Info: On original airing, this episode gave Sky One it’s highest ever rated programme, a record that wasn’t broken until seven years later with December 2006’s “The Hogfather”. This is also the last episode to be properly set at Addison Road, Harchester’s ground since 1908, before the move to the newly built Dragon’s Lair in the next episode. Of course, we see Vicarage Road doubling as Addison twice more, in 9.11 (#367) War of the Roses set in the 1994-95 season, and Dream Team 80’s set between 1980-86. The waitress who brings room service to Fletch and Sean's hotel room is a pre-Sandra Greene Lisa Burstow, though the scene being in a London hotel, was likely not her Harchester character. What Was The Score?: First half, and 30 mins in Nicky Butt has to concede a corner taken by John Black, which Rodriguez just misses scoring with a header. A corner kick from Fletch leads to a goal from Luis and Harchester are leading 1-0. A corner kick from Giggs leads to a goal from Ronny Johnsen to make it 1-1. Roy Keane brings about a free kick for Harchester which Fletch shoots but misses. A pass from Fletch leads to Luis scoring his second, Harchester taking the lead with only 4 mins to go. · Soundtrack: The Verve: “The Drugs Don’t Work”. |
