Season 3 Episode 62

Episode 202

 

Sky One Transmission Date:

Thursday 18th May 2000

 

Written By

Paul Hodson

 

Directed By

Bob Tomson

 

Ann, Kelly

 

 

Luis, Lynda

 

 

Prash, Lynda, Victoria

 

 

Kelly, Fletch

 

 

Luis, Didier

 

 

Prash, Terry, Ray, Eddie

GS: Mr James (Andy Rashleigh)  Matt Coleman (Anthony Barclay)  Ian Walker (as himself)  Richard Keys (as himself)  Andy Gray (as himself)  Richard Littlejohn (as himself)

 

It is relegation D-Day for two Premier League clubs, Bradford City playing West Ham, and Harchester United. Didier and Prash meet at their derelict rendezvous and Prash gives Didier the first half of the money, the second half due when Harchester are relegated. Kelly arrives at Patterson PR still surrounded by yelling press. Ann shows her the latest story regarding her hospital visit to Fletch and says the whole thing has made her position with the company untenable, so she will have to let her go. Ray arrives at The Lair and finds Scott already there. Scott thanks Ray for sending him to Lisa and says he is happy whatever role Ray wants him for today.

 

Didier hands Victoria the first half of the money, and makes her sign an agreement that they will divorce and this will be the end of it. Luis says tomorrow he is booking his flight to Argentina and pleads with Lynda for him to get two tickets. Luis believes if Lynda really loved him she would want to be with him. Wes fears he is going to be sacked for injuring Fletch. Ann throws Kelly to the wolves when she learns of she and Fletch's liaison in Harchester. Andy Gray comments on how if Bradford win at Upton Park, Harchester will be relegated even if they beat Spurs. Ray calls Wes and Scott in, telling Wes if they were a bigger club he would be sacked, but he is starting both he and Scott today. Scott and Wes shake hands.

 

Kelly approaches Wes in reception but he walks away. Billy asks her to stay away, and Kelly says everybody has turned against her and she's been sacked. Billy is unsympathetic. Lynda chats to Ray in the tunnel, and reveals she even went to church for a good result today. Ray is certain they will win but it's after the game he's not sure about. Luis appears and loudly makes it clear he wants to know about Lynda’s plans for after too. Luis tells Lynda if she was his wife she would come with him, and outright proposes to her. Lynda is shocked, and cannot say yes or no. But that gives Luis his answer, and he tells Lynda it's over and goodbye.

 

In the Players' Lounge, Lynda encounters Victoria, with a brand new designer outfit and bracelet, and splashing the cash. Lynda is stunned to hear Didier has paid her off, even more so when Victoria believes it is from a bonus from the club. Outside the Lair, Kelly watches as Fletch pulls up in his Lamborghini. Inside, Ann tells Fletch after today he will have to find someone else to represent him as she was very fond of Kelly. Fletch is indignant that Kelly couldn't keep her hands off him. Prash arrives with his associate Matt, who remarks on the "tattiness" of the Players' Lounge, but is put in his place by Lynda who responds she hasn't heard a thing about him. As she watches Fletch give interviews, Kelly gets on the phone to her dad.

 

Ray hands it to Didier and the pre-match team talk, but with the weight of his task on his mind, Luis takes over and he concludes with how the club is a Premiership team, so today they play only for Harchester. As Harchester and Spurs meet in the tunnel, Prash takes his seat next to Lynda and is introduced to Victoria, showing off the bracelet he ultimately bought her. Kelly manages to get an overworked receptionist to hand over Fletch's car keys, and she speeds off in his baby. Kelly arrives at her father's scrap yard, and while he hates Fletch for what Kelly's been through, he is apprehensive about working on the Lamborghini, knowing only a handful of this model were made. Kelly and her dad watch as the crusher comes down on Fletch's baby.

 

At half time, Ray and Luis are concerned about how Didier was caught out of position twice. Prash takes Victoria aside to ask if it's wise to have one-hundred-thousand pounds in her handbag. Victoria points out he knowing exactly how much money she has and Didier playing badly must be connected if it leads to the club being relegated and Lynda leaving with Luis. Kelly and her dad return Fletch's Lamborghini-cum-cube to it's old parking spot at the Lair. Fletch hears the announcement to come to the car park. Kelly presents Fletch's number plates on top of his crushed cube, and it dawns on him what she's done. Kelly tells Fletch he can go and get a new car, but he destroyed she and Wes, as a photographer snaps Fletch sprawled over his cube crying.

 

Prash asks Victoria what she wants and she demands a quarter-of-a-million from him. Lynda enters the Players' Lounge where she overhears, and realises Prash has paid Didier to throw the game. On the pitch, Billy is brought down by Walker and a penalty awarded. With Didier about to take the spot kick, Lynda tells Prash she will sell him the club for £25M, but only if they stay in the Premiership, if they go down she is keeping the club. Prash makes a desperate run down to the pitchside, where, held by stewards he yells for Didier to stop, in front of Ray and the team. Didier sees Prash, but thinks he is still in on the deal. With Scott, Billy and Luis on standby, Didier takes his shot...

 

Notes:

 

Best Known For: Andy Rashleigh has a 60+ credit list which includes The Practice (1985), regular roles in Crossroads (1987-88) and it's space follow-on Jupiter Moon (1990-91), Out of the Blue (1995-96), the role of Henry VIII in The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001) and the film V for Vendetta (2005)

 

·          The Best: Fresh from his failed proposal to Lynda, Luis’s passionate speech on how although he is leaving, he has his heart in two places, Argentina and Harchester. Kelly’s revenge. Victoria showing Prash she is far smarter than he realised in regards to sussing Didier’s bribe. Lynda's horror, as she sees Didier wrestling with Luis to be the one to take the penalty which will decide their future.

 

Quotes: Prash: "What a lovely bracelet"  Victoria: "Thankyou. It was a gift. From me to me!"

 

·          Foreshadowing: The photographer present to capture Fletch’s cube discovery will come back to haunt him and provide Wes with the final last laugh [4.3]

 

Continuity: Sky Sports News recalls Harchester’s season history: First UEFA Cup adventure (3.3), four of the first team killed in the plane crash (3.4), knocking out Scottish treble winners Rangers (3.17), followed by holders Parma (3.46), only to go out at the Quarter Finals against Mallorca (3.50).

 

·          What Was The Score?: In the Bradford game, Dean Windass and Jamie Lawrence are the scorers, while Frank Lampard and Joe Cole equalize for West Ham. Harchester v Spurs: A hot-headed Billy gets a yellow card. There is euphoria when Luis scores. Wes scores Harchester’s second. Chris Armstrong scores for Spurs, and Didier is at fault, obviously. David Ginola scores, to the horror of every Dragon's fan, making it 2-2, the same score it finishes at Bradford. The episode finishes on Didier’s penalty kick. See next episode for result.

 

Soundtrack: Robbie Williams: "She's the One",  Hepburn: "Deep Deep Down",  Bessie Jones: "Sometimes",  The Verve: "This Time",  Travis: "The Last Laugh of the Laughter", Sheryl Crow: “Anything But Down”

 

·          Behind The Scenes: Of course the Lamborghini seen didn’t really meet the crusher. Asked in 2018 how they carried out the story, writer Ian Ridley revealed: "Remember it well and the discussion in the story lining room about how we might afford to crush a Lamborghini! From memory, they found an old banger the same colour and didn't show the actual crushing, but did before-and-after shots."

 

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