Season 5 Episode 17

Episode 245

 

Sky One Transmission Date:

Sunday 20th January 2002

 

Directed By

Henry Foster

 

Linton, Stevie

 

 

Stevie, Monday

 

 

Fletch, Rob McCaffrey

 

 

Linton, Curtis

GS: Curtis Alexander (Chucky Venice)  Terry Keach (Andrew Dennis)  Rob McCaffrey (as himself)  Rodney Marsh (as himself)  Dave Clark (as himself)

 

Lynda grudgingly meets Linton as he arrives on his motorbike at the Lair. Since Jeff came on board, Spurs, Charlton, Villa and Barcelona have all made offers for Fletch, and Karl is keen to be Barca's new star striker. Lynda warns Jeff if he wants his association with the club to continue, he will make the deals go away, as Fletch isn't for sale. Lynda adds how will his clients react when they hear the club won't deal with him when it's time to negotiate their contracts? Monday takes Linton into the dressing room, and Stevie wants to know why Linton chose the same club as him. Linton sinisterly wants to be on good terms with Stevie.

 

Curtis agrees to £35K a week, with his agent Terry surprised by his blasé attitude. Monday doesn't take kindly to Jeff turning up in his office asking him to put Fletch in the shop window, and angrily berates Fletch that for this he will play in a reserve game against Southend. Jeff gets on to his contact at Barcelona, saying with Fletch out he has another client they would like - Danny. Stevie goes to Lynda with his concerns about Linton, having experienced his behaviour in the past. Lynda puts it down to Linton's breakdown after his son's death, and says he is here on a trial as a favour to his brother. Stevie freaks when he sees Linton talking to Nikki and warns her away from him, something she doesn't thank him for.

 

Worried about his sole performance in training, Linton tries to persuade Curtis to join him at the next session to show what they can do. Curtis is apprehensive but turns up and the team are impressed. After seeing the team sheet that he won't even be starting for Southend but on the bench, Fletch skips the game. Lynda agrees with Monday that they will sign Linton on a pay-as-you-play basis. Fletch switches on You're On Sky Sports and listens as he takes a hammering over his perceived lack of loyalty to the club. Karl phones up the show to the surprise of the hosts and the watching Lynda, Jeff and Jamie. After a tongue-lashing for the club’s management, Karl adds he wants to play in Europe and for his country in the World Cup - making a personal plea to Carles Rexach of Barcelona to come and get him!

 

Jeff tells Danny to forget Barcelona and spins it that he can make him Harchester's most valuable player, more than even Fletch. The time has come for the Alexander brothers to sign their contracts, however Curtis does a disappearing act as soon as Linton has signed first, and Lynda knows he had no intention of signing. Linton storms Curtis's hotel room, knowing they only ever really wanted him, while Curtis tries to explain he did this to get Linton back in the game at their mom’s plea.

 

Lynda decides to cover Curtis's pulling out with Danny's new deal, alongside the signing of Linton. When Fletch sees it reported how Barcelona had offered ten million for Danny, he realises Jeff has shafted him, and gatecrashes the press conference to fly at Jeff. Fletch is physically dragged out, and attempts to contact his old managerial contacts including John Gregory, Alan Curbishley and Glen Hoddle. When he has no luck reaching any of them, Fletch realises he has burned a lot of bridges.

 

Notes:

 

Best Known For: Chucky/Charles Venn wrote and starred in his one man show "Ali The Greatest" (2003), transferred to Earl's Park FC as Tremaine Gidigbi in "Footballers' Wives" (2006), Hollywood blockbusters "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007) and "The Dark Knight" (2008) and further regular TV roles in "EastEnders" as Ray Dixon (2012-13) and Jacob Masters in "Casualty" (2015-present)

 

The Best: Fletch on “You’re On…” giving his view that he has no real friends at Harchester because Lynda Block is still there, and refers to Monday as a wet-behind-the-ears manager.

 

Foreshadowing: Stevie begins to tell Monday that something happened with Linton at Charlton which the press didn't get hold of, but they are interrupted. Curtis returns to PSG, where his manager Patrick Doyle comes to Harchester in 5.22 Changing Places, with Curtis following to sign for real in 6.1 It Could Be You.

 

Additional Info: Lynda reminds Jeff he represents seven of their first team regulars, which is roughly £35M business they've put his way in the last couple of years.

 

Surprise!: The revelation that Linton was responsible for the scar on Stevie's scalp.

 

Soundtrack: Limp Bizkit: "Take A Look Around" and "Rollin'",  Chicane: "Lost You Somewhere"

 

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