It Could Be You

Who has survived the coach crash? All is revealed in the gripping first episode of the new series. Plus, Patrick is desperate to buy the club but so are a couple of lottery winners!

We start the series at the start of a new season, many changes having taken place. Patrick dedicates the season to winning and tells everybody to do it for Danny Rawsthorne, Stevie Shaw, Linton Alexander, Jamie Parker and Claudia Irving. Strangely, the Uefa Cup Final still took place after the crash and the shaken Harchester team lost 1-0 which is understandable due to the circumstances.

We find out that another player was badly injured during the crash, Karl Fletcher. While being nursed back to care, Fletch falls in love with his wife to be - Abi. They become husband and wife but Fletch obviously still has feelings for Lynda Block as we see himself picturing her dressed up in the wedding dress.

As the wedding goes on, we once again see Tash, with somebody new alongside her. Hope, her new expected baby! After putting Hope to sleep, Robbie Walsh, a client of Natasha's offers to take her home. Shockingly as they reach The Barons we find the two undressing each other - this has obviously happened before, but for how long? How could Tash get over Jamie so quickly?

Patrick is down to business straight away, as per usual. He wants to build a strong Harchester team and he feels to do this he must bring in some players from his old club - Paris St German. Curtis Alexander, Linton's brother and Marcel Sabatier, a French maestro who plays in the heart of midfield join the team after only hearing good things about the team and what they want to achieve. A new coach has also been recruited by Patrick - a strong, experienced Centre Back under the name Stuart Naysmith.

Things looking bright already, we realise that Mr Irving is not sticking around. Sam the former owner does not wish to stick around after the hurt he had been subjected to last season - Lynda Block cheating on him and his daughter being tragically killed. He wants the club off his hands but who wants it? Patrick Doyle & Jeff Stein join forces to create a consortium to buy the club, which they are sure Sam will find hard not to accept. Patrick is very eager to get into the Chairman's seat, for the good of the club, so he is the man in charge and so he can refill his pockets.

Meanwhile, back at The Barons, the newly weds, Abi & Karl Fletcher are looking for a house. Before the decision is made, Fletch cannot help but feel guilty about not supporting Lynda during the trial and goes to see her one final time. Good old Lynda hasn't changed and she tells Fletch to forget all about her and carry his life with his new wife, Abi. The pair share one final cuddle before Lynda has to go, she was sentenced and found guilty, spending 5 years on a lesser charge of manslaughter. Back at home, Karl and Abi decide to stay where they are at The Barons.

A few houses down Tash is filled with guilt over her affair with Robbie. She is about to go and visit… Yes you guessed it, Jamie in hospital! We find that Jamie never was actually killed but suffered horrific injuries and became mentally unstable.

The first game of the season, held at The Dragons Lair is a very emotional one. All the players play their hearts out for those players lost in the crash and it pays off with a brilliant 3-0 win against the strong Leeds United side with Marcel Sabatier scoring the third and winning goal even though an angry Doyle has left the team to attend business at half time.

At half time, an elated Patrick is given news that he really, really did not want to hear. Thinking the club was defiantly going to be his, Jeff dishes out the news that a new bidder came in and bought the club for an extra 2 million! What's worse is that the owners are two lucky lottery winners! During the second half Patrick & Jeff try to get in contact with Sam but to no prevail. Understandably, Patrick is furious with the news, but what does he plan to do? Reaching the climax of the episode, we find Patrick alone in his room, betting on Harchester United to be relegated by the end of the season, betting half a million pounds.

Notes:

First appearance of Abi Fletcher, Marcel Sabatier, Stuart Naysmith, Phil Wallis and Jacqui Wallis.

First episode as a regular for Curtis Alexander

Last appearance of Lynda Block until 6.32.

Soundtrack: Moby: "18", Ben Kweller: "In Other Words", DJ Shadow: "Blood on the Motorway", The Vines: "Get Free", Di-Indicator: "Nothing Like You", Air: "Sexy Boy", Gemma Hayes: "Back Of My Hand", DJ Tiesto: "Battleship Grey" and "Magik Journey", Hoobastank: "Crawling in the Dark", Morcheeba: "Public Displays of Affection"

Season 6 Guide