Mike Bassett: Manager

- Season 1

(2005)

It is revealed that Bassett was axed by England after failing to qualify for the 2004 European Championships. He then took over Newcastle, where he was sacked after back to back relegations, before an unsuccessful return to Norwich. Then sacked by Colchester, Mike Bassett heeds the call to manage his boyhood club, Wirral County. After persuading his wife Karine to forego a sun-kissed retirement on the Costa Del Sol, Bassett gears up for a final shot at glory in Ellesmere Port. Things don't get off to a good start however, as the team concedes a goal in less than ten ...

After a terrible start to the league campaign, it's up to Mike Bassett to try to turn the club's fortunes around, the only problem being that they have no fortune to spend. As a result, his wife Karine comes up with the idea for him to do a 'Sam Allardyce' and make a loan signing. But with no money he must use that of his own without Karine knowing and so signs up-and-coming Dutch striker Ronnie Van Needlemans after watching him score several goals on a video sent by his agent. As it turns out Ronnie isn't the striker from the video but is in fact the goalkeeper. Mike...

With Wirral County firmly rooted to the bottom of the table Mike must find a way to get the goals back from his goal shy striker. This calls for Dr. Moss, a hypnotist who can hopefully get the goals out of him. In the next game he scores a hat-trick - in his own net. Mike Bassett also realises the fact that the club may be taken over by a cheap Ikea knock off. This calls for Moss again to hypnotize the buyer into making a mockery of Wirral, telling the press people in attendance to see his "Norwegian arse" and therefore get himself chased out of town. Also Mike fights...

With Wirral County looking doomed the fans turn on Bassett wanting results or his head. Not only that but former England wonder kid Kevin 'Tonka' Tonkinson turns up on his door step. With the help of Bassett and a cold shower a drunken Tonka leads Wirral to a 2-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers despite the death of his wife in a car-llama incident hours prior.

Following a glorious winning streak reformed alcoholic Tonka has lifted Wirral County out of the relegation zone. Along with his on the pitch brilliance he also causes the relegation rivals Mansfield Town's bus to crash and injure most of their squad. Bassett then finds out Tonka is going on a stag night and to keep his star man off the drink Bassett drinks all his spiked drinks on his behalf ending up drunk himself and in the process injures Tonka when he punches him to the ground putting him out for the rest of the season. Having by this time missed his son Jason's ...

With Karine gone for two months, Mike's world has fallen apart and with one game to go Wirral look set to go down after a dismal run after Tonka's injury. Mike then finds out that his father took a bribe in the FA Cup final of 1956 for money to help fix Mike's legs as a boy and allow him to play football. With this to spur him on he gets back with Karine and heads to the Wirral County ground. After a passionate speech to players, fans and reporters it's up to Wirral to get a better result than Mansfield Town (barring a ridiculously improbable defeat for York City) or ...