This long-running series from Sky One centred on the (fictional) Harchester United Football Club. The cast changed frequently, but some characters became synonymous with the series.
United’s star striker Karl “Fletch” Fletcher (Terry Kiely) started as a schoolboy and finished as a legend after three separate spells with the club, in between stints in Saudi Arabia and Spain.
Despite his off-field issues, which included a murder charge, Fletcher managed a stunning 172 goals for the club.
Fletch (pictured below) appeared in almost all ten series in various capacities – as a player, manager, and even as a “ghost” after he was shockingly murdered by unhinged manager Don Barker (Jon Morrison), with the help of a clothes peg in the dressing room at the Millennium Stadium.
Lynda Block (Alison King) was the wife of the club’s original owner, Jerry (Michael Melia). Known for her high-stakes business dealings and complex love life, she was a central figure for most of the series.
In series 4, she murdered Prashant Dattani (Ramon Tikaram), a businessman who was attempting to take over the club.
She originally escaped to Spain but eventually confessed after the Harchester team bus crashed in series 5 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Lynda returned in series 9 after being released from prison early. She was re-appointed as Chief Executive by the mysterious “Dragons Corporation” to help rebuild the club after another tragic coach crash.
Sandra Greene (Lisa Burstow) worked behind the scenes at the club and was one of the most frequently appearing characters until her departure in 2004.
Frank Patcham (John Salthouse) was the no-nonsense academy coach and manager who appeared from the very first episode through to the series finale.
Multiple bus and plane crashes killed off entire squads, but the Dragons continued to rise from the ashes, and some notable players represented Harchester over the 10 years.
Despite being plagued by off-field issues during his time with Harchester, Jamie Parker (Jim Alexander) was one of the club’s greatest goalkeepers.
He made the move after falling out of favour at Chelsea and impressed so much he was on the cusp of an England call-up when his career came to a tragic end after he was shot by police officers inside the Dragon’s Lair (after taking the team hostage during a must-win encounter).
Former captain Danny “Sully” Sullivan (Danny Husbands, pictured at right) saw it all at Harchester United, surviving the coach crashes at the UEFA Cup and play-off finals.
He scored one of the most important goals in the club’s history during his seven years at Harchester, securing Champions League qualification.
Sully’s post-retirement breakdown eventually saw him set fire to the stadium.
Midfielder Clyde Connelly (Tim Bryn Smith) was one of the few players to progress through the club’s academy to become a first-team regular – and very nearly chairman. His goal saved Harchester from relegation, but under Don Barker, Connelly’s career and life spiralled out of control as he sank into depression.
Having turned in a man-of-the-match display in a crunch Champions League win over PSG, Connelly climbed the gantry of the Dragon’s Lair and committed suicide.
Scotsman Liam McKay (Duncan Pow, pictured at left) turned around his career in remarkable fashion to lead Harchester to Premier League glory, working his way into the first-team picture before a career-ending tackle on Chelsea youngster Asa Maloin saw the midfielder receive a lifetime ban from the FA.
The ban was eventually overturned, and Mackay was later handed the captaincy as his no-nonsense approach won over fans and teammates.
Lee Presley (James-William Watts) recovered from a tough upbringing to earn a deal at Harchester, thanks to agent Jeff Stein.
Big moves to Chelsea and Barcelona fell through as Presley stayed with the club and scored the winning goal in the Championship play-off final in Cardiff. A catastrophic explosion followed as Presley was taken from the wreckage alive, before dying in the hospital.
Vivien Wright (Philip Brodie) – nicknamed “Jaws” by the rest of the team – came with a reputation, having previously bitten an opponent, and was involved in a series of indiscretions on and off the pitch. But Wright became a club legend for helping rescue them from the brink.
He later took over as player-manager and guided the Dragons back to the Premier League before meeting his end in the explosion in Cardiff.
Harchester broke the bank to sign forward Luke Davenport (Neil Newbon) from Barcelona in a British-record deal. The striker arrived with a playboy reputation, and he didn’t disappoint on the pitch either, starting his Harchester career with a goal glut.
Cruelly, Davenport started to lose his sight, but after an operation, he returned to action in a bid to guide the club to the Champions League. But after a sickening clash of heads, he required more surgery and tragically lost his eye.
Curtis Alexander (Charles Venn) captained the club to the Champions League title as they struggled to stay alive following their liquidation (the players vowed to play unpaid until they qualified for the competition).
Alexander (pictured at left) was part of the side that returned to the Premier League through the playoffs before being killed in the explosion.
Argentine forward Luis Amor Rodriguez (Martin Crewes) was the club’s talisman as they won the FA Cup final, scoring twice in the final, before being the target of an assassination attempt due to his affair with Lynda Block.
He looked set to leave the club, but the plane crash forced him to stay, albeit only temporarily. On his final appearance in the purple shirt, Rodriguez scored the goal to keep Harchester in the Premier League – after Didier Baptiste (Tom Redhill) had accepted a match-fixing bribe and missed a penalty.
Ownership of Harchester United changed hands many times throughout the show’s run, often through high-stakes drama or tragedy. Local plumber Phil Wallis (Neil Jackson) bought the club from Jeff Block in series 6 after winning £21 million on the lottery.
Ruthless American gambling tycoon Eli Knox (Shane Lynch) took over the club in series 8, before it was taken over by the “Dragons Corporation” – a mystery group headed by player Casper Rose (Robert Kazinsky).
The show ultimately ended with Harchester United finally winning the Premier League title with a 2 – 1 victory over Chelsea in the final seconds of play – but as the fans and players were celebrating on the pitch, a massive fire – started by vengeful former captain Danny Sullivan – ripped through the stadium, trapping several characters inside the executive suites.
The ghost of “Fletch” was the last face seen on screen, watching the stadium burn.
Sandra Greene
Lisa Burstow Karl “Fletch” Fletcher
Terry Kiely Lynda Block
Alison King Danny “Sully” Sullivan
Danny Husbands Andy Ansah
Andy Ansah Kelly James
Emma Gilmour Sean Hocknell
Daymon Britton Frank Patcham
John Salthouse Billy O’Neil
Philip Barantini Ian Coates
Francis Johnson Vivien ‘Jaws’ Wright
Philip Brodie Darren Tyson
Darren White Jerry Block
Michael Melia Luis Amor Rodriguez
Martin Crewes Jeff Stein
Ray MacAllan Clyde Connelly
Tim Bryn Smith Casper ‘Cass’ Rose
Robert Kazinsky Liam MacKay
Duncan Pow Lee Presley
James-William Watts Luke Davenport
Neil Newbon Ryan Naysmith
Ricky Whittle Warren Masters
Clinton Kenyon Phil Wallis
Neil Jackson Curtis Alexander
Charles Venn Nikki Peggs
Nina Muschallik Eli Knox
Shane Lynch Jamie Parker
Jim Alexander Natasha Parker
Angela Saunders Don Barker
Jon Morrison Prashant Dattani
Ramon Tikaram
United’s star striker Karl “Fletch” Fletcher (Terry Kiely) started as a schoolboy and finished as a legend after three separate spells with the club, in between stints in Saudi Arabia and Spain.
In series 4, she murdered Prashant Dattani (Ramon Tikaram), a businessman who was attempting to take over the club.
He made the move after falling out of favour at Chelsea and impressed so much he was on the cusp of an England call-up when his career came to a tragic end after he was shot by police officers inside the Dragon’s Lair (after taking the team hostage during a must-win encounter).
Scotsman Liam McKay (Duncan Pow, pictured at left) turned around his career in remarkable fashion to lead Harchester to Premier League glory, working his way into the first-team picture before a career-ending tackle on Chelsea youngster Asa Maloin saw the midfielder receive a lifetime ban from the FA.
Curtis Alexander (Charles Venn) captained the club to the Champions League title as they struggled to stay alive following their liquidation (the players vowed to play unpaid until they qualified for the competition).
