the numerous times Brian Clough was passed over for the England job). None of the other English managers in the Premier League are interested, forcing the FA to look to Division One for a new manager, with the press speculating that Mike Bassett may be the new man for the job. Mike lives at home with his wife Karine and son, Jason. He is described as a former professional footballer who played for Doncaster Rovers, Darlington, Hull City and Grimsby Town. When the press turn up at Mike's house to question him about the job he initially denies the speculation until his son Jason appears with a phone to tell him he's got the job. Bassett takes over the England team and moves to appoint his coaching staff, namely assistant manager turned car salesman Lonnie Urquart (Philip Jackson) who is not interested unless Mike buys a car from him, and coach Dave Dodds (Bradley Walsh) who is a sycophantic yes man who once managed with Mike at Colchester United (a reference to Phil Neal under the Graham Taylor era). The team need one win from three World Cup qualifiers to get to the World Cup finals in Brazil. Bassett travels north to meet Kevin Tonkinson (Dean Lennox Kelly), who he believes will win England the World Cup, but on arrival at the pub he finds Tonkinson laying drunk on a pool table with people pouring beer into his mouth. Once calmed down, Bassett tells him to clean up his act and if he can promise to do it then he will recall him to the squad. Bassett takes his first training session at Bisham Abbey ahead of his first game at Wembley Stadium against Poland. He selects an old-fashioned 4–4–2 formation and writes his team sheets on the back of an old cigarette packet. During the game, Tonkinson opens the scoring with a dink shot over the keeper, but Poland soon begin to put pressure on and eventually equalise before going on to win the game 2–1. Bassett is criticised by the media for the formation he played and the tactics used. Meanwhile, some of his players anonymously state to an interviewer that they have doubts about Bassett's credibility to lead the team. Bassett sits his coaching staff down to review the game but Doddsy's wife has taped Ground Force over the recording. In an attempt to improve the team's