Football Match (18 Jan. 1978)

Writer:

Eric Sykes

Stars:

Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques, Deryck Guyler

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Eric Sykes	...	Eric Sykes
Hattie Jacques	...	Hattie Sykes
Deryck Guyler	...	P.C. Corky Turnbull
Robert Dorning	...	Mr. Mellilieu
Dermot Kelly	...	Mr. Williamson
Fanny Carby	...	Sister
Debbie Arnold	...	Nurse
Roy Stewart	...	Porter

Storyline

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1978 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

User Reviews

What some people will do to watch a game of football- and I thought I was bad

A brilliant episode of 'Sykes' I've recently been watching the series and all the way through it, the episodes were either going to be excellent or quite poor (very half and half). This episode was a great one.

Eric is annoyed. Sebastobal Rangers are playing a big match and he can't get the day off work (he's a journalist in this episode- he has many jobs over the series). He was going to use the excuse of a funeral, but everyone in the office has used that. His boss is the no nonsense tight man, named Mr Mellileu. Corky is also annoyed because he wanted Saturday off, but he has to Police the Football Match, if only they could swap places. Eric has a plan. Eric leaves the office on the Friday Night and in full view of Mr Mellileu, he gets ran over. Hat will be driving the car but will only look like he has been knocked down. Standing on the road, trying to get Mellileu's attention, he actually does get ran over, but he is okay. But Mellileu wants him to go to hospital, it would make a good story for the paper. But when a mix up between Eric and another patient happens, Eric has an operation done to him, meaning he will have to stay in and miss the match. Mr Mellileu is disappointed, because he wanted Eric to report the match for him. Oh Eric.

This isn't the only football episode of 'Sykes', the other being 'Football' from series 1. In real life Eric Sykes is an Oldham Athletic supporter (he was born in Oldham). I lived in Oldham and as a Manchester United supporter I used to get a lot of stick from bitter Oldham fans who were quite clearly jealous of Man United. But they were good lads though and we used to come up with silly put downs at each other over each football team (My put downs were the best I thought, I used to say I saw your star striker you know. He served me in the Co-op). Some good guest appearances in this episode as well. Robert Dorning played Mr Mellileu, he appeared in countless sitcom episodes, including a regular character actor role in 'Hancock's Half Hour' Another veteran sitcom character appeared as the Nurse in the hospital, Fanny Carby.

Best Bit: Eric trying to get Mr Mellileu to watch him get knocked down and then actually getting knocked down.