Mike Bassett: England Manager
Encyclopedia
Mike Bassett: England Manager is a 2001 satirical
comedy film
directed by Steve Barron
, following the fortunes of the manager of Division One football
(English football's second tier
) club Norwich City, Mike Bassett, who having led his side to the 'Mr Clutch Cup', is appointed England manager.
The film takes the form of a fly-on-the-wall fictional documentary (mockumentary
) following Bassett (played by Ricky Tomlinson
) as he starts his international management career. Martin Bashir
, well known as a journalist and presenter in real life, plays the interviewer and provides the voice-over, and the film features cameo appearances from Pelé
and Ronaldo. The film satirises many targets, such as the mysterious figures who run the Football Association
, the stereotypical view of an old-fashioned manager, and the tabloid press's unfailing habit of building the England team up so they can knock them down hard.
The world cup being played is referred to in the film as 'World Cup XVII'; the 17th World Cup was the tournament played in 2002.
The film was followed by a TV series, Mike Bassett: Manager
in 2005.
), the second most successful is a former England captain who is interested in the job, but the FA decide that he is too much of a "loudmouth" and refuse to consider him (a reference to the numerous times Brian Clough
was passed over for the England job), while none of the other English managers in the Premiership are interested. They are forced to look to Division One
, and Bassett, who has just won the Mr Clutch Cup with Norwich City
.
Bassett takes over the England team and appoints his assistant manager Lonnie Urquart (Philip Jackson
), who is very old-fashioned in his beliefs and still acts like a used car salesman and often compares the England players' performances to cars, and coach Dave Dodds (Bradley Walsh), a spineless "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
. With a squad featuring a pony-tailed goalkeeper (based on David Seaman
), an alcoholic Mackem
(based on Paul Gascoigne
), a striker going through a very poor run of form (based on Andy Cole
), a playboy midfielder (based on David Beckham
) and an extremely aggressive centre-back (based on Stuart Pearce
/Vinnie Jones
), he plays an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation and attempts to bring football back to where it belongs. Unfortunately, he loses his first two games in charge and his managerial career is already on the rocks. Needing to beat Slovenia
in the final qualifier to make it to Brazil, England can only manage a draw. However, a shock win by Luxembourg
over Turkey
sees them go through on goal difference. He and his team record the official England World Cup song with band Atomic Kitten
, with compositions by "hellraiser" Keith Allen.
So, England are on their way to Brazil. When they arrive, progress is not smooth as they start their tour by brawling with the Scottish and Irish teams.
A difficult group stage sees them on the verge of heading home after they can only manage a goalless draw with unfancied Egypt before losing heavily to Mexico
. One of England's training sessions is rendered pointless after Urquart locks the footballs in his Opel
and goes shopping. Captain Gary Wackett is jailed for taking part in hooliganism
; midfield playmaker
Tonkinson accidentally gets involved in a drunken tryst with a transsexual; assistant manager Urquart is sacked after punching Bassett for berating him as useless and when Mike mixes flaming sambucas
with anti-depressants, it seems things can get no worse.
The morning after his drunken incident he is involved in a press conference where he is expected to step-down from the managerial position. When he announces that he is carrying on the press begin to get hostile and Bassett responds by the reciting "If" by Rudyard Kipling
which he finished by saying "England will be playing 4-4-fucking-2" and storms out. Following this England need to beat Argentina
to get through to the second round. England succeed when Tonkinson dribbles past the Argentinian defence, his shot deflects off the crossbar and he punches the ball into the net (alluding to Diego Maradona
's infamous Hand of God goal and his legendary Goal of the Century, both scored against England in the 1986 World Cup). England advanced to the knock-out stages where they beat Romania
and France
. Rufus Smalls scored a hat-trick against Romania and became England's top goal scorer with 52 international goals. But England lose to Brazil in the semi-finals. Bashir states that England equal their best performance since they won in 1966 (in 1990 England finished fourth). The team return to England to a cheering crowd and Bassett announces that he will not quit.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Steve Barron
Steve Barron
Steven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
, following the fortunes of the manager of Division One football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
(English football's second tier
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
) club Norwich City, Mike Bassett, who having led his side to the 'Mr Clutch Cup', is appointed England manager.
The film takes the form of a fly-on-the-wall fictional documentary (mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
) following Bassett (played by Ricky Tomlinson
Ricky Tomlinson
Eric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
) as he starts his international management career. Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
, well known as a journalist and presenter in real life, plays the interviewer and provides the voice-over, and the film features cameo appearances from Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
and Ronaldo. The film satirises many targets, such as the mysterious figures who run the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, the stereotypical view of an old-fashioned manager, and the tabloid press's unfailing habit of building the England team up so they can knock them down hard.
The world cup being played is referred to in the film as 'World Cup XVII'; the 17th World Cup was the tournament played in 2002.
The film was followed by a TV series, Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager is a British TV comedy series, which began transmitting from 29 September 2005 on ITV. It is a follow-up to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager, and stars Ricky Tomlinson in the title role Steve Edge as his assistant, and Amanda Redman as his long-suffering wife, Karine...
in 2005.
Plot
England manager Phil Cope suffers a heart attack during qualification for the World Cup, which started out well but has gone badly wrong of late. The FA heads meet to decide who should be the new England manager, but soon run into trouble. The most successful Premier League manager is Scottish (based on Sir Alex FergusonAlex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
), the second most successful is a former England captain who is interested in the job, but the FA decide that he is too much of a "loudmouth" and refuse to consider him (a reference to the numerous times Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
was passed over for the England job), while none of the other English managers in the Premiership are interested. They are forced to look to Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, and Bassett, who has just won the Mr Clutch Cup with Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
.
Bassett takes over the England team and appoints his assistant manager Lonnie Urquart (Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson (actor)
Philip Jackson is an English actor, known for his many television and film roles, most notably as Chief Inspector Japp in the television series Poirot and as Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the cult 1980s series Robin of Sherwood. Jackson was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire...
), who is very old-fashioned in his beliefs and still acts like a used car salesman and often compares the England players' performances to cars, and coach Dave Dodds (Bradley Walsh), a spineless "yes-man" who once managed with Mike at Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
(a reference to Phil Neal
Phil Neal
Philip George "Phil" Neal is a former footballer who was, at one time, the most successful player in English football history. He played for Liverpool 650 times over an eleven year period and is the only player to have appeared in the first five of their European Cup finals, winning four of them...
under the Graham Taylor era). The team need one win from three World Cup qualifiers to get to the World Cup Finals in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. With a squad featuring a pony-tailed goalkeeper (based on David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
), an alcoholic Mackem
Mackem
Mackem is a term that refers to the accent, dialect and people of the Wearside area, or more specifically Sunderland, a city in North East England. Spelling variations include "Mak'em", "Makem", and "Maccam".- Origin :...
(based on Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
), a striker going through a very poor run of form (based on Andy Cole
Andy Cole
Andrew Alexander Cole is a retired English footballer. He is most well known by the name Andy Cole , but in 2000, he reputedly asked to be known as Andrew Cole...
), a playboy midfielder (based on David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
) and an extremely aggressive centre-back (based on Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
/Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
), he plays an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation and attempts to bring football back to where it belongs. Unfortunately, he loses his first two games in charge and his managerial career is already on the rocks. Needing to beat Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
in the final qualifier to make it to Brazil, England can only manage a draw. However, a shock win by Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
over Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
sees them go through on goal difference. He and his team record the official England World Cup song with band Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten
Atomic Kitten were an English girl group from Liverpool, first established in 1997. Created by Andy McCluskey, the final line-up, and most commercially successful, consisted of Natasha Hamilton, Liz McClarnon, and Jenny Frost...
, with compositions by "hellraiser" Keith Allen.
So, England are on their way to Brazil. When they arrive, progress is not smooth as they start their tour by brawling with the Scottish and Irish teams.
A difficult group stage sees them on the verge of heading home after they can only manage a goalless draw with unfancied Egypt before losing heavily to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. One of England's training sessions is rendered pointless after Urquart locks the footballs in his Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
and goes shopping. Captain Gary Wackett is jailed for taking part in hooliganism
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
; midfield playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
Tonkinson accidentally gets involved in a drunken tryst with a transsexual; assistant manager Urquart is sacked after punching Bassett for berating him as useless and when Mike mixes flaming sambucas
Sambuca
Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavoured, usually colourless, liqueur. Its most common variety is often referred to as white sambuca to differentiate it from other varieties that are deep blue in colour or bright red ....
with anti-depressants, it seems things can get no worse.
The morning after his drunken incident he is involved in a press conference where he is expected to step-down from the managerial position. When he announces that he is carrying on the press begin to get hostile and Bassett responds by the reciting "If" by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
which he finished by saying "England will be playing 4-4-fucking-2" and storms out. Following this England need to beat Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
to get through to the second round. England succeed when Tonkinson dribbles past the Argentinian defence, his shot deflects off the crossbar and he punches the ball into the net (alluding to Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
's infamous Hand of God goal and his legendary Goal of the Century, both scored against England in the 1986 World Cup). England advanced to the knock-out stages where they beat Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. Rufus Smalls scored a hat-trick against Romania and became England's top goal scorer with 52 international goals. But England lose to Brazil in the semi-finals. Bashir states that England equal their best performance since they won in 1966 (in 1990 England finished fourth). The team return to England to a cheering crowd and Bassett announces that he will not quit.
Cast
- Ricky TomlinsonRicky TomlinsonEric Tomlinson , known by his stage name Ricky Tomlinson, is an English actor and comedian, best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and James "Jim" Royle in The Royle Family....
– Mike Bassett - Amanda RedmanAmanda Redman-External links:* ArtistsTheatreSchool.com* The-Little.co.uk...
– Karine Bassett - Bradley Walsh – Dave Dodds
- Philip JacksonPhilip Jackson (actor)Philip Jackson is an English actor, known for his many television and film roles, most notably as Chief Inspector Japp in the television series Poirot and as Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the cult 1980s series Robin of Sherwood. Jackson was born in Retford, Nottinghamshire...
– Lonnie Urquart - Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
– Tommo Thompson - Dean Lennox KellyDean Lennox KellyDean Lennox Kelly is an English actor, He is the brother of actor Craig Kelly.Dean is best known for his role as Kev Ball in Channel 4’s Shameless.-Career:...
– Kevin Tonkinson - Martin BashirMartin BashirMartin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
– Interviewer - Robbie GeeRobbie GeeRobbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
– Rufus Smalls - PeléPeléHowever, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
– Himself - Kevin PiperKevin PiperKevin Piper is a television presenter and media personality.Piper started his career as a journalist at Eastern Counties Newspapers before joining the news and sports team with the independent local radio station Radio Broadland when it launched in 1984...
– Norwich newsreader - Robert Putt – Jack Marshall
- Malcolm TerrisMalcolm TerrisMalcolm Terris is a British actor.He had a lengthy career in a large number of television programmes. Possibly his best known role was in When the Boat Comes In, a popular 1970s series, where he played the part of Matt Headley...
– Phil Cope - Philip Dunbar – Sussex rep
- Ulrich ThomsenUlrich ThomsenUlrich Thomsen is a Danish actor.Thomsen was born in Fyn, Denmark and graduated from the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in 1993, after which playing on several theatres in Copenhagen, such as Dr. Dantes Aveny, Mungo Park and Østre Gasværks Teater.His film debut was in...
– Dr. Hans Shoegaarten - Lloyd McGuireLloyd McGuireLloyd McGuire is an English actor who has appeared in film and TV for over 30 years. He was born in Birmingham. He attended Bournville Tech/Grammar School where he excelled in sporting activities but at that stage displayed no obvious interest in drama...
– Midlands rep
England under Mike Bassett
| Fixture | | Result | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland Poland national football team The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland... (Home - WCQ8 - Group 3) |
Lost 1-2 | 12 April 2001 | ||
| Belgium (Away - WCQ9 - Group 3) | Lost 0-3 | 20 September 2001 | ||
| Slovenia Slovenia national football team The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991.... (Home - WCQ10 - Group 3) |
Drew 0-0 | 18 November 2001 | ||
| Egypt (Neutral - World Cup R1 - Group 6) | Drew 0-0 | 15 June 2002 | ||
| Mexico Mexico national football team The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre... (Neutral - World Cup R1 - Group 6) |
Lost 0-4 | 19 June 2002 | ||
| Argentina Argentina national football team The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro... (Neutral - World Cup R1 - Group 6) |
Won 1-0 | 7 July 2002 | ||
| Romania Romania national football team The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that... (Neutral - World Cup - Last 16) |
Won 3-0 | 12 July 2002 | ||
| France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... (Neutral - World Cup - Quarter Finals) |
Won 2-0 | 16 July 2002 | ||
| Brazil Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the... (Away - World Cup - Semi Finals) |
Lost 0-1 | 21 July 2002 | ||