Season 8 Episode 17 Episode 341 Sky One Transmission Date: Sunday 13th February 2005 Directed by Graham Moore

Chelsea Viv, Naomi Hopefully they were paid well! Fletch Andy, Don, Nathan Bobby, Lee

GS: Eli Knox (Shane Lynch) Shay Maguire (Mark Frost) Naomi Wyatt (Rebecca Loos) Nathan Woods (Ike Hamilton) Darren Dyson (Andrew Brooke) Colin Driver (Gary Lammin) A group of rebel fans led by Shay Maguire sit in the back of a van and await their signal from Barker. When it comes they drive into the ground and chain the doors to the club shut sealing the players inside. Calling themselves the Harchester Cultural Reformation Committee (HCRC), second in command Darren explains that this is a protest at Eli Knox's handling of club affairs, and how they expect him to find a suitable replacement for Valentine. The team watch from the Players' Lounge and when Viv goes to phone Chelsea, Lee tells them that Viv is seeing her when she isn't back. Ryan backs him up adding he's spoken to her and she's still in the Maldives where she's been for the last three months. Eli tells Dean he is under investigation, and says there's no more money and no more players. Don phones Shay and tells him to accept Dean's offer to negotiate with the fans. Viv tells the boys he can't get through to Chelsea, and says he's going to go and hurt whoever is responsible for keeping them locked up. In an attempt to stop him, Lee says he has got Chelsea on his phone. When Viv sees that Chelsea is not on the other end, he begins to smash up the Players' Lounge. Alex O'Brien goes to get Dean, telling him how Viv has been imagining Chelsea. Naomi arrives and manages to calm Viv down. Gina has spoken to the FA and they've agreed to postpone the game until Wednesday. Dean believes he's found the way to get them out - by duping the fans into believing they are about to sign West Ham striker Reo-Coker even though they cannot really buy him. Dean and Sofia are let out alongside Naomi with Viv and Lee. Dean and Sofia arrive at West Ham United, and when Colin Driver asks how much they are willing to offer for Reo-Coker, Dean replies one-hundred-thousand pounds to which Colin finds hysterical. Dean and Sofia put it across to the press that they offered an attractive package but with the fans protest Reo-Coker has been put off from coming. After giving the green light to call off the siege, Don receives a call from an irate Colin and learns how much Dean really offered for Reo-Coker. Realising that Dean has pretended to buy a player, Don ups the bid to £2M. Dean learns that West Ham have accepted their offer to his shock. Don says he upped the bid as surely the £100,000 offer was a mistake. When Viv turns up for training, Naomi takes him into the physio room where she calls Chelsea. The real Chelsea tells Viv that she's sorry to hear what he's going through, but has started divorce proceedings against him. Chelsea adds that she hopes he gets better and forgets about her. The truth hits Viv who breaks down crying. Don goes to Gina and asks her to phone Karl to ask him to return for the match. Fletch takes the opportunity to gloat at Don's request after the way he has treated him, and refuses. Don then tries with Ryan but Bobby Armitt tells him he is not ready. Andy then gives Don more bad news - Alex Lawler has injured his knee so he has sent for Nathan Woods, the under-19's goalkeeper. After Nathan's nerves get the better of him and he throws up loudly in the toilets, a desperate Don goes to fetch Viv to play in the game. Naomi berates Dean after learning that Viv is playing, and at half time in the dressing room Viv begins to hallucinate seeing Clyde winking at him and freaks out before kicking Lee in the leg. The team have to hold him down whilst Nathan is put on for the second half. It isn't long before Southampton score, as Viv is sedated in the physio room and Lee’s leg is tended to. Trouble breaks out after Harchester go 2-0 down and rioting breaks out both in and outside of the Lair. Notes Last appearance of Chelsea Wright (Karen Ferrari) Best Known For: Ike Hamilton appeared in “Family Affairs” as Darren Scott from 2001-2003, the film "The Boat That Rocked" (2009) and a recurring role Curtis Brown in “Doctors” (2012-14) The Best: The HCRC erecting a dummy of Eli and hanging it from the fence. Sofia getting through the fans by “showing a bit of leg” and there to get them a new player. The fans taking their protest to outside Eli's headquarters, where they throw purple paint over two of his random pink-ladies. Viv asking Ammo to go and tell Chelsea that he loves her before laughing at the look on his face. Viv’s half time freak out with Clyde, the scene featuring Tim Smith looking like it had been filmed before his departure. Quotes: Another classic from Viv (to Don): "It ain't easy finding out the bird you've been shacked up with for a week ain't real!" Continuity: As part of their ‘revolution’, Shay takes the name of Rothman after Alan Rothman whilst Darren is Doyle after Patrick Doyle. How odd that a lifelong Dragon’s fan chose to take the name of the manager who tried to bring down the club. Naomi reminds Dean that they wouldn’t want another Clyde Connelly on their hands in regard to Viv’s mental state. Viv and Lee play Fifa Football, with Lee as himself whilst Viv plays as Davenport. Additional Info: Three of Eli's four gambling sites were jammed after a spamming campaign said to be costing him up to a million pounds a day. What Was The Score?: Harchester face Southampton in the 5th Round of the FA Cup. They are losing 2-0 at the episode’s close. Soundtrack: Air: "Alone In Kyoto" & "Sex Born Poison", Fat Boy Slim: "Right Here, Right Now", Foo Fighters: "All My Life", Kaiser Chiefs: "I Predict A Riot", Rhythm of the Loose: "Break of Dawn", Stone Roses: "Love Spreads", The Dandy Warhols: "Heavenly” Behind The Scenes: The cut and pasted scenes of the fans rioting at the episode’s end was footage from the troubles outside The Den after the play-off semi-final between Millwall and Birmingham City in May 2002. <<SE08 EP16 | Season 8 Main Page | SE08 EP18>>