Fran: The Man (2025)

[bunniefuu]

Six months ago,

I started making a documentary,

about the amateur football club

St. Peter's Celtic in Dublin.

They had qualified

for the FAI Cup for the first time

in their history.

Unfortunately, they were drawn

against Ireland's

most famous team, Shamrock Rovers.

Hot favourites for the trophy.

It's all in from the start, lads,

all right? All in, all in!

St. Peter's Celtic's assistant

manager, Fran Costello,

was outraged and made his feelings

known during the live TV broadcast.

Number 31.

Thirty-one is Shamrock Rovers,

the holders against.

Number 13.

Very unlucky for some.

Unlucky 13, it's St. Peter's Celtic.

So it's gonna be a Dublin derby.

Shamrock Rovers,

the holders against St. Peter's Celtic.

An amateur club,

never been in the FAI Cup before.

Cheat! I saw you.

Fingering our ball, you snakey geebag.

Oh, my God!

It's number 13, George?

Unlucky for some, it's number 13, 13

Fran became an internet sensation

for all the wrong reasons.

So I set out to make a film about him.

You snakey, you snakey

You snakey geebag

You snakey, you snakey

You snakey geebag

You snakey, you snakey, geebag

What lens are you putting

on the A camera, Roscoe?

-Uh, 35mm prime, Katy.

-Okay, this looks good.

How are we doing in here?

It's 14 quid for a sambo.

Jesus.

We'll be making arrests here soon.

-You're paying for this, right?

-Yeah, sure.

We need to start rolling soon, people.

How are we doing here?

What's your ETA for hair and make-up?

Uh, five minutes.

Great.

Uh, I'll have the club

sambo and fizzy water.

And chips.

Clancy?

-I'm fine.

-They're paying.

I said I'm fine.

Can I have the detectives

in position, please?

Yeah, Grant.

Corruption is the scourge

of professional sport.

Detective Sergeant Gerry Nolan.

If you can bet money on the result,

there's a good chance

the criminal underworld

are influencing said result.

Detective Naomi Clancy.

The whole country saw what happened

the night of the draw.

But nobody could have seen

what was gonna happen next.

Nobody.

What happened next took my documentary

on a much darker journey into a world

that I had never expected to visit.

Well done, Joey.

Well done. Come on!

This is the story of Fran Costello...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right.

...assistant manager.

All right. Come on, come on,

give it to me. Come on, move it!

Lay it off, lay it off.

He sliced it.

Fran, come on! Play!

That one, the Butcher sliced it.

Oh, I love it.

This is the best part of me day, honestly.

Makes it all more wild-like, you know?

Kick around like this.

That's Richie, solid goalkeeper.

If I had to say he had any weaknesses,

it would be set pieces

and all-you-can-eat buffets.

That's Dom Mackey,

also known as the Butcher.

Why is that?

He works in the butcher

shop in the village.

Come on, will ya?

That's Dale.

To score goals, you have to be selfish,

and Dale's one of the most selfish fellas

I've ever met in me life.

-Bit greedy, Dale, bit greedy.

-Oh, come on.

But he knows where the goal is.

You can't coach that.

Oh, what a goal!

And for God's sakes,

pass the ball, would ya?

-Pass it, men.

-Pass the ball!

Come on.

Fran the man, huh?

-All right, gaffer.

-Yeah.

-All right.

-Good lad.

Looks like we'll be starting

with a fat back four against Rovers.

Do you not mean a flat back four?

No, I don't.

Look at the guts on them.

They're like planets.

They need to be whipped into shape, Fran.

Give it here. Give it here.

I need you to ride these lads

and ride them hard.

Franner? Gaffer?

Ah, Whelo!

Open at the back! Open look at the back!

I thought you were retired.

Think I'm gonna miss the opportunity

to score against Shamrock Rovers?

Not a chance.

What's the story with the camera crew?

They're making a movie about me.

What?

A reboot of the

40-Year-Old Virgin, is it?

-Declan Whelan, character.

-Cross it over.

The club's all-time top goal scorer.

He only retired a couple of months ago.

He could be the missing ingredient

we need to beat Rovers.

I can't talk now.

I've just been punched in the rocks.

In the box. In the box.

We know what a manager does, Fran.

But what exactly does

an assistant manager do?

What don't they do is probably

an easier question to answer.

Look, you know, me house

is right next to the club,

so I can get loads done.

We train twice a week.

It's my responsibility

to run the sessions.

We work on set pieces.

These lads have the skills,

but they need me to point out

how to do things.

The way I like to think of meself is,

I'm their legs' brains.

Which one of you ticks doing that?

Trying to film here.

I do me best to keep the club

spick and span.

Easier said than done sometimes.

Good God in heaven.

Animals.

Gonna need the

sulphuric acid for this one.

This is great stuff.

I had to get it up the north

when we played a friendly in Dungannon.

Need a special licence to have it here.

That should do the trick.

Tickets for local team

St. Peter's Celtics' maiden voyage

in the FAI Cup,

go on sale this Friday morning.

Safe to say, excitement

is reaching fever pitch.

For two pints, right?

Who's that, eyeballing Mick McCarthy?

I give up.

Give up?

It's Toto Schillachi.

Knocked us out of Italia '90, he did.

-All right.

-But I'm not bitter.

Right.

You were asking where I met Fran.

World Cup 2002.

We were on the same tour package.

Fran was flying solo.

A bit green around the gills.

Bit of a dose, as we'd say back home.

Anyway, we buddied up.

I, uh, I took him under my wing.

Memories.

There's Fran there.

Fran and meself.

Oh, there she is.

Dympna Greene.

Was Dympna your partner?

God, no.

No, uh, Dympna runs Far & Away.

Uh, local travel agent.

Sponsor of St. Peter's Celtic.

Not a woman that I have had any sort

of extramarital liaison with.

I'm a very happily married man.

Sponsoring St. Peter's Celtic

is a great bit of business for me.

I throw the club a few grand a year,

and then when it comes to the players

booking their family holidays, golf trips,

dirty weekends, they all come to Dympna.

Does all this time you devote

to football leave room for romance?

Why? You interested?

No, I'm afraid not.

We can take a hint.

When was the last time

you were in a relationship?

It's been a while, to be truthful.

I preferred things the way

they were before all these

dating apps and websites.

If you liked the look of someone in

the pub, you done the courageous thing,

and you lashed back six or seven pints,

then went over to chat them up,

Make the connection. Them days are gone.

And... and sometimes I feel like

I've missed the boat,

and I'm... I'm just

sitting down at the pier,

hoping one day that boat will come back.

Anyway, football,

that's what's important for now.

You bring your camera here

to the match tomorrow,

you'll see how good my lads really are.

Mother of divine mercy!

What was that, Fran?

What's going on?

If we got spanked by Liffeybank,

what's gonna happen

against Shamrock Rovers?

It's the players, gaffer,

they're not up to it.

Except Whelo.

He was good today, to be fair.

Maybe we need more like him.

You might have accidentally,

blindly, stumbled upon a good idea.

-What do you mean, gaffer?

-Fresh blood.

We need recruits, right?

Shake things up a bit.

-Come on, Fran.

-Yeah.

We've only three weeks

before the cup match.

Yeah. Yeah.

-You can do it, eh? Right?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Good man. Okay.

-Okay. Yeah.

Match-fixing is a sophisticated crime.

There's a local element,

but a huge international component, too.

We know the European puppet masters

are working

out of England, France, and Italy.

The Mafia.

La Cosa Nostra.

They're all over this.

We gather intel.

But putting criminals behind bars?

Very difficult.

Put it this way,

if we were football managers,

we'd have been given the boot long ago.

Can you bring us back to the first time

you met Fran Costello?

Yes...

We were responding to several

calls about a suspected pervert.

Pervert.

Oh, yeah.

Beautiful.

Gorgeous.

Bang!

Eighty-eight, 89, 90. Stunning.

Ninety-five, 96. Uh-oh, get in.

Beautiful footballers.

And I tell you, to beat Shamrock Rovers,

we're gonna need all the talent we can get.

Detective Sergeant Nolan.

Detective Clancy.

Binoculars.

Schoolchildren.

Do you see anything wrong with this?

No. Like...

Get out of the car.

Licence, please.

What's the camera for?

They're making a

documentary about me life.

Football like.

Oh, good man.

Up the Dubs, huh?

No, real football.

-Soccer.

-Jesus.

Excuse me. Here.

So, you bought this car only recently?

Is that a crime now, too?

How much did it set you back?

Six grand. Cash.

For this? You were rinsed.

Well, go and arrest them then.

Nestor's Garage on the next road.

-We have a problem here, do we?

-No.

Good.

I don't wanna see you

around here again, okay?

-Okay?

-Okay.

Documentary, me hole.

State of them.

Hassling me.

Too scared to go after real criminals.

Here. Hey, you lot.

You lot, come here. Come here, come here.

We was watching yo use earlier.

And I really like what I seen.

The three of yo use.

Beautiful.

Now, look.

Your ma's probably told you

never to talk to strangers, right?

You're off the telly.

I'm what?

Oh, yeah.

-That's "snakey geebag."

-Yeah.

-Ah, yes.

-Boys, here.

-Get in for a selfie.

-Selfie?

Okay. Well, yeah, but stay humble.

Snakey geebag.

Goat! Goat!

-Yes.

-All right. All right.

No, but come here. Come here. Come here.

No, no, no. Look, come here.

I'm the assistant manager

for St. Peter's Celtic, right?

We're about to go on a major cup run.

If we win that cup,

into the Europa Conference League.

I'm talking playing against the big g*ns.

You're a good goalkeeper.

-How tall are you?

-Uh, 6'4".

-6'4"?

-Stop waffling, 6'4"?

Bobby, you absolute virgin.

No, no, no, lads. Focus. Focus. Focus.

Who wants to join St. Peter's?

-Yeah. I would, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Good man. What's your name?

-Uh, Lorcan.

Right, okay.

-Yeah, sure. I'm Sam.

-Yeah?

Sam? All right, okay.

-What about you?

-I'm Bobby. I'm not allowed to join a team.

Not until after the Leaving Cert.

-Says who?

-Me ma.

Yeah, well, you just leave your ma to me.

Leave your ma to Fran, Bobby.

No, no, no. No, no, lads, lads.

Shut up. Shut up, you virgins.

Yeah, yeah.

What's going on? What's all this?

Am I on the telly?

Eh, Fran Costello,

assistant manager, St. Peter's Celtic.

Jackie. Eh, Jackie Charlton.

So that makes him Bobby Charlton.

Oh, that's mad.

-Have I won something?

-Eh, no.

Well, eh, these are

for you. They're flowers.

I can't remember the last time

a man bought me flowers.

Come on in.

This is so hard. It makes no sense.

Give us a look.

It's honours maths.

What of it? Come on, hand that over.

"A port P is directly east of a port H.

A ship first sails 80 kilometres

in the direction shown in the diagram."

Bobby, are you ever gonna be

the captain of a ship?

-Probably not.

-Then don't worry about this guff.

I only have bourbon creams.

I wasn't expecting visitors.

They are my absolute go-to biscuit.

Get out.

Mine too.

Jackie, why are you so opposed

to your son joining St. Peter's?

I have to work three

jobs to make ends meet.

And even at that, the ends rarely meet.

Anyways, that's not the life

I want for Bobby.

He's to focus on his studies

for the Leaving Cert,

not be distracted by

something like football.

I'm sorry, the time just isn't right.

Sure, you're not the first person

to come here looking to sign him.

Am I not?

Not at all.

Salford City were gonna

give him 400 quid a week.

When he's finished school,

he can sign for whoever he wants.

Look, exposure in the FAI Cup

will put Bobby in the shop window.

There'll be scouts from

much bigger clubs at the match.

It'll up his fee.

And I guarantee you

it will not affect his education.

Ma, sign me Irish homework.

What do you want, love?

Do you want to join St. Peter's

for the FAI Cup?

Yes.

Why don't we rip up these contracts

and Bobby sign up for St. Peter's?

Please?

Let's do it!

That's me freaking Irish homework!

That's a gas fire.

Shame we never got to meet your da.

If you do get to meet him,

tell him I'd love to meet him, too.

Oh, right. I see.

But look, these are a great bunch of lads.

Now St. Peter's is one big happy family.

All right, bit of hush, lads.

-Bit of hush.

-Okay.

New blood.

This is Bobby, Sammy and Lorchan?

Lorcan.

Lorcan.

Lorcan. Lorcy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Bobby, Sammy and Lorcy. Right?

Make them feel welcome.

How are you?

How are you?

Interpol had alerted us to some

very unusual betting activity.

Shamrock Rovers to beat St. Peter's

by five clear goals.

The odds were eight-to-one

that Shamrock Rovers would win

by five goals to nil.

There was a huge spike

in bets on this match.

From all around the globe.

Especially the Far East.

Something was definitely afoot.

And you landed on your feet, didn't you?

You thought you were making

a little film about some tulip

of an assistant football manager.

St. Peter's Celtic is a community club.

So it's important that we give back

to our community.

It's nice for me to get out there

and meet the public.

It's good for them to see me.

How are you?

Brightens up their day.

You snakey geebag, ya!

Freak you, skater boy!

Does that happen much, Fran,

since you went viral?

All the time.

But if we go on a decent run in this cup,

all that "snakey geebag" stuff,

that'll all be forgotten about.

Keep jogging.

One.

Two.

Calves. Butcher.

Calves.

Four. Come on, Richie.

Four.

I'm in a difficult situation.

I'm very fond of Fran.

Would you say he's like a son to you?

No. No.

God, no. Not a son.

No, more like a weird nephew

comes to visit for the weekend

and ends up staying six months.

No, the point is, signing

these young fellas,

big gamble by Fran.

And I just hope it pays off.

-Come on, lads.

-Have a look!

-Have a look!

-All right.

Don't, don't get shy.

I'm here, I'm open.

-Finish!

-He is.

Have a look.

Show it! Come on, press.

Yes, Bobby. Love it.

Love it, Bobby.

-Whelo, head up.

-Me second shoe.

And away again, Sammy!

-Get.

-Oh, good save, Lorcan.

-Yeah!

-Bobby dazzler.

You getting all this, gaffer?

Yeah, good stuff.

Hey, Butcher.

-I thought you were a cut above the rest.

-I'll try.

-Push it! Will you push it?

-Oh, I love it.

The stakes are too high!

Yes, up, press. Up, press.

Oh, yes, Bob.

Super, boys, brilliant.

There, there, there.

Oh, hard luck, Dale. Hard luck. Hard luck.

Whatever, good save, Lorcan.

I have to hand it to you, Fran.

These new signings are good.

Thanks, gaff.

Get up, you child.

When's the last time

you brushed your teeth, yeah?

-Relax, Bobby.

-Don't mind him.

Don't mind him.

What? What?

Dale, I'll have a word

with you, all right?

No, this is not right.

The goofball's ruining everything.

No, hang on.

I will not have that kind of lip.

Not about Fran.

Thanks, gaffer.

-Fran, give us a minute, will you?

-Yeah.

-Crybabies.

-It's simple maths.

There's 11 places on the team.

If three new players come in,

three others miss out.

-I can count.

-It's not right.

We want guarantees.

We're starting against Shamrock Rovers

or we walk.

-The lot of us.

-Yeah.

All right, lads. Leave it with me.

Melting my head.

-That was the right idea, Dale.

-Gracias.

If the team had stopped playing for Fran,

there would have been no way back.

I mean, you think you know someone.

But did anyone really know Fran?

I knew Fran very well.

And before you ask, no.

Not like that. No. Not in a million years.

Good God Almighty, can you imagine?

No, Fran was just a very good customer.

He went to all the Ireland away matches.

Moldova, Belarus, Georgia.

Didn't matter where.

Fran was there.

It's 10 days before St. Peter's debut

in the FAI Cup.

We're hearing the match against

Shamrock Rovers is a sellout.

Will you watch it, you tick?

Frank Costello.

Fran. It's Fran.

Your autograph, please, buddy.

Got 200 quid in this for the cup match.

Yeah?

Jeez, that's some vote of confidence.

To lose.

Five-nil.

Got on to eight-to-one,

I would love some money.

Don't let me down.

Right, lads. Bit of hush, please.

Bit of hush, please, lads.

Dale. Meet this Saturday, lads,

1:00 p.m. This Saturday.

Hey, lads.

Hey. Hey, I can wait all night, lads.

I have absolutely nowhere to be. Nowhere.

All right, then.

Settle!

-Sit down, you.

-Here you go.

Take a pew.

Fran, all yours.

Thanks, gaffer.

Right, lads, meet 1:00 p.m. sharp

this Saturday

for the match against Glasthule.

And I'd just like to add,

you have two weeks to earn your spot

in the starting 11 against Shamrock Rovers

for the cup match.

Nobody is guaranteed a place.

You need to impress me

and you need to impress Fran.

And if you're not happy about that,

here's the door.

Fran Costello.

Remember us?

We'd like to have a word with you.

Down at the station.

-Really?

-Yeah, really.

I've spoken to the chief.

You can keep filming.

Just don't get in our way, okay?

That's getting in our way.

Sorry.

Idiot.

Sorry for keeping you.

Look, if this is about what happened

in SuperValu last Tuesday,

that was well inside the bagging area.

We brought you in here today,

because we've had a tip-off from Interpol.

Do you know who they are?

Yeah, of course I do.

-They're a team from Cyprus, aren't they?

-No.

Interpol is an umbrella organisation

that facilitates

worldwide police cooperation,

crime control and prevention.

Oh, that Interpol.

There's been some very

unusual online betting

around St. Peter's FAI Cup match

with Shamrock Rovers.

Millions of euro, yen and dollars,

all on a Mickey Mouse game in Ireland.

"Mickey Mouse"?

Why are people in the Far East,

Europe and America

betting on St. Peter's to lose

to Shamrock Rovers by five goals?

Because they obviously know nothing

about football.

There's no way we're gonna lose.

Have yo use not seen the young fellas

I just signed?

Bottom line is there are rotten apples

in your team, Fran.

They're taking a bribe

and they're gonna throw the game.

By five-nil.

Question is, who are they?

Fran, you're in a unique position.

Help us find who's behind this.

We arrest the cheats,

we find out who they're working for,

and we go all the way up the line

to the head honchos.

If you agree to help us, Fran,

we'll nail the buzzards,

and you'll be known as

"the man that saved football."

I knew getting this fella on board

would make or break the investigation.

But we got him.

Getting Fran to play ball

was a major breakthrough.

Major.

I'd worked on a few of these

match-fixing cases over the years.

Never once managed a conviction, though.

These criminals are slippery eels.

But with someone on the inside

and a documentary crew

already in situ to film everything,

we found ourselves in

a very strong position.

Whoever this rat is...

I'll catch him.

Heya, Franner.

How are you, mate?

All right, Butcher.

A few prime-cut steaks for you, pal.

And a bit of pepper sauce.

And here.

You can't have steak

without a good steak knife.

Top of the range.

Diamond-sharpened.

Worth 150 quid, they are.

Thanks, Butcher.

You're all right, Franner.

Uh, need a hand weighing your ba*ls, Fran?

No, it's all right, Richie.

Did I tell you Lorna is expecting?

Congratulations.

I was wondering.

You don't have to give me an answer now.

We'd be honoured if you agreed

to be the little tyke's godfather.

-Me?

-Sure.

Think about it.

See you around.

I was hoping I might bump into you.

Oh, hey, Jackie.

Hi, I'm Dee.

Oh, sorry. This is me friend, Dee.

We're doing the couch to 5K.

I'm so out of shape.

Oh, I like your shape.

I mean, you're in a nice shape.

Thanks.

Come here.

I was thinking about

Bobby and our agreement.

Oh, don't say you've

changed your mind now.

I have, actually.

Ah, Jesus Christ. This is all I need now.

No, relax.

He shouldn't just play in the cup.

Do you know what?

It makes sense if he played

a league match first,

so he's used to playing with the lads.

Yeah, that'd be good.

Because there's only so much

we can do with training anyway.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Yeah.

Are you single, Fran?

Depends which one of yo use is asking.

Anyway, he's dying to play today.

Brilliant. We just need to sign

the registration forms, ASAP.

Right.

Well, I'll be back on me couch

in 20 minutes.

Well, see you there.

It's a date.

Don't mind her.

And your phone number. Here.

A lot of effort just to

get Jackie's number?

Shut up.

Yeah, shut up.

All done.

I'll upload that now.

The last thing we need

is the registration fee.

It's 120 quid.

Can it wait till Thursday? Payday.

I'm maxed-out.

Maxed-out, too.

So sorry about that.

See, it won't let me complete

the registration without paying it.

It doesn't matter, Mom.

I won't play today. It's fine.

Here, let me pay it.

No, no. I couldn't.

Yes. You can pay me back

when Bobby signs for Liverpool.

Eight, nine, ten.

Now switch.

All right, boys.

Now open up your legs. Just...

Now come here.

Remember, goalkeepers, right,

are much more afraid of you

than you are of them.

-Okay?

-Yeah.

Don't let these old fellas

intimidate you, right?

Have you heard of sledging?

No.

Tease the opposition, right?

Distract them. Get into their heads.

Yeah?

-Whelo?

-What?

Show him how a bit of sledging is done.

You're a crap footballer.

No one respects you

and you'll never make it as a manager.

That. That type of thing.

Come on, lads, on your toes!

Good lad, Bobby. That's it.

No problem to you, right?

And you're in.

-Well done.

-Oh, yeah.

Who's the butter blonde over there?

Very enthusiastic.

Whelo, do us a favour.

Look after Bobby out there.

Take him under your wing.

No problem.

Just remember this

when it comes to picking the team

against Shamrock Rovers.

Who's starting, me or Dale?

I didn't come out of retirement

to sit on the bench.

Now slip him in, Whelo! Slip him in!

Come on, Bobby!

That's it. Come on, Bobby!

Yes, Bobby.

Go on, Bobby.

Come on, Bobby, have a shot.

Yes!

Yeah!

-Go on, Bobby!

-Come on.

Come on, Whelo.

Yes!

Oh, Whelo!

Come on, Dale!

Yes!

Well done, Sammy.

Yes!

Come on, Bobby! Yes, Bobby!

Yes!

Yes!

Good man.

They'll not beat us.

Good one, Bobby.

-I'm proud of you.

-Bring it in.

Yes, lads. Yes.

Well done, Bobby.

Shamrock Rovers are crapping themselves.

Heck, you bust them out there, Bobby.

-Well done. Well done.

-Thanks, Fran.

Great goal. Great goal, Whelo. Well done.

No, no. I will. I will.

I'll remember. I will.

Thanks, man.

Well done. Well done. You were brilliant.

Bobby. You're a little gem.

I know some people think

I am some head-the-ball

who doesn't know his tail from his elbow.

Well, they're wrong.

I know exactly where me tail is,

and me elbow.

Whelo, smoking.

And you didn't get it from me, right?

But that's not even his missus.

There he is now, look.

That's Richie.

Jesus.

Now you answer me this, right?

How can a geography teacher

afford to shop in there?

And that's Dom Mackey.

The Butcher.

Look at the head on that.

What's he doing working on a Sunday?

Whelo, again. Chips.

And that's not his missus either.

That's Dale.

Look at him. Tanning salon.

Half-Spanish, me rocks.

What's in the bag?

Jesus.

Honk off this.

You will be able to get all the

players' DNA off of that training kit.

But I'll need it back before Tuesday.

And preferably washed.

And this?

My dossier of intelligence so far.

Right.

Yeah, look, Fran, we just

need you to act normal, okay?

We don't need stinky

jocks or weird photos.

We've lined up someone

we'd like you to have a chat with.

They're from

the Witness Protection Programme.

We have arranged for you to meet

an ex-football manager

who has successfully exposed

match-fixing in the past.

We're relying on you, Fran.

No pressure.

I would love it if we could

have a victory for football

over the scum that wants

to destroy our beautiful game.

Eh, what do I call him?

How do you know it's a him?

His code name is The Ghost.

There's the main man.

Gerry, is this the bloke

who's gonna save football?

That's him.

You're having a giraffe, ain't you?

Right.

The chain is criminals, bag men,

scouts, and then players.

The bag men bring in the dosh.

They pay the scouts,

who then recruit and pay the players.

Scouts like uh...

No, not Cub Scouts.

Where'd you get him,

the fricking clown factory?

Scouts are anyone who has

unrestricted access to players.

Ex-pros, anyone on the management team,

coaches, journalists, even referees.

They identify and they recruit someone

on your team.

And then pay a player

to score an own goal?

Nah, it's too obvious.

You've got to watch out for the keeper who

didn't make the save that he could have.

Yeah, but from my experience,

goalkeepers are mainly poxbottles.

Am I right?

Yeah, you know I'm right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

but it's not just the keeper.

It's the central defender

who makes the accidental back pass

to the opposition striker.

And with playing at the back,

it gets harder and harder to spot.

It's your own forward who keeps on

missing the golden chances.

Listen, follow the money.

Anyone make any big-ticket

purchases recently?

See, I used to be like you.

I used to be an assistant manager.

I used to manage QPR.

Played in front of 20,000 fans every week.

We got to the semi-final

of the Zenith Data Systems Cup

in my first season,

but after that, it all went pear-shaped.

You don't want my life, son.

-See, where I live...

-You can't divulge that.

No, where I live,

they don't even play association football.

They don't even play rugby.

They play Gaelic football.

Hey, hey.

Any more talk like that and I'll cuff you.

Joking aside, Franny,

these are serious criminals.

Now, they get any whiff

that you're after them,

they don't muck about.

They mean business.

You know what I'm saying?

How long would it take

for someone to realise you were missing

if you suddenly disappeared?

Probably, two to three days.

I'm... I'm just...

it was just a rhetorical question.

Flipping heck.

When did you notice

that Fran wasn't his normal self?

Fran? Normal?

There was never

anything normal about Fran.

No.

Fran was always a bit hot-headed.

Between meself and yourself,

prone to the wobblers.

But during the last week, building up

to the Shamrock Rovers match,

there was a shift in his attitude.

An intensity about him.

Uh, it was actually frightening.

It was Bill Shankly who once said,

"Football isn't a matter of life or death.

It's actually more important than that."

Fran was cut from the same cloth.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

Richie. Down and smell it.

Three. Two. One.

And back up again.

Come on, Whelo.

Three. Tighten the tail.

-Fire them glutes up, Dale.

-I am.

-Fire them up.

-I am.

Fire them up, Dale!

Fran. Come here.

Quick pow-wow.

When was the last time

St. Peter's qualified for the FAI Cup?

Is this a trick question?

We never qualified for it.

Exactly. Hole-in-one.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

Yes, we want to give a good account

of ourselves.

But it's equally important

that we enjoy this.

The players have trained hard, right?

And they're terrified they'll pick up

an injury and miss the big match.

-So, go easy on them.

-Why?

-Afraid we might win?

-What?

Is that Kevin Doyle?

He's doing a podcast.

He's a journo now, isn't he?

The ex-footballer.

-Who gave him access to our players?

-Access?

What are you talking about?

No, no, no!

This whole day is a closed session.

-Excuse me?

-Yeah, yeah.

You heard me, Doyle. Get off me pitch.

-Jim said I could interview the lads.

-Ah, Jim said, Jim said.

But Fran is saying no. Now clear it off.

What is this?

Do you wanna go, Doyle? Do you?

-Do you wanna go? Do you wanna...

-You're a madman.

I'm standing right here, Doyle.

-You can clear it off, too, Goldilocks.

-Come on.

This is the best thing I've ever seen.

What was all that about?

Remember what the Ghost said?

Ex-players and journalists work as scouts.

Kevin Doyle's an

ex-player and a journalist.

The journo "interviews the players,"

but actually passes the cash on.

That's how it works.

-Is that what you think happened?

-Definitely.

Possibly.

I don't know.

I've been racking me brain.

The Ghost talked about a bag man.

Well, what about a bag woman?

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God be with the days.

It's brilliant work, Fran.

We could be on to something

with this Dympna Greene.

Top drawer.

If there was a bag man or woman

bringing cash in and out of the country,

who better than a travel agent?

Dympna Greene.

Any priors?

Uh, some court cases

relating to her travel business.

Unhappy customers.

Oh, hang on.

She was arrested in 2018

in St. Petersburg at the World Cup

on suspicion of touting tickets.

Can we get to her?

I can.

Oh, hi, Fran.

What can I do for you?

Eh, I was eh, I was thinking

about booking a holiday.

Just having a look for next year.

Did you win the lotto in St. Peters?

Had your two buddies in here yesterday.

Dom Mackey and his partner in crime.

-Good-looking lad.

-Dale?

Yeah, Dale.

Oh, I sold them a fabulous

two-week package to Puerto Banus.

Hey, Dympna?

Eh, you're gonna k*ll me,

but it happened again.

What did, love?

Oh, I made a mess of the booking.

Sorry, will you just give

me a moment, Fran?

What have you done now?

Don't panic.

You learnt all this in your training.

I put them on hold.

Okay, now.

Where were we?

Oh, what on earth is this?

This can't be right. I have 10 nights in

Dubai here next February, all-inclusive.

Can't be this price.

It's the Mosaic Hotel. Five stars.

Oh, you are going to love this.

This is where all the

footballers stay, Fran.

Take out your credit card, quick.

Eh, thanks, but I'm not

actually gonna book today.

Three grand per person sharing.

Premium economy seats included.

I actually can't let you leave here

without booking this.

Six grand is an absolute steal.

I'll think about it.

Have you got someone

special you can bring?

Eh. Maybe.

Actually, I have your

details on file here.

Now, it's non-refundable.

Look, thanks now, but I don't think

me credit card has that...

Booked. That's after gone through there

now, and all.

Well done, Fran. It's fantastic.

I'm just going to print out

that paperwork for you.

Would you say this is all going to plan?

Well, here you go, Fran.

That's all sorted.

I'd say you're delighted you popped in.

With your hammer's head.

Right, so.

Mackey and Dale are after booking

an expensive holiday, right?

Now, how did they pay for that?

Mackey and his missus are separated.

Dale's as tight as a duck's tail.

But then I seen Richie and Whelo

talking to that journo, Kevin Doyle.

Ah, Jesus. It could be any of them.

You've got a bit mayonnaise

on your smig there.

It's great work.

We should make Fran an honorary Garda.

He's top notch.

Right, so, here's what

needs to happen, okay?

So, all the suspects must play

against Shamrock Rovers.

If they've taken a bribe,

then they're gonna make sure you lose.

-But then we'd lose.

-That's right.

By five goals to nil.

That was the deal from day one.

You never said we'd have to lose.

Small price to pay for

cleaning up football.

How else are we gonna

catch the match-fixers, Fran?

No, no, no, no, that's entrapment.

Youse are asking me to be corrupt.

Calm down, calm down, all right?

And if I refuse?

Why would you do that?

Because I don't want us to lose.

Come on now, Fran.

Don't be getting cold feet on us.

Come on.

We need you to help us.

All right, mate?

Don't "mate" me.

Youse aren't me mates.

You're only being nice to me,

because I'm helping yo use.

You're not gonna make

me an honorary Garda.

Probably even no such thing, is there?

No, there isn't.

You think I'm a fool.

Well, I'll show you.

Spoofers, pair of you.

We were under a lot of pressure

to make arrests.

Especially now with Interpol

breathing down our necks.

At this point, I could see another case

slipping through the bloody net.

We had to consider the real possibility

that Fran Costello might be involved.

What did Kevin Doyle do?

Where's Bobby, lads?

Anyone seen Bobby?

Whelo?

He's not here.

Idiot.

Hey, Jackie.

Bobby hasn't shown up for training.

Is he all right?

I'm... I'm sure he's fine.

He probably got detention

in school or something.

Can you do that?

She can actually track his phone.

He's where?

Yeah, yeah. I know it, yeah.

I'll get him.

You gotta be creative.

-Bobby.

-Oh, hey, Fran.

Don't "Hey, Fran" me.

Why aren't you training?

Your ma's worried sick.

-Are you drunk?

-No.

You... you're the snakey geebag.

You shut your mouth,

or I'll shut it for you.

Come on, you. Come on.

What are you playing at?

You're supposed to be at training.

Hanging out with those two clowns.

Who do you think you are? George Best?

The cup match is this weekend,

for Jesus' sake.

-So?

-So?

-Do you not care?

-It's just a match.

Just a match?

This could be your big break.

There's players out there

who'd k*ll for the talent you have.

Just gonna risk it all

to go ditch drinking?

I'm sorry, okay?

Two large singles. Salt and vinegar?

Thanks.

-Soakage. Get it into you.

-Gracias.

-You going to tell my ma?

-Nope.

You are.

What's going on with you?

I've the Leaving coming up.

This match, I'm allowed to blow off

a bit of steam, like.

Yeah. How is the studying going?

It's hard. I'm doing all honours.

Yeah, well.

We didn't do particularly well

in my Leaving Cert.

We turned out just fine.

Listen.

Three people in me

life who broke me heart.

One, Toto Schillaci.

Two, Thierry Henry.

Three, Declan Rice.

Don't be the fourth, Bobby.

What were you up to

in Glendale Park?

-Were you drinking?

-Leave it, Ma.

Thank you.

I think he was just letting off

a bit of steam.

Go easy on him.

I was probably just as bad

when I was his age.

Worse, actually.

Yeah, sorry.

Gaffer.

Come in.

What's all this about?

This came today.

Registered post.

From the FAI disciplinary committee.

They're charging me

with bringing the game into disrepute.

You wrecked the cup draw.

You accosted poor Kevin Doyle.

And you never completed

your anger management programme.

How many times do I have to tell people

the link wouldn't work?

What was I supposed to do?

The app kept updating on me.

Fran, relax. I'll go

with you to the hearing.

I'll represent you for free.

We'll get these thrown out.

You just focus your energies on the lads.

Make sure they're ready for Saturday.

Go on.

The week before the cup match,

Fran stopped cooperating altogether.

Stopped answering our phone calls.

Our messages.

Usually, if we were

meeting him in the diner,

he'd be there like a hot snot.

But we had to face facts.

Our asset had gone rogue.

All right, tune in, lads. Come on.

Here's what we're gonna do.

Right. So, we got a corner.

-Browner, you go and take it.

-Yeah.

Okay? You touch it,

and the ball is in play.

The Rovers don't know that.

You walk away as if

you've changed your mind

and someone else is gonna take it.

That someone else is Sam.

You come over, and you go run with it.

Rovers will leave a

gap in the six-yard box.

That's where you play the ball.

And Whelo, that's where you'll be

to hammer it home.

I'm calling it the "six-yard screamer."

Let's run it. Let's run it. Come on.

Let's run it.

All right, let's me see it.

You take that side, yeah?

Yeah, go round,

just leave it there from here.

Yes, yes, do that.

Unlucky, man.

It wasn't bad.

Not what I'm looking for, though.

All right. Second one.

When they attack, we defend deep.

We park the bus, and

we fight for every ball.

But when we attack, right,

we stay as a diamond.

That's a triangle.

Never mind what it is.

That's a diamond. Right?

That's more like it.

Yes, Whelo!

Show us the new boots.

Nice.

They're not cheap.

Dipped into your communion money, did you?

Right, men.

Settle down.

It's the moment we've

all been waiting for.

Here's the team for

the cup match tomorrow.

You've all worked very hard in training.

And we're very proud of you.

If there was any way we could give you

all a game, we would.

But FIFA regulations are FIFA regulations.

Thank you, Fran.

Okay.

We're gonna play a 4-5-1.

In goal, Lorcan.

-What?

-Shut up, Richie.

Right full, Deco.

Wojtek on the left,

centre-halves, Warren and Joey.

Yes.

In midfield, we have Tommo on the left.

Sam, you're on the right.

Yes.

Mackey holding.

You know what you have to do.

And Bobby in the centre.

Told you.

With Phil, Phil Brown.

Up front...

Whelo.

Subs, Richie, Dale, Steele, Jay, and Duke.

Is this a joke?

That's the team.

Best of luck tomorrow, lads.

Do yourselves proud.

You picked Butcher, but dropped Dale.

Purely football decisions.

Whelo's been our top scorer for years.

It's tough on Dale, but it is what it is.

What about Richie?

Isn't he a suspect, too?

Richie?

He's just crap.

Like I said, purely football decision.

But you know the detectives

were very specific.

They need all the suspects to play.

I'm not afraid of the detectives.

Fran! Fran! Wrap it up there!

We don't want to be late for this hearing.

-Nothing to worry about.

-No, no, no, I know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Be grand.

I know these fellas.

You know what the hardest words to say

in the English language are?

"Phenomenal."

"Phenomenal"? No. "I am sorry."

That's all you have to say.

Yeah.

Keep the head, right?

"I am sorry."

Come in.

Coming through!

Coming through!

How you doing?

Help!

Is everything all right?

Not good.

Not good at all.

They threw the book at him.

Eight-match stadium ban.

He's not... he's not even allowed

to attend any matches.

He'll be destroyed.

Did I break me back?

Check it.

You feeling okay?

No.

I'll put on the kettle.

You don't understand.

I can't miss the match. I can't.

There'll be other matches.

I have to find the rat.

Rat?

What are you talking about?

Or rats.

We'll show you.

Come on up to me bedroom.

Bedroom?

Jesus.

Match-fixing?

I know.

You think Dympna is involved?

Didn't you do the biz with her once?

No.

You know, after you

signed the young fellas,

Richie,

Dale,

and Mackey were very insistent

that they play the match.

-Remember?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Threatened to walk otherwise.

-Yeah.

And then I seen Richie and Whelo

talking to that journo.

Whelo?

Yeah.

Bit of a coincidence

he suddenly came out of retirement, huh?

One last bank job.

The detectives were adamant

that all the main suspects had to play.

I'm not starting Richie.

Are you joking me?

Why didn't you tell me any of this before?

The detective said I couldn't.

What am I doing up there?

You're the suspect and all.

Given everything that's happened today,

to me, the suspension,

I think the right thing for us to do

as a football club

is to stand up to all these injustices.

Let's refuse to play tomorrow.

We can't do that.

You can appeal me suspension.

You're a solicitor, you

can talk to someone.

-Matches get postponed all the time.

-Fran.

My whole entire life

has been building up to this.

I can't miss the match.

-Please do something.

-Fran.

-No...

-Fran.

So... what? You'll just go without me?

After all I've done for this club?

That's the point. After all you've done.

This is all your doing.

Yeah?

Well, freak off then.

Get the freak out of me house.

Go on.

So much for gratitude.

You as well!

Vampires! Users!

Whole lot of you! Get out!

The show's over!

Jesus.

Disaster.

Cut the...

The big day is finally here.

This afternoon, the minnows,

St. Peter's Celtic do battle

with red-hot favourites, Shamrock Rovers.

Can the rank outsiders defy the odds

and cause a major upset?

Good luck.

Oh, no kissing allowed.

I was warned not to make a show of him.

Sure, making a show of them

is the joy of being a parent.

I've a good feeling.

I think yo use are gonna win today.

Where's Fran?

Fran?

Bit of an incident.

Jeez, what happened?

Oh, when the saints go marching in

I wanna be in that number

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Aye, aye!

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Go marching in

He all right?

We haven't seen him all day.

I'm just gonna leave these here.

Don't wanna be late for the match.

-Jackie?

-Hiya, Fran.

I left you a few bits there.

Thanks.

Jim told me what happened. So sorry.

It's outrageous.

So look, now I know

how Nelson Mandela felt.

Thanks for looking after Bobby

over the last few weeks.

And you were right.

Studies weren't affected.

He's a top lad.

There'll be plenty of scouts

at that game today.

He will be off to the

premiership in no time.

Fingers crossed.

See you, Fran.

See you.

Have a baguette.

Come on in, you lot.

Bring that in with yo use.

It's a glorious afternoon

here in Tallaght Stadium.

Shamrock Rovers, the champions,

against St. Peter's Celtic.

We're about to get underway.

Rovers playing right to left.

And with me in the commentary box,

Brian Kerr.

It's a great day

for St. Peter's Celtic, George.

They brought a massive crowd with them.

I'd say there's hardly a sinner left

in Sallynoggin.

There's a young fella, Bobby Charlton,

playing in midfield.

I'm hearing some great things

about this kid.

I'm old enough to remember

when his namesake,

the World Cup winner, Bobby Charlton,

played in the blue

of Waterford United back in 1976.

It's gonna be five-nil, Franny.

Points on me later.

Go on, you snakey geebag!

You know, St. Peter

threw Jesus under the bus.

Denied knowing him three times, he did.

After all I've done

for this football club,

this is how they treat me?

Who cuts the grass, and marks the pitch,

and washes all the gear?

Fran. That's who.

And for what?

To be abandoned by them like Jesus was?

Are you not going to even listen

to the match, Fran?

Plenty of clubs out there

who'd k*ll for someone like me.

St. Peter's Celtic on the attack.

Oh, brilliant ball by Charlton.

Danger here for Shamrock Rovers.

Whelan threw a goal

under the goalkeeper to beat.

Score! Go on!

He's round the keeper.

Oh, Whelan's overrun it,

and the chance goes a-begging.

He had an open goal.

All he had to do was tap it in.

Declan Whelan, hang your head in shame.

Still goalless, but a very positive start

for the minnows, St. Peter's Celtic.

Still they are.

Shamrock Rovers breaking.

It's Cullen with the ball.

Oh, he's hacked down cynically

by Bobby Charlton.

Good to see that, young Charlton.

A bit of character.

You know what I mean, George?

Yellow card, though,

to Bobby Charlton.

Bobby.

Shamrock Rovers on the attack.

Missed tackle there by Whelan.

Oh, goal, Shamrock Rovers.

sh**t.

What a beautiful goal.

Shut up, you.

What was Declan Whelan at?

But St. Peter's still in this game

as long as they don't

concede another goal.

That's a careless pass from Whelan.

Shamrock Rovers are

through and it's there.

No. That's Whelan.

He's at fault again.

He's having an absolute

nightmare, so he is.

It's Whelo.

It's Whelo!

Get him off, gaffer.

Get off, you!

Substitution for St. Peter's.

Declan Whelan's afternoon is over.

Dale Walsh is coming on.

Come on, Dale!

Shamrock Rovers turning on the style here.

Oh, beautiful ball.

Shot comes in. Oh, top corner.

Back of the net.

I don't believe it!

What a goal, George. What a goal.

It's nearly half-time now, lads.

No more goals. Just keep at point.

Here come Shamrock Rovers again

and it's four-nil.

What did I just say?

Surely there's no way back

for St. Peter's now.

They need a miracle

from St. Peter himself at this stage.

Come on, St. Peter's!

What a kick to St. Peter's Celtic.

It's like pinball in there.

Bobby Charlton gonna hit it.

Oh, it appears to have hit his hand.

And the referee has given him

the penalty.

And it's gonna get

worse for young Charlton.

That'll be his second yellow card.

Yes, red for Bobby Charlton. He's off.

Bobby?

Cullen steps up to take the kick.

Oh, fantastic penalty.

No!

Shamrock Rovers, five.

St. Peter's Celtic, nil.

There's been a lot of people

around the place

predicting this exact score line.

Five-nil.

I believe there's even been

a bit of funny business going on.

So it's going to be fascinating

to see how this one turns out in the end.

There will be four minutes

of additional time.

Enough time for St. Peter's

to find the consolation goal now.

And they're going for it.

Mackey has won a corner.

Corner.

Right, Dale. Like we practised.

"Six-yard screamer."

Corner from Browne. Oh, that's clever.

The ball's in play, George.

Shamrock Rovers are asleep.

Sam Anyoku dribbling inside the box.

He finds Dale Walsh in a six-yard area.

Oh, oh, it's there.

Yes, Dale! Yes!

St. Peter's Celtic have scored.

Yes!

A cunning stunt by the amateur side.

Obviously, something

they worked on with their coach

on the training ground.

Brilliant goal. Best goal of the match.

And it's all over.

Shamrock Rovers, five,

St. Peter's Celtic, one.

Shamrock Rovers comfortably

through to the next round.

The bookies can rest easy

in their beds tonight, George.

We drew the second half.

I should have been on from the start.

You can forget about

being godfather and all.

Hey, you. I want a word

with you. Come here.

Relax, will you?

What was it all for, huh?

These, huh?

What are you doing?

You're not having them.

You're a disgrace.

I thought you wanted to be

a professional footballer.

You're carry on like this now,

the only place you'll be playing football

is in Portlaoise.

Any good?

It's a prison, you little tick.

Hard luck to St. Peter's.

Good to see you back, Fran.

Oh, thanks.

What were you thinking, handling the ball?

Don't you know only the goalie's

allowed to do that?

It was a rush of blood to the head,

wasn't it, Bobby?

Yeah, that's right.

What do you say to Fran?

Thanks.

I guess this is it.

No more cup run, no more Bobby.

That's right.

Well, thank you.

Bobby already gave me his match fee.

His match fee?

I thought all me birthdays

have come at once.

I was finally able to

clear the credit card.

Do they get that money every match?

No, it's a... it's a once-off,

ain't it, Bobby?

Yeah.

Listen.

I don't usually do this.

Well, I don't know.

Would you like to go for a drink sometime?

Me?

Yeah, yeah, defo.

-Yeah.

-Great.

Well, you have me number.

-I do, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Yeah.

-Right. Yeah.

-All right. Great.

Thanks. Okay. Right.

I am sorry.

No hard feelings.

-Come on.

-Yeah, yeah. No ball.

Fran, how are you feeling now?

You know when you're on your way

to the airport,

and you're deadly, and you're stressed.

You finally make it through

the gate, but it's too late.

You've missed a flight and you're raging.

But then you heard that flight

got diverted to some mad place,

Aberdeen or something.

And you dodged a b*llet?

That's how I'm feeling.

Some of Ireland's greatest-ever

victories were actually draws.

Moral victories.

That's what happened today.

Football was the winner,

and the match-fixers

won't be collecting any money

from the bookies.

And do you know what?

That's a win in my eyes.

Sound man Shane,

you'll have someone's eye out

with that boom.

Roscoe, hope you got some nice shots.

Director Katy, legend. Come here.

Thanks, Fran.

So, will there be a wrap party or...?

Oh, what the freak is it now?

What's happened?

Francis Costello.

You know who I am.

I'm hereby arresting you under Section 19

of the Criminal Justice Act 2011

in suspicion of conspiracy

to commit fraud.

You're not obliged to say anything,

but anything you do say

will be taken down in writing

and may be used in evidence.

Is this a wind-up?

What's going on?

We'll explain everything

down at the station.

I didn't do nothing.

Thank you.

Miss Moran, we have a court order

to subpoena your documentary footage.

There is a worldwide network of criminals

who seek to fix the results

of soccer matches,

and this has been the scourge

of the footballing industry for decades.

But today, one of the alleged

ringleaders is in custody.

Francis "Fran" Costello

is the assistant manager

of St. Peter's Celtic Football Club.

Sources today say that Costello

has built up a huge network

of contacts in the underworld.

Those who know him describe him

as a colourful character,

but he's also found himself

in an offside position,

to use a footballing term.

You snakey geebag!

Gardai confirmed to us today

that a number of weapons

have been located.

We found a number of weapons

during our search,

including a set of knives.

Diamond-sharpened ones.

And sulphuric acid.

-Which is banned in this jurisdiction.

-Completely banned.

But the question will be

whether a charge and conviction

can follow,

or whether the arrest of Fran Costello

is a massive own goal.

I'm allowing your lawful detention today.

Do you understand why you're here?

No. I don't.

Do you have any medical conditions?

I have sleep apnea

and I'm allergic to cats.

If we're being completely honest,

arresting Fran was more of

a fishing expedition for us.

Yeah. A tactic.

To make a splash on the TV.

Scare the real criminals.

Morning, Jim. Can you talk?

Morning. Shouldn't take long.

-Did you do it?

-What?

-Match-fixing.

-Of course, I didn't.

Good.

I knew you didn't.

Now, this is important.

You say nothing.

And I mean, nothing,

during the interview.

Whatever they ask, whatever they do,

you just answer, "No comment."

Understood?

-Understood?

-No comment.

Good.

Nolan has a reputation.

They call him "The Priest."

Why?

He can get a confession out of anybody.

-What?

-The point is, you're an innocent man.

-You have nothing to worry about.

-Yeah.

Let's start with an easy question.

Why'd you try and fix the match

against Shamrock Rovers?

No comment.

Why'd you go, no comment?

What are you trying to hide?

No comment.

You're clever. I'll give you that.

Distancing yourself from the big match.

Getting yourself a stadium van.

Throwing the spotlight on Jim here.

We spoke to Dympna Greene

from Far & Away Travel.

She has all your flight records,

going back decades.

You flew to Georgia four times

in the last few years.

A place known to be a hotbed

of match-fixing.

Why?

My client would like to point out

that Ireland are drawn to play Georgia

in nearly every qualifying tournament.

If you cross-reference

Fran's flights with the fixture list,

you'll see what I'm talking about.

Now, can we stop this charade?

Interview terminated.

For now.

A no-comment interview

is par for the course at this stage.

I call it "hiding in plain sight."

Oh, not again. For goodness' sake.

Holy sheep!

Relax, will you? Jesus.

Only joking.

How much did it set you back?

Six grand. Cash.

You were rinsed.

Where did you get

six grand cash from?

No comment.

A lot of money laundering

goes on in buying and selling

used cars.

Listen to me, Fran.

This is a major red flag for us.

You pulled a real

stroke, I'll give you that.

The whole Dympna Greene angle.

Trying to imply she was a bag woman.

Well, here you go, Fran.

...you're delighted...

What's in the envelope, Fran?

No comment.

I'll tell you what.

A very expensive holiday to Dubai.

That's a new second-hand car

and a trip to Dubai.

Where are you getting

all that money from, Fran?

Match-fixing, that's where.

But you couldn't do it on your own.

No, you had to recruit

other players to do your bidding.

Yeah. Beautiful. Gorgeous.

Stunning.

You were recruiting schoolboys

for the biggest match

in your club's history.

Kids you knew would do

anything for a new phone

or an expensive pair

of football boots, huh?

Tickets.

To Dubai?

No comment.

You can talk to me. I'm...

How can you afford tickets to Dubai?

I can't afford them.

That Dympna Greene,

she tricked me into buying them.

It's all circumstantial.

Sulphuric acid.

Trips to Georgia. Knives.

Buying a car for cash.

Holidays in Dubai.

Actually, that is quite a lot.

We're waiting for the call

from our superiors.

In the olden days, you might have been

able to roughhouse them a bit, you know?

Get Fran talking,

but it's all gone PC, you know?

That's the Irish criminal

justice system for you.

That's what your taxes are paying for.

Shambles.

What happens if they let me go?

They'll bring all the players in,

interview them under caution.

-They'll even interview the young fellas?

-Yes.

Anybody who played

against Shamrock Rovers.

Oh, this is it now.

Hello, Detective Naomi Clancy.

-Can I ask you a question?

-Go on.

If you do have a criminal record,

are you still allowed

to play football in England?

Not a chance.

It's closing in on full-time here.

Are you gonna charge my client

or are you gonna release him

and we can all go home?

It's your lucky day, Fran.

You're free to go.

Fran, you ready?

Yeah, I'm ready.

I'm ready to talk.

-What are you doing?

-No. Ignore him.

He doesn't mean that.

Yes, I do mean it.

I want to talk.

In the end, we cracked him.

I was sceptical at first,

but then Fran provided us

with some very specific information.

To give Fran his due, he pled guilty,

which is why the judge,

I suppose, went easy on him in the end.

Okay, he'll flip the four-angle.

Yeah, clear.

What was that, Dale?

A back pass!

Sorry, you were saying?

Do you really believe Fran did it, Jim?

I deal with facts,

and the facts are Fran pleaded guilty.

So, in the eyes of the law, he's guilty.

What about you?

Do you believe Fran did it?

Of course, I did it.

It was me all along, baby.

Anyway, good behaviour,

I'll be out of here in four months.

That's grand.

We can do that, no problem.

Dympna Greene, Far & Away Travel.

Hi, Dympna, it's Katy Moran here.

Can we arrange a date?

Maybe for another interview.

Absolutely, I'd love to.

I'll just grab me diary, Katy.

Let me pop you on hold

there for one second.

How are we, love?

-Let's go, Whelo.

-Let's get out of here.

The kid, Bobby did well.

And I have a little brown envelope

here for you.

We're dead late, I'm sorry.

The traffic at the turn-off

for the M8 was shocking.

Thanks for coming.

-Hey, Bobby.

-Hey, Fran.

I was only thinking of you last week.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

We were watching Shawshank

Redemption, weren't we, Bobby?

And I got your letter the next day.

It was freaky.

You look well, you've lost weight.

Yeah, you too.

You look great, I mean. Yeah.

Tell Fran your news.

-How'd the exams go?

-I passed.

I knew you would.

And I also signed for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls?

-Good man.

-Yeah.

Listen...

I just want to say,

thanks for everything, like.

No worries.

And we moved house.

-What?

-He got a big signing-on fee.

Jim acted as his agent,

which was brilliant.

-Ah, good.

-Yeah.

You Fran Costello?

-What of it?

-The annual soccer

match against the prison guards

is next month.

And we could use a coach, a manager.

Would you be on for it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But I'm a bit busy here, lads.

Sorry for disturbing you, missus.

I'm here. If you need anything

while you're in here, a phone,

some hooch, whatever you're into,

just ask, we'll look after you.

Yeah? All right.

Look at you, making friends.

Can I have the keys for the car?

-Why?

-Because three's a bit of a crowd.

See you, Fran.

Thank you so much for all you did for us.

For Bobby.

All you did.

Come here, I snuck you in something.

Ah, bourbon creams.

No touching, please.

Have you ever been to Dubai?

No, why?

Life is a lot like football.

Sometimes you're up,

sometimes you're down.

Sometimes it's a draw,

and it goes into extra time,

and maybe even penals.

Don't stand on the sidelines watching.

Get involved in life and football.

And it doesn't have to be football.

There are loads of sports for people

who are no good at football.

Rugby, for example.

There are absolutely no skills

required whatsoever.

Well, you said you wanted to talk.

Talk.

Right, it goes back to Sipan, 2002.

I was on a night out on me own

and I met this Dutch

couple in an Irish bar.

They were from Eindhoven.

We need names.

Interpol need names.

Right, there was a...

there was a French fella, Henri.

He handled everything.

Good.

Who else?

It was an English man, Rice.

And the boss was an Italian from Palermo.

His name was Salvatore.

Well, everyone called him Toto.

La Cosa Nostra.

Didn't I tell you?