It’s 1985, and the Troubles are still in full swing. But a substantial proportion of Northern Ireland, both Catholic and Protestant, is much more excited about its team’s chance of participating in the forthcoming World Cup in Mexico, even it means facing Brazil’s Socrates (played here by Sergio Mur), then one of the best players in the world.
This decidedly patchy period drama plaits together storylines involving various characters invested in the team’s fortunes, from squad manager Billy Bingham (John Hannah, sporting, like most of the men here, a helmet-like hairpiece) and the players themselves, to comedy-relief sports reporter Jackie Fullerton (Conleth Hill) and ardent Everyman supporters such as Arthur (Richard Dormer, always a pleasure) and his nine-year-old son Tommy (Art Parkinson).
Sports fans will know from the off that there’s a downbeat resolution in store for this underdog story, so co-writer-director James Erskine has to strain painfully to accentuate the positive with glimpses of trans-sectarian unity and gassy humour centred on blokes’ love of beer. Still, it’s nice to see all that regional investment from Game of Thrones is helping to build a local film industry of sorts.
