Murphy's Mob

Can't remember the team name but it initially was filmed at Waford FC, manager Mac Murphy (Ken Hutchinson) helped rival kiddie supporters to settle their differences and set up their own supporters club. Early cast members included Keith Jayne (Stig of the dump star who everyone comments on his age & height), Amanda Mealing (Grange Hill cast-off turned Holby City control freak)& Lewis Stevens (Wurzel, he didn't star in the Yellow Pages french polishers commercial, that was Simon Schatzberger). Linda Bellingham who played Mac's wife was another early co-star (I was to young to enjoy confessions films at the time). After two series the show was relocated to Derby, and cast changes were inevitable as the original cast were obviously deemed to old to be portrayed as teenagers. By the time the fourth series appeared I'd left school & joined the big bad world (in other words I got a job). That was when Murphy's Mob became a distant memory to me. The first two series could easily rivalled Grange Hill at the time.

If I remember correctly, this was about the trials and tribulations of the members of a junior (under 17s) football club. Macho Ken (Sweeney 2) Hutchison played the club manager Murphy of the title. And Keith (Stig Of The Dump) Jayne, who was supposedly in his teens but looked about 33, portrayed one of the best strikers in the team. There was always hell to pay if any players got onto the wrong side of coach Terrence Budd. But this was certainly one of the better Central TV kids shows of the early '80s.

Anyone recall On Safari with Gillian Taylforth and Chris Biggins?

The theme tune was great, it was sung by Gary Holton who played cockney Wayne in Auf Wiedersehen Pet.I think it was filmed at Watford although i can't remember the name of the team in the show, but after a couple of series they merged with another club that appeared to be based at the Baseball Ground Derby. like the previous poster i have always believed it was Wurzel in the yellow pages ad,"hello french polishers its just possible you could save my life".Also he was bang on about Mac Murphy and kids if i remember rightly he had a right temper and was often seen knocking back large whisky's,(stereotypical Scottish football manager). P.S Keith Jayne must be a pensioner by now, there must have been a law about child actors in those days, the "kids" were almost as old as those in Please Sir.

It was not set around a football team but a supporter's club. You might be thinking of Jossy's Giants some 10 years later. The chap from Stig of the Dump was pretty old and I seem to recall he was really small. The big nosed kid (Wurzel) was in quite a lot at the time and looked like the kid from the Yellow Pages "French Polishers?" advert.

Interesting fact, Ken Hutchinson who played Murphy has a dark secret. He was one of the rapists in Straw Dogs. I, for one, feel no one with such a history should be in charge of children in any capacity.

The tune was banging if I remember "find another place coz you can't play 'ere, always saying NO it s a tragedy"

They were, as with Grange Hill (ludicrously controversial in the early 80's) the only children who didn't swear.

I remember this show vaguely. I thought it was about a youth club, i know there was a connection to a football team. Ken Hutchinson (Mac) had another dark secret. He was also an armed robber (pursued by Regan and Carter in The Sweeney 2 movie). Wurzel (the kid with the big nose and strange hair) had to watch his back constantly as his dad was a policeman. I can't remember "Stig" though or what part he played. If the voice behind that awesome theme tune sounded familiar it's because it was sung by the late great Gary Holton of rock band the Heavy Metal Kids. He was a bona fide rock star in his own right but he didn't get real public recognition until he landed the part of cockney ladies man Wayne Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.