A pilot episode was filmed in early 2003, and the rest of the series was due to be filmed and aired later that year. However, the producers of Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) then demanded a much higher percentage of the royalties than they had originally been offered, delaying production of the series by two years. As a result of this delay Bradley Walsh, who had originally been due to return as Doddsy, dropped out and was replaced by Steve Edge.
The team that Mike Bassett now manages is lowly Ellesmere Port-based Wirral County Football Club. Ellesmere Port is not located within Wirral and Wirral has never been a County.