The hot-tempered, unruly players of this pub league soccer team are in dire straits after having lost everything -- their drive, their skills and soon, their playing field. When mysterious Walter Keegan shows up offering to be their coach, captain Bubbles and the rest of his loopy, obnoxious teammates are so desperate to succeed, they agree to give him the job. Drilled into the ground with a fierce discipline they have never known, the team pushes beyond their aches and pains to gain not only redemption on the field, but more importantly, their self-respect.
Acting
Gleeson brings gravitas to a thankless coach role.
Writing
Authentic Irish banter that lands more than it misses.
Director
Paul Mercier
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Paul Mercier wrote this while running his own Dublin theatre company; the film's raw energy comes from stage-trained actors.
The 'pub league' setting captures a specific slice of Irish social life where sport, drinking, and male bonding intertwine — it's practically a documentary for some Dublin neighborhoods.
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