Raft To Bondi

It is July 1990 and everyone is Nessun dorma crazy because England are in the semi-final of the World Cup. Everyone that is, except 15-year-old Jimmy, who's never really liked football - he can't get worked up about men kicking a ball around. He's surprised his dad has taken an interest as he's never even been to a football match.

Jimmy is really sad - so is his dad - but they don't talk. Then Jimmy meets a young, loud lass called Carol, who is building a raft to take her along the Rochdale canal and then out to Australia to see her own dad. Jimmy thinks she's daft but she's great fun and he pretends to go along with it.

Meanwhile, when Jimmy's dad goes to the pub to watch the match, unbeknown to him, he meets Carol's "mam", Kath. She's inebriated and gets them thrown out so they watch the match at his house. But when Kath wants more than friendship he firmly resists. He can't - not yet.

On the canal things come to a head when the raft sinks and Jimmy loses the photo of his mother. He is distraught - the reason for his sadness is her recent death.

When Jimmy gets back home his dad is visibly moved by Gazza's tears on the football pitch. At last, he and Jimmy can express their emotions to each other and finally acknowledge their loss.