Play for Today - Dinner at The Sporting Club (1978)

Struggling to maintain his integrity in the seedy depths of the professional boxing world, trainer Dinny Matthews sees a chance of redemption when he is asked to provide a boxer to fight at the socially elite Sporting Club where all the money men do to wine and dine. With options short, he chooses John Duncan, a decent lad with ambitions to make it big and earn enough money for a stereo, but who is nowhere good enough to compete. But Matthews is determined to give the lad a break and hope that they can buck the odds and win. But can they, and if so at what cost? Starring John Thaw, Billy McColl, Patrick Durkin, Jonathan Lynn, Tony Caunter, Ken Campbell, Maureen Lipman, John Bardon, Henry Norville, Terry Downes, Marilyn Galsworthy, Paul Imbusch, Eric Kent, Frank Lee, Gary Davidson and Marjie Lawrence, plus keep your eyes peeled for minor and early roles for Nula Conwell (WPC Martella in The Bill), Bill Treacher (Arthur Fowler in EastEnders) and Liam Neeson - yes, THAT Liam Neeson - as an angry boxer. This was from the anthology series Play For Today and was originally broadcast on November 7th 1978. I came across this surprisingly in a charity shop and it contains one of John Thaw's most sympathetic performances as the trainer to a no hoper (Billy McCall) who decides to give the lad a chance when all he wants to do is earn enough money to buy a stereo. I'm not much of a boxing fan, but you'll be rooting for the pair as Thaw's character starts to doubt his decision and his reasons. It's a beautiful performance by Thaw and a highly regarded Play For Today. I hope you like it. Please note that this contains swearing, violence and nudity.