In a bizarre twist of fate the landlord was arrested this afternoon... on suspicion                                          of Cattle Rustling

In the days leading up to the Manchester football derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, United fan Colin Clay is found dead a short walking distance from the United-dominated Trafford Arms pub. The cause of death appears to be a small stab wound at the nape of the neck. It is widely assumed that the culprit is a City fan, and the CID are worried that this incident would incite fan violence between the two clubs' firms. However, DI Sam Tyler suspects that the killing was not football-inspired, due to the lack of bruising on the body of the victim which suggested that there was no struggle or fight which led to the man's death.

The night before the match, Sam, DCI Gene Hunt and WPC Annie Cartwright go undercover at the Trafford Arms (posing as staff) in an attempt to garner information from the United-supporting clientèle of the pub about the murder, and also to find out whatever they could about any plans for violence against City supporters the following day. They suspect pub regular Malcolm Cox, a United fan with previous convictions for assault, of murdering Clay and framing City supporters in an attempt to rile up United fans and provoke violence from both supporter groups. Their suspicions are compounded when Cox is seen to place a key between his knuckles when threatening to punch Gene - the use of a key could explain the stab wound that had killed Clay. Also that night Sam befriends another United supporter, Pete Bond, who tells him "once a Red, always a Red".

The next day Sam and Gene pay Malcolm Cox a visit which inevitably ends in a foot chase. When apprehended Cox admits playing a part in Clay's killing, but denies that he wanted Clay dead. He admits to have distracted Clay while Pete Bond hit him in the back of the head. However, Pete used his key (a trick Cox had in fact picked up from him) and Clay was killed. Cox also informs Sam and Gene of the whereabouts of the planned fight between United and City supporters, and Sam, Gene and DC Chris Skelton lead a team of riot police to the scene, a large deserted warehouse. While the other officers subdue the rioting fans, Sam finds and arrests Pete Bond. He confiscates Bond's ticket to the match and gives it to the son of the murdered United fan, Colin Clay.

At the end of the episode Sam sees his young self going to the match with his father - he had previously told Bond at the Trafford Arms that this was the last match he had gone to.

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