Theresa Mullen is about to be married to her fiance Eddie Ryan, but things don't always turn out as you plan.
Theresa and Eddie have returned from their honeymoon in Cornwall and are looking forward to spending some time together in their new house, but when the arrive home they find that Theresa's father and brothers Matthew and Luke have let themselves in!
Shazza lives in Beaumont House, a residential home. Today is her 20th birthday and she is told it is about time she found somewhere else to live independently. Shazza is upset by this news and takes her usual pick me up of drugs and heads off to the training session.
Jo is taking the news that her mother is really Theresa badly. She refuses to speak to her as she cannot believe that such a big secret has been kept from her for 19 years. It is a week after Jo first heard the news and Theresa refuses to give up on her. The rest of the team know something is wrong but don't know what.
The team have returned from their match at London, but for Geraldine there is no cause for celebration. Dave knows all about her affair with Rick and confronts her. They end up in a heated argument when Geraldine in her anger goads Dave about Rick's sexual performance.
Geraldine and Dave are back together and are trying hard to make their relationship work. Eddie has a proposition for the Mullen family when he asks for their help to plan a surprise wedding for Theresa. On the day of the big match at Nottingham, Gary phones Gabby and tells her that her time off work has been canceled and they need her in. Gabby is furious, nothing is going to stop her playing after all the training she has done.
7 months later and Geraldine is well on the way to giving birth to her first baby. Jo has finished her training in London and is heading back to Castlefield when a young man named Ryan sits next to her. He is Jim Pratt's son who has just finished his jail sentence, unbeknown to Jo who seems to be warming to his cheeky nature.
Luke is still suspicious of Shazza and demands to know where she has been going all the time, which leads to a argument and Mrs Mullen doesn't make things any better when she tells them the house is not big enough for the pair of them, if all they can do is argue! Shazza storms out and heads off to her driving lesson on the buses, which is secret she has been keeping. She didn't want to tell anyone until she passed.
Rita's daughter Vicky shocks Rita when she tells her that she has decided to quit college and find a job instead. Rita wanted more for her daughter and didn't want her ending up like herself still training at 40. She is even more furious when Vicky mentions that she has already discussed it with her father, Graham.
Rita is still reeling after sleeping with her ex husband Graham and goes home to John who has been out searching for her. In her anger she tries to cause an argument with John over Mikey who he has let stay the night after he found her sleeping rough in the club house. The guilt becomes too much for Rita to take and she ends up breaking down and confessing everything to John.
Shazza still hasn't gave Luke an answer over whether she will marry him or not, which is frustrating him as he needs to know, good or bad! Angie has applied for a promotion at work, and to prove her commitment has been assigned to investigate benefit fraud, she is pleased until she discovers Shazza Pearce's name on her file.
Shazza gets her job back on the buses, as the company are short staffed and cant afford to lose another driver. Geraldine goes to see the doctor to see why she is having so much trouble losing weight after having the baby, and is shocked when the doctor tells her she is pregnant again. Geraldine is devastated by the news, it has been hard enough to cope with baby George over the last weeks, never mind another baby coming so soon. Dave one the other hand is ecstatic and cant understand why Geraldine is so depressed.
Eddie and Theresa are back in their own house at last after Ryan, Matt and Luke have finished repairing it, and Eddie thinks now is the perfect time to think about starting a family. Theresa agrees and throws away her pills! They are happily planning their future when there is a loud noise and they notice a huge crack in their living room ceiling.
It is the day of Ryans's court case over the stolen van, and he is panicking that he is going to go to jail. Unbeknown to everyone he and Jo are still together, but Jo is torn between her family and him and is confused what to do for the best.
Rick is back at Diane's much to her dismay and he makes it obvious that he has no intention of leaving and tells her that there is no way she will sell the house. Shazza is feeling stifled by Luke who cant stop talking about the wedding and how excited he is, but Shazza has other things on her mind like the match and Scott who we soon find out is a old flame of hers.
Everyone is at the hospital eagerly awaiting news on Luke, and Shazza is relieved when it turns out he has only got mild concussion. She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if anything had happened to him because of what he saw. Diane has stayed the night at Rita's after finding Rick in bed with Mikey, but leaves determined to sort things out with Rick once and for all.
It's Rita's day of reckoning; Shazza struggles to cope with married life; Scott turns his attentions elsewhere; The truth about the stolen van is revealed when Ryan's cousin appears.
Mikey announces she is pregnant, but Rick thinks he is infertile. At the clinic his fertility is confirmed. Mikey, realising his indifference to her pregnancy, wants an abortion. Heidi lets slip that Chris has been visiting Sheila in secret. Kelly confronts him and the arguments escalate. Rick turns up at George's party with a present. Dave is furious and they fight, only ended when Geraldine thinks she may be going into premature labour. After an examination she is OK. She tells Dave that George is his son, not Ricks. Dave is not so sure. Rick slips into Geraldine's house when she is alone in bed. He demands she admit George is his son and has sex with him despite being pregnant. She says she will resume the affair after the baby is born.
Eddie's new-found success means a difficult decision for Theresa. Shazza feels increasingly trapped as the wedding looms; she resorts to desperate measures for freedom.
Mr and Mrs Mullen are happily preparing for Luke and Shazza's return from their honeymoon, and Mr Mullen has planned a surprise for them when he shows his wife Mary the caravan he has bought for them to live in, a bargain at £120! Mary is not so convinced though and tells her husband that they can start their married life in that thing, they will be divorced in a week!
Ryan asks Jo to marry him, but his determination to impress the Mullens backfires; his parents also have mixed feelings about the move.
It is the day after Jo and Ryan's engagement and Jo is still trying to make sense of what she saw between Ryan and his cousin Jason. She goes to his caravan to confront him, but they just end up falling into bed with one another and for now Jo forgets what she has seen and proclaims her undying love to Ryan.
Tempers are running high between Holly and Scott as they try to decide how they feel about each other. A visit to the hospital could mean the end for Chris and Kelly.
Holly's feelings for Scott are muddled; the secret of her home life is revealed.
All hell breaks loose when Rick blackmails Geraldine into meeting her. Pauline pressurizes Matthew to publicize Luke and Kelly's relationship.
A face from the past returns to Castlefield with some interesting news. Rita and Geraldine decide whether to go to the police as Rick fights for his life.
Now the proud mother of Jessica, Jo finds herself on the Blues sub's bench thanks to new coach Gordon.
The first day of the court case comes to an end after Rick's shocking revelations about George's paternity.
Holly becomes exhausted trying to combine work with looking after Lee and the house, so they decide to hire a woman carer, but she is not all that she seems.
Holly is puzzled over carer Ruth's lack of contact with her son. To celebrate success of the under-thirteen football tournament, Lee takes Holly away for her birthday, much to Ruth's displeasure.
Jim and Francine are struggling to come to terms with the factory going into receivership, but they put on a brave face at the women's professional football league function. Martin persuades Rita to go and represent the Blues in the hope that he might meet someone from Bradford City FC. His wish is answered when they meet Ron Milligan, Bradford Chairman, who promises them VIP tickets for a match. Martin is delighted to discover that his form teacher, Ben Harris, is a big fan of Bradford and decides to invite him to the match. Rita worries that Ben is Martin's only schoolfriend. After a chance encounter, Rita and Ben find themselves getting closer. Martin is devastated to find out that his father's girlfriend is having a baby. He then returns to find Rita and Ben kissing passionately. Later he and other youths vandalize the clubhouse, setting it on fire.
The clubhouse has burnt down and Jim's business has gone under. The team falls apart amid accusations and guilt, whilst Pauline tries to win over Matthew's priest as the wedding approaches.