HMP Slade has three new arrivals: Mr Beale, a new prison warder; Rudge, a young newlywed beginning his first stretch, and Oakes, transferred to Slade midway through a 12-year stretch for armed robbery. Oakes is determined to escape, and with Grouty's help, an elaborate plan is hatched involving a celebrities-versus-cons football match. Fletcher and Godber play their part on the team, but when Godber is injured on the field, the plan begins to unravel leaving Fletcher and Godber stranded far from the comfort of their cell.