STORY

Paddy Ardiles is a new comedy shooting in UK and Ireland 2026. The independent feature film is set at Aldershot FC in 1982 and involves a young Irish footballing genius who claims to be a distant relation to Spurs legend Ossie Ardiles. When he is asked to trial with Aldershot FC he fails to make a good impression when the local English lads foul him before he can dazzle. About to be sent back to Kerry, a famous pro legend Tommy McGinty, who is wrapping up his glittering career with Aldershot spots something unique and insists the club sign him as an apprentice.

The next day the IRA mount a devastating bombing campaign on the UK mainland, the club, who is closely linked to the Parachute regiment, who are stationed in Aldershot, want rid of him and a cleaner inside the club is ordered to get rid of him by making his life intolerable. McGinty suggests Paddy claim his Argentinian birthright and forget his Irish roots. Paddy is desperate to make it as a pro so he goes along with it and claims to speak no English and just mimics Manuel from Faulty Towers by saying ‘QUE’ all the time.

Ironically with Ardiles of Spurs setting fans alight in north London, news of Paddy’s spurious link to Ossie Ardiles excites the fans, as the club is sinking back to division four. Paddy, who is now called ‘Pepe’ becomes a beacon of hope that this new younger Ardiles will get them out of a bind. So Paddy, who is still only 16 bypasses the apprentices and gets on the subs bench with the pros for a crucial end of season match. About to make his debut, things take a terrible turn when Argentina invades the Falklands and the fans, many who are soldiers suddenly hate Argentinians even more than the Irish. But Paddy’s mentor McGinty, refuses to give up on this loud mouth brash Kerry boy even though other malign enemies inside the club including the cleaner are plotting to take him out for good.

Can Paddy finally make it on to the pitch and unveil to the world his incredible skills or will politics and bad luck finish off a future glittering star for good. One thing is for sure Paddy is not going down without a fight, as a proud Kerry man, he believes he has special superpowers, with Argentinian football IQ and Kerry DNA, nobody, not even the British empire will be able to stop him…