Vivian 'Jaws' Wright

Vivian Wright, also known as "Jaws", is a fictional footballer in Sky One's Dream Team. He is played by Philip Brodie. He first appeared in episode 7.15, and eft in episode 8.36 after dieing in the coach explosion which killed off most of the playing staff. He was the most popular character for both series 7 and series 8 of Dream Team. He is one of the maddest, strangest and most popular characters form the whole Dream Team era.

Character Profile

Vivian 'Jaws' Wright is an unorthodox character to say the least. The experienced goalkeeper signed for Harchester Utd in the January transfer window of the 03/04 Premiership season. Wright secured a free transfer to the Dragons after a season long ban for an attack on Huddersfield striker Pawel Abbot during a pre-season game during which he bit the player on the nose, giving him the nickname 'Jaws'. Wright realizes that he is probably collecting his last pay cheque at the Lair, and after some heavy negotiations, put pen to paper for Stuart Naysmith's club on 11th January 2004. The Dragons were in desperate need of a Goalkeeper, and were in tremendous debt. Naysmith realised that he had to rely on free transfers, and Wright was the player to fit the bill. Although he had no club, he demanded a huge signing on fee and but for the help of star player Luke Davenport, who made a donation, Harchester would never have been able to sign Jaws. Known for his fiery temper and controversial style, teams had been reluctant to sign Jaws before Naysmith took the plunge, believing that he could be the man to curb his enthusiasm. However the Harchester Player/Manager was proven wrong in only Wright's first game, during which Vivian assaulted his boss at half-time. Viv was sent off for his actions, and his name was dragged through the mud once again. An eventful first season ensues and Viv is involved in an armed robbery, a fight with his manager and other training ground scuffles, as well as locking the team in the changing rooms – during a game!

The new season at The Lair bring Championship football to Harchester, and Jaws is minutes away from joining Bolton, before his psychological report causes Bolton to veto the deal. A busy season again for Jaws, on and off the pitch, his wife, Chelsea, the one person on earth who he confides in and loves, is having an affair with Ryan Naysmith. Jaws becomes wise to this affair, but it is too late as Chelsea had already left the country. He makes it his ambition to find the culprit, and also to help Harchester progress in the Champions League. While everything seems to be back to normal in his life, Jaws talks about how Chelsea has returned and that he has never felt better, things are clearly not OK. Lee, probably Viv's closest friend at the club comes to Wrights house, situated above Studs, to see if he is alright, noly to see Viv talking to himself – he is imagining Chelsea. Lee takes it upon himself to rehire Jaws' therapist, Naomi Wyatt. She worked with him while he was suspended from football, and comes to Harchester to help him rid his mind of Chelsea nad concentrate on the football. During his time at Harchester we see many outbreaks of Jaws mental condition, known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and other lapses of his mind where he goes off the tracks. These include taking a gun to training, punching a team mate and predicting the future.

With Don Barker forced out in April, Harchester are in need of a new manager to see them to the end of the season. Step in – Vivian Wright. The new Player/Manager can't help the dragons from losing there vital Champions League Quarter final against Arsenal, the second leg finishing 1-0, a game which Viv was sure they would draw. This sends Viv into another downward spiral mentally, but he manages to stay composed on the field, as well as in the changing room. They manage to put the disappointment of the Champions League behind them and finish 5th.

It proves to be a successful season at the Lair as Harchester make it to the Play-Off Final in Cardiff. This proved to be the best, and worst day of Viv's Harchester career. The charismatic Keeper gave an emotional team talk that inspired his team to a 1-0 victory over West Ham United, making Harchester a Premiership club once again. However things didn't go quite so well after the game, as the Harchester team coach exploded after the game, thanks to Don Barker –the former manager. Although Vivian Wright's body was never found, the police declared him as 'Missing, presumed dead'. This was a sad way to end a fantastic and well remembered spell with the Dragons. Harchester have not been short of players with a great legacy, and despite his relatively short spell at the Lair and the man known as Jaws will be fondly remembered as a Harchester legend.

Fictional Biography

Joining Harchester United

Following the death of former first choice goalkeeper Jamie Parker at the end of the previous season, Harchester were having goal keeper troubles, and due to the vast amount of money loaned out from various sources that was spent on striker Luke Davenport, could not afford a new goal keeper. However, Harchester manager Stuart Naysmith came up with a solution - Sign Vivian Wright, a talented goal keeper currently not playing for anyone. The problem? No-one really wanted to play with Viv following an incident in the middle of a game where Viv bit the nose of an opposing player.

As a result of the massive debts, the Dragon's Lair was closed, an emotional plea not only from the staff, players & fans of Harchester United, but other Premiership clubs, allowed Harchester to remain open - So long as they qualified for the UEFA Cup or higher at the end of the season. Added incentive for the players, was that they would only receive payment for the rest of the season if the club achieved this. At the same time, news arose of an Arabian Shiek interested in buying the club, but only if the value was reduced.

Match Fixing Scandal

This led to Stuart Naysmith, Pilar Hernandez & the current owners coming up with a match fixing plot to lower the club's value. Stuart played with the already unstable Viv's head, leading him. However, the Shiek passed on the club, and they were left in danger of missing out on a UEFA cup place. Viv's unwitting role in the scandal led to him having mental counselling on orders of wife Chelsea as he grew more unstable as time went on.

However, the scandal would throw another obstacle in the team's path - club captain Marcel Sebatier would accidentally be killed by hitmen, attempting to kill Stuart. After the autopsy revealed that Marcel had overdosed on a painkiller Stuart had taken at the start of the season, the guilt ridden coach told the Police about the match fixing, and they subsequently told the FA & UEFA.

Harchester were told that they must not fall out of the Champions league places otherwise they would be shut down. They do, and the administrators shut down the club. Curtis and Dean Boyle keep the club going and they manage to get back into the champions league places.

Whilst Viv & his team mates managed to get a place in the Champions & keep the club open, owner Dean Boyle & former agent Jeff Stein made an emotional plea to UEFA.

As the players celebrated their success, they received the news - due to this being the second match fixing scandal in 2 years at the club, Harchester were relegated to the Championship as punishment. However, they would remain in the Champions League. Viv & many of his team mates demanded they were released from their contracts upon hearing this, but were then told they would only get the money owed if they played in the Champions league the following season, prompting the players to stay & fight to get back into the Premiership the next year.

Increasing Insanity

Chelsea left him after having an affair with Ryan Naysmith, who Viv cornered with a shotgun. Fearing for his life, Ryan blamed Clyde Connolly - who had recently committed suicide as a result of manager Don Barker's persistent bullying - saying that the reason Clyde committed suicide is because Viv had learned of the affair & was afraid of what he would do to him. Upon his arrival in the teams changing room for the first game after Clyde's death, Viv told his teammates that Clyde had slept with his wife. Unbeknownst to Viv, most of the other players knew that it was Ryan who had actually slept with Chelsea.

Chelsea's infidelity & leaving him, added to Viv's frustrations at being unable to gain some retribution on the man he blamed for his wife leaving him, made the already mentally unstable Wright even more deranged, to the point he believed Chelsea had returned to him, despite Lee Presley (Who was living with Viv at the time) never seeing her. It eventually took psychologist Naomi Wyatt to cure him. Viv stopped seeing "Chelsea", but instead began to believe he could see into the future.

Manager

Following the departure of Don Barker, team mate Karl Fletcher attempted to gain the position. However, Viv who had "seen" that if Fletch were to become manager that the team would lose a vital game against Arsenal, but if he became manager they would win, also lobbied for the role. Due to everyone believing that Viv was now mentally stable, he was given the position due to his "improvement". Regardless of Viv being the manager instead of Fletcher, Harchester still lost to Arsenal.

Bittersweet Promotion

Viv would lead Harchester to the Championship playoffs, where they would face West Ham United. Coincidentally, Viv's predecessor, Don Barker, was now Director of Football at West Ham. Prior to the game, Viv found out the truth about Naysmith's infidelity with his wife, causing a petrified Naysmith to flee the Millennium Stadium in Don Barker's car, which contained the body of the missing Karl Fletcher, who had been murdered by Barker. Viv phoned Ryan and convinced him to return, saying that they'd sort out their issues later, and that the team was more important. Although Ryan did attempt to return, the police found Fletch's body in the boot of the car & took him in for questioning.

As Viv was about to give his team talk after a less than stellar first half, he was called out of the changing rooms, and told the news about Fletcher. Deciding not to depress his team & likely destroy their chances of getting back into the Premiership by giving them the news about Fletcher's death, Viv gave a rousing speech which would inspire his team to victory, returning them to the Premiership.

Death

Viv didn't have a chance to confront Ryan afterwards, as the team bus was blown up by deranged ex-boss Barker who decided he'd rather die than face the consequences of his murder of Fletch, and drove his car, containing explosives & Fletch's body, into the Harchester coach. Viv was not on the coach, but was in close proximity to it when the incident occurred.

Nearly everybody on the coach was confirmed dead from the explosion (except Naysmith, Viv, Sullivan, and Tyson), whilst several people who weren't on the coach but were nearby were also caught in the explosion. Of the people who died but weren't on the coach, Viv was the only person whose body wasn't found. When the list of casualties was read out, Viv was announced as missing, presumed dead.

It had been speculated that Viv would return at some point, to deal with "unfinished business" at the club. However, the series has now ended. Ironically, the spiritual incarnation of the very man whose fate sealed Viv's own, Karl Fletcher, was the last image the show closed out on.

Other Philip Brodie Filmography

- Broken News - Doctors - Days That Shook the World - Blake's Junction 7 - My Family - Sixty Feet Under - My Hero - Space Virus - Adventure Inc. - Search for Arthur