Joseph Royle (born 8 April 1949) is an English football manager and former footballer. In his playing career as a striker, he debuted for Everton at the age of 16 and went on to play for Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team.

He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in The Royle Family (1998–2012). He also played the titular character in the 2001 football mockumentary Mike Bassett: England Manager.

Actor: The Royle Family. Ricky Tomlinson was born on 26 September 1939 in Bispham, Blackpool, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for The Royle Family (1998), Formula 51 (2001) and Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001).

May 5, 2012 · Ricky Tomlinson - star of TV's "The Royle Family" - plays football manager Mike Bassett in this spoof documentary that follows the turn of events after he becomes manager of England's international football team - because no one else wants the job!

Sep 20, 2021 · The Royle Family’s Ricky Tomlinson has revealed he still gets his iconic catchphrase ‘my a***’ shouted at him around “50 times a day”.

Aug 30, 2021 · Earl Barrett and Paul Warhurst arrived from Manchester City, who later tried to make Royle their manager. In a move which, in 2021, is scarcely believable, Royle said no to them.

One of Britain’s most popular and famous actors, Ricky Tomlinson is best known for his roles as Jim Royle in sitcom The Royle Family and as Mike Bassett in the comedy film Mike Bassett: England Manager where he plays a fictional manager of the England football team.

He also played Jim Royle in BBC comedy The Royle Family (in which, like in Brookside, he and Sue Johnston played husband and wife), DCI Charlie Wise in Granada drama Cracker and the titular role in the comedy film Mike Bassett: Football …

Mar 15, 2023 · Long before Gary Lineker was stepped down from Match of the Day, the BBC red carded another footballing icon: the former England manager Mike Bassett, played by Ricky Tomlinson.

Sep 28, 2005 · WIRRAL is to be the setting for a new six-part comedy series starring Royle Family favourite Ricky Tomlinson as the manager of a struggling football club called Wirral County FC.