Autumn 1977. Derek Springfield is an 18 year old misfit. Five years ago, he was taken from his home in the industrial suburbs of Leeds to study in a public school and received a scholarship. He has just finished his studies and returned home, waiting for the research results from Oxford and Cambridge University, which he hopes will enable him to permanently escape. For this smart young man, life at home is awkward, as well as for the working class family he cannot get along with: his incompetent father, serious mother, and two older brothers, one is a football hopeful, and the other is a clearly cunning purchaser of flash consumer goods. Derek strolled a hopeless gray dog, Slapper, and fell in love with Christie from a distance, killing time with him. But with Derek's care, Slapper ran faster - the speed deprived her of the potential for competition. Derek felt hopeless about being alone again, but Christie kept the local community vigilant. Slaper eventually escaped the angry captors on an illegal barrier track. Exhausted, she somehow found her way back and reunited with Derek, who attempted to take care of her and return to her bedroom without the knowledge of her family. Derek, Christie, and Slapper disguised themselves to avoid the dog catcher and competed with her on the appropriate dog track. Dog snatchers and all Springfield gathered on the stadium, ushering in an exciting climax. This is also the day when Derek's results expire...