Director Shareholding

SCHEDULE 11                                  

         NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS          

All relevant boxes should be completed in block capital letters.

1.  Name of company                     2.  Name of director                   
                                                                               
    FIRSTGROUP PLC                          DEAN FINCH                         



3.  Please state whether notification   4.  Name of the registered holder(s)   
    indicates that it is in respect of      and, if more than one holder, the  
    holding of the shareholder named in     number of shares held by each of   
    2 above or in respect of a              them (if notified)                 
    non-beneficial interest or in the                                          
    case of an individual holder if it                                         
    is a holding of that person's                                              
    spouse or children under the age of                                        
    18 or in respect of a                                                      
    non-beneficial interest                                                    
                                                                               
    IN RESPECT OF THE DIRECTOR NAMED IN     DEAN FINCH                         
    2 ABOVE.                                                                   



5.  Please state whether notification   6.  Please state the nature of the     
    relates to a person(s) connected        transaction. For PEP transactions  
    with the director named in 2 above      please indicate whether general/   
    and identify the connected person       single co PEP and if discretionary/
    (s)                                     non discretionary                  
                                                                               
    N/A                                     MARKET PURCHASE OF SHARES          



7.   Number of       8.   Percentage of 9.   Number of       10.  Percentage of
     shares/amount        issued class       shares/amount        issued class 
     of stock                                of stock                          
     acquired                                disposed                          
                                                                               
     1,500                0.0%               N/A                  N/A          



11.  Class of       12.  Price per     13.  Date of        14.  Date company  
     security            share              transaction         informed      
                                                                              
     ORDINARY            261.48 PENCE       9 MARCH 2004        9 MARCH 2004  



15.  Total holding following this       16.  Total percentage holding of issued
     notification                            class following this notification 
                                                                               
     1,500 ORDINARY SHARES                   0.0%                              



If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes.

17.  Date of grant                      18.  Period during which or date on    
                                             which options exercisable         
                                                                               



19.  Total amount paid (if any) for     20.  Description of shares or          
     grant of the option                     debentures involved: class, number
                                                                               



21.  Exercise price (if fixed at time   22.  Total number of shares or         
     of grant) or indication that price      debentures over which options held
     is to be fixed at time of exercise      following this notification       
                                                                               



23.  Any additional information         24.  Name of contact and telephone     
                                             number for queries                
                                                                               
                                             MARIE SMITH                       
                                                                               
                                             DEPUTY GROUP COMPANY SECRETARY    
                                                                               
                                             020 7291 0505                     



25.   Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making 
      this notification                                                        
                                                                               
      MARIE SMITH                                                              
                                                                               
      DEPUTY GROUP COMPANY SECRETARY                                           
                                                                               
      Date of notification 9 MARCH 2004