by Theo Walcott
‘Yeah, and we’ll all end up in hospital,’ said TJ. He jogged into the penalty area. Rob’s free kick floated towards the back post where Tulsi was waiting. She climbed into the air, but as she was about to head the ball TJ saw a defender nudge her in the back and it skidded off the top of her head and out for a goal kick.
‘Hey!’ said Danny, who had come forward for the set piece and seen what had happened. ‘He shoved her, ref.’
Instantly the ref called Danny over. ‘I’m the referee,’ he said, showing Danny his whistle. ‘No more arguments.’
‘It’s not right,’ Danny muttered to TJ, as he ran back.
‘It wasn’t the ref’s fault,’ TJ said. Danny had been upset and worried about his sister before the game even started, and now it looked as if he might easily lose his temper, and that would be a disaster. ‘He couldn’t see. These St John’s players are clever.’
‘And dirty,’ muttered Danny.
From the goal kick St John’s launched another attack. Their midfielder turned past Rob, shoving him aside, and played the ball out to the wing. Danny saw where the pass was going and stepped forward to cut it out. He took a touch, then played it down the line to TJ, but as he passed the ball the St John’s winger slid in to tackle him. The winger was too late, and he took Danny’s feet from under him. Danny slammed into the ground. Instantly he was back on his feet, his face twisted with anger, facing up to the winger. Rob ran towards him. ‘Danny, no!’ he called.
TJ was certain that Danny was going to hit the St John’s player and get himself sent off. But then Danny stopped. A voice was calling from the crowd. ‘Danny! Hey, Danny!’
TJ looked. A tall, suntanned man was waving at Danny. He was holding Danny’s sister, Rosie, in his other arm. Then he pointed to his side, and TJ saw Danny’s mum with a double buggy beside her and two beaming twins sitting inside it.
Danny waved back. He had a huge smile on his face as he picked up the ball and waved the Parkview team forward. Tulsi collected his free kick on her chest and hit the ball back to Rob. Rob chipped it towards the corner flag and TJ hit the bouncing ball first time, back across the goal.
The defenders were too slow. Leila darted between two of them and slotted the ball into the net. It was 1–0 to Parkview and Leila just stood there, grinning. It was her first goal for Parkview, other than a penalty in the Cup semifinal. ‘You need to think of a celebration that you can do every time you score,’ Tulsi told her, thumping her on the back. Leila laughed. ‘Great cross, TJ,’ she said, as the Parkview supporters cheered from the touchline.
Suddenly the St John’s players didn’t seem scary any more. They just seemed slow. Tulsi began to make dangerous runs, pulling the defenders all over the pitch until they were breathing hard. Space began to open up for TJ and Rob and early in the second half they scored a classic breakaway goal, running the length of the pitch and exchanging passes before TJ fired low into the bottom corner for Parkview to take a 2–0 lead.
St John’s were beaten and they knew it. Tulsi and TJ each scored another goal and Parkview won the match 4–0. They were buzzing with confidence when they played their semifinal. Riverside School had no chance, as Parkview put three goals past them in the first half. TJ scored first with a header from a cross by Rafi. Then Rob put a curling free kick into the top corner before Tulsi scored, left-footed, from the edge of the area. The second half passed like a dream, as Parkview kept the ball with an exhibition of skill that had their supporters shouting ‘Olé’ with every successful pass. And when the final whistle blew they were just one match away from being Regional Champions.
‘This is it, then,’ said Mr Wood, as they waited for the final to begin. TJ heard a shake in his voice and looked up. There was no doubt about it – Mr Wood was nervous. That wasn’t surprising though. They were all feeling it now. A large crowd had gathered to watch the final and TJ had heard players from other teams saying that scouts from all the big clubs were here, on the lookout for talent.
‘Excuse me, Mr Wood,’ said Maggie Burnside, pushing between the Parkview players. ‘I wonder if I could have a few words before the final. Jolly well done, all of you, by the way.’
‘No, you can’t,’ said Mr Wood, putting a hand behind her back and ushering her firmly away. ‘After the match, maybe.’
He turned back, and his face broke into a smile, as he saw a tall dark figure coming towards him. ‘Marshall!’ he said, giving his friend a hug. ‘I can’t believe you came.’
Marshall grinned at them all. ‘How could I miss it?’ he said. ‘We played yesterday night, so we have a day off today. I drove up with Phil.’
TJ saw the coach from the Wanderers Academy standing behind Marshall. Phil winked at him, which TJ thought was strange. ‘Marshall still thinks no one will recognize him,’ Phil said. ‘He’s not exactly a master of disguise, is he?’
Marshall was wearing a black hoodie and a pair of dark glasses. ‘I say, Marshall,’ said Mr Burrows, coming up beside him. ‘It’s good of you to come. Good luck, everyone. You’ve done us proud even if you lose now.’
‘But they’re not going to lose,’ said Mr Wood, smiling. ‘Just as long as you all go away and let me get on with my team talk.’
‘Well, do your best,’ said Phil. ‘Heath Road are a good side. They’ve got several Academy players in the team, but then so—’
‘Phil!’ said Mr Wood. ‘Just go. Now then, you lot. This is what we’re going to do . . .’
CHAPTER 22
PARKVIEW BEGAN THE final the same way they had finished the semifinal. As soon as the whistle blew, all of TJ’s nerves evaporated and he could tell that it was the same for the others. They took control of the game right from the start and with five minutes gone the Heath Road players had hardly touched the ball. Both TJ and Tulsi had managed shots on goal, but the keeper had made unbelievable saves. ‘We have to score soon,’ Rob said, as Heath Road took yet another goal kick. ‘They can’t hold out for ever.’
Heath Road took a throw-in. Rafi was first to the ball, controlled it, and passed inside to Rob. Rob played the ball forward to Tulsi’s feet and she turned it out to TJ on the wing.
‘Come on,’ said Rob to Rafi. ‘This is it. Get in the area!’
They both sprinted forward. TJ took the ball to the goal line and pulled it back hard towards the edge of the penalty area where Rob volleyed it perfectly with his left foot. Rob was sure that he had scored. He started to turn away as his shot blasted towards the top corner of the goal, but then there was a loud crack as the ball hit the inside of the post. It rocketed across the goal, hit the other post and rebounded into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.
The Parkview players were stunned and Heath Road were the first to react. The keeper threw the ball out to their unmarked winger, who flew down the touchline. Danny tried to close him down, but like all the other Parkview players he had been drawn out of position as they pressed forward, and he had no chance. The winger’s cross came low and hard and the Heath Road captain, a tall boy, finished off the move by passing the ball elegantly into the corner of Jamie’s goal.
For the rest of the first half, the game was evenly balanced. Parkview still had most of the possession, but they didn’t dare to press forward in numbers again now that they had seen the power of Heath Road’s counterattack. ‘You’re doing well,’ Mr Wood told them at half time. ‘If you’d scored during that spell at the start it would have been a different game.’
‘But we didn’t,’ said TJ.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ said Rob. ‘What if we pull Tulsi back a little? TJ could play up front on his own and Tulsi can come from deep. They might find it hard to pick her up. We have to try something different, don’t we?’
Mr Wood smiled. ‘You’re still the Assistant Coach then, Rob? It’s a very good idea. Let’s try it. You’re going to be like a ghost, Tulsi. They won’t know where to find you.’
‘She can do it too,’ said TJ excitedly. ‘In that game in training when Rob and the
girls beat us. She lost me completely.’
‘Off you go,’ said Mr Wood. ‘You have seven minutes to turn this around. You can do it.’
Heath Road pressed forward, trying to add to their lead, but Danny and Rodrigo kept them out, with help from the tireless Rafi who seemed to be everywhere. Then at last Rafi managed to squeeze the ball through to Rob. He saw Tulsi running towards him, drawing a defender out from the back, and he hit the ball over their heads into the space that Tulsi had left. Even as TJ was moving onto the pass, Tulsi had turned and sprinted diagonally across the defence. Nobody tracked her run, but TJ saw her out of the corner of his eye and switched the ball out to the left wing. He felt Rob slip past him, as he saw Tulsi collect the ball and hit a left-footed cross. Rob was in mid-air when he struck the volley. Somehow he kept the ball down and it flew into the net before the keeper could move. The scores were level at 1–1.
The Parkview supporters went wild, as Rob stood in front of them and pretended to write in his notebook, then held both arms in the air. TJ ran to Tulsi. ‘Awesome!’ he said, exchanging high-fives with her. ‘Do you think we can do it again?’
‘Why not?’ grinned Tulsi. ‘Hey, look, Marshall’s blown his disguise!’
Marshall’s hood had fallen back, as he jumped up and down and punched the air.
Maggie Burnside and her cameraman had rushed to film him and other spectators were pointing at him, but Marshall didn’t seem to care.
‘One more,’ said Rob, clapping his hands. ‘One more will win it.’
TJ looked at Rob. He couldn’t believe he was the same quiet, slightly sulky boy he’d met on his first day at Parkview. Rob wasn’t just the Assistant Coach, he realized. He was their leader.
Heath Road restarted the match and almost at once Tommy harried their winger into a mistake and came away with the ball. Once again, Tulsi came back, losing her defender and calling for the ball. This time she played a simple pass back to Rob and was off again, drifting into space. As TJ received Rob’s pass wide on the right, he could see that the Heath View defenders had no idea what Tulsi was going to do next.
He cut infield, aiming for the edge of the penalty area, and a defender came out to meet him. Tulsi was free and she ran forward, offering herself for TJ’s pass. He hit the ball hard to her feet. Tulsi swung round and played the ball back to TJ, who ran past the last defender and hit a low shot across the keeper towards the far post. The keeper dived and just got a hand to the ball, but there, ready to pounce, having raced the whole length of the pitch, was Danny. He blasted the ball into the net and raced away with his arms out like an aeroplane. The score was 2–1 to Parkview. They were in the lead at last.
Rob and TJ chased after Danny and pulled him to the ground, as the Parkview supporters erupted. TJ looked over and saw Danny’s dad with his arms raised high in the air, shouting louder than anyone.
But the match wasn’t over. Mr Wood was holding up one finger. There was one minute left, and Heath Road threw everything at Parkview now. Their winger made a dazzling run that forced Danny to retreat. All Danny could do was force the winger out wide and try to prevent him from crossing the ball. But then, right by the corner flag the winger produced a piece of skill that fooled Danny completely. He hit a perfect cross towards the penalty spot and the Heath Road captain rose majestically to head the ball.
It looked a certain goal – but then Jamie took off. He’d had almost nothing to do in the second half, but he was ready. With the very tip of his fingers he touched the ball onto the angle of post and crossbar. It flew out to the edge of the penalty area and Tommy belted it away, high into the air, as the full-time whistle blew.
Parkview School were the champions!
CHAPTER 23
‘GREAT MATCH,’ SAID the Heath Road captain, shaking TJ’s hand. ‘Your striker played out of her skin in the second half. We couldn’t get close to her.’
‘Like a ghost,’ grinned TJ. ‘Yeah, she was good, wasn’t she?’
Tulsi’s gran was giving her an enormous hug. Danny was being lifted into the air by his dad. TJ’s family surrounded him. ‘Not bad,’ said his dad. ‘If you’d only tried that move I showed you once, then you’d probably have won by even more!’
‘Right, Dad,’ said TJ. ‘You mean the move that ends up with you flat on your back. No thanks!’
A man with a microphone was calling the teams together for the presentations. A table was set up near the side of the pitch with trophies and medals arranged on top. Maggie Burnside and her cameraman manoeuvred into position and several other photographers had gathered around. The semifinalists collected their medals first, followed by the Heath Road players and their coach. TJ and his friends applauded loudly. Heath Road had made the final into a match to remember – unlike the game against St John’s. TJ could already feel the bruises spreading over his legs and side, as a result of that encounter.
‘And now,’ said the announcer, ‘the Regional under-eleven Champions for this year are Parkview School. And as we have an unexpected special guest here today, I’m going to ask Marshall Jones to help our Chairman to present the trophy.’
‘But who’s going to collect it?’ asked Jamie suddenly. ‘We didn’t decide.’
They all looked at each other, and then they all looked at Rob. None of them had any doubt. ‘You’re the captain,’ TJ said to him.
‘No,’ said Rob. ‘I can’t.’
‘Of course you can,’ said Mr Wood. ‘And they’re right. It has to be you, Rob.’
All of the Parkview supporters cheered wildly, as the players walked forward one at a time to collect their medals. Miss Berry and Tulsi helped Ebony to walk between them. TJ felt as if he was dreaming as Marshall put the medal around his neck and shook his hand.
But it wasn’t a dream. It was even better.
Then Rob was standing in front of the table and Marshall gave him his medal, and picked up the Regional Championship Cup.
‘Before I present the trophy, I’d like to say a few words,’ the Premier League player said, and the crowd hushed. ‘Six months ago Parkview School didn’t even have a football team,’ he told them. ‘Believe it or not, they didn’t even have a pitch to play on. And now look at them! Regional Champions!’
There was loud applause.
‘So,’ said Marshall, when it had died down a little, ‘it’s my pleasure to present this cup to Parkview School.’
Rob walked forward. He had put his glasses on, and he looked a most unlikely captain, but Marshall handed him the cup and he lifted it high above his head, and TJ thought the cheering would never stop.
Finally the crowd began to break up and the Parkview players prepared to go and get changed. ‘TJ,’ said an unfamiliar voice, and TJ turned to see Danny’s dad standing behind him, with little Rosie in his arms. ‘I just wanted to thank you and your mum,’ he said. ‘Danny told me how you helped him.’
TJ felt his face growing hot. ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘We needed Danny in the team. You can see how good he is.’
‘I can see how good you all are. I’ve been away working for six months and I come back and I find all this has happened. As if having two new babies in the house wasn’t enough to get used to!’
‘Are they OK?’ asked TJ. ‘Danny said one of them was ill.’
‘She’s fine. They both are. And it looks like they and Danny have made a lot of new friends.’
A short distance away Danny was showing his baby sisters proudly to the rest of the team. ‘Another few years and these two will be ready for our new Centre of Excellence for girls,’ said Phil, who was looking on.
‘You mean it?’ said Tulsi. ‘It’s really going to happen?’
‘Sure,’ said Phil. ‘And I’d like you to be a part of it, Tulsi. You were great today. You know how to lose a marker and you know how to bring other players into the game. If there was a Man of the Match award today, you would have won it.’ He saw the look on Miss Berry’s face. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I mean Player of the Match, don’
t I? And I’d like Ebony and Leila to come along for trials too.’
He looked over their heads, as they hugged each other with excitement. ‘Hey, Krissy Barton,’ he called. ‘Come here a minute. I wouldn’t want you to miss out. It’s not just going to be for Parkview players, this School of Excellence. You’ll come along for a trial too, won’t you?’
Krissy looked as if she was going to faint until Tulsi grabbed hold of her and started dancing around. ‘I suppose you guys have told everyone your news?’ said Phil to TJ.
TJ looked back at him blankly. ‘What news?’ he said.
‘We didn’t want to tell you before the tournament,’ his dad said, smiling. He pulled an envelope from his pocket. Nearby, Jamie’s dad pulled an identical envelope from his jeans. ‘What is it?’ demanded TJ.
‘Can’t you guess?’
TJ shook his head.
‘It’s from the Wanderers Academy,’ Mr Wilson said. ‘They want to talk to us, TJ – me and your mum and you. They want to discuss whether you’d like to start a six-week trial. Jamie’s got a letter too.’
‘Actually,’ said Rob’s dad, who had been standing quietly in the middle of all the excitement, ‘I got one of those letters as well. They want Rob to go along. I don’t know much about it, this Academy. Is it a good thing?’
Everyone stared at him, and then they all began laughing and cheering. ‘You bet it’s a good thing,’ said TJ, as the dinner ladies hurled their blue and white pom-poms high into the air and the Parkview supporters cheered on and on, and Rob’s mouth fell open in astonishment. ‘It’s the best thing in the whole world!’
