Novel Chspt 19

 

Chapter 19

Football

Football didn't come naturally to Finbar, even though he enjoyed it. In the playground the boys played with a tennis ball and the goals were chalked on the wall of the lavatory.

The idea was, as there was only one wall, the boys played as individuals and shot at the same goal. Once in a while they chalked a goal on the other end of the playground, under the school windows, and when they did this two captains, picked their teams. The boys stood in a line 'Alan' said one captain 'Dennis' said the other, and this went on till they had two teams standing apart till there was one boy left, who nobody had picked; Finbar.

Nobody ever wanted to go in goal so it was left for Finbar.

He had only seen football on television so he didn't really understand the rules.

There was an announcement by the headmaster, at the morning daily assembly, that there was a trial for the school football teams and those interested should be ready for it.

On the day, and as the school was an inner city school, a bus arrived to take the boys to the playing fields which were in Kings' Heath.

The trials were for the first year, the intermediate year and the seniors. Sometimes if a boy was good enough, for example playing in the intermediate league, he could play in the seniors.

The gym teacher called the boys together and said he wanted the junior boys to go to the side of the football pitch.

'What position you going for' said a boy to Finbar.

Straight away he said 'Centre forward.'

A centre forward is usually fairly tall as they jump up to head the ball and have to be strong.

Finbar was probably the shortest boy in his year.

'Oh,' said the boy, 'what about Roger Cook?'

'I don't know' said Finbar, and the boy shrugged.

'Boys: when you come forward, I want you to state which position you want to play – but first, are there any goalies?'

Nobody came forward.

'Any goal keepers?' he said again.

The same as before.

'Okay' said the teacher, and he pointed to Roger Cook 'You, boy' he said 'you can be in goal, in the first game . .'

'But sir' said Roger 'I play at number nine – centre forward.'

'You can do that in the next game – we're only playing short matches. As soon as I see what I need, I'll stop the game. Right – you boy' he pointed at another big boy 'you can be a goalie at the other endl.'

He had his two goalkeepers. Then he chose the full backs, the wing halves and then the forwards.

'Wingers?' some came forward 'inside forwards?' - the boys seemed confused 'Number eights and number tens' a few came along.

'Now – centre forwards?' Finbar came over.

'Are you sure?' the teacher said to the big smiling Finbar.

'Yes sir.'

“ - and where are your boots?'

'I can play in my pumps, sir' said Finbar.

'I see' said the teacher.

'Yes sir' said Finbar 'and if I get into the team, my mom can get me some football boots.'

'Fair enough.'

The boys gathered, and he split them into three teams. Finbar was in team number one and Roger Cook was in goal, so Finbar thought he might have a chance. The other team was team number two. Team number three was not quite eleven and the teacher planned to use some of the boys from another team to play with team three. It couldn't last too long as he had to trial the intermediate and senior teams.

The boys were ready and Finbar was ready to go. He watched the movement of the ball and ran after it and if it came close he tried to get into the action.

He loved it, he was running about in his football shorts, green team shirt and his pumps. Sometimes they were a bit slippy but he didn't fall.

Roger Cook saved a shot from the other team and threw the ball out to Finbar. He was facing his own goal, at the time, and as the ball came to him he tried to kick the ball over his head towards the opposing goal, he took a mighty kick and caught the bell beautifully but it hit him in the chin.

That was it – his football career, which had just started ground to a halt.

He didn't care as he loved it. As he came off the field the boy who asked him which position he was going to play said 'You only got the ball once and it hit you in the chin.'

“I know' said Finbar, laughing.

Some of the other boys were selected for the teams and the more they played the better they became. However, they never enjoyed the game as much as Finbar did that day. As far as he was concerned: he wasn't a winner, but he was happy.

He went to the park, on other days, and played games with two coats at each end to denote the goal posts and when a goal was scored some of the boys argued in every game that the ball didn't go between the two posts and sometimes it was too high.

'No it isn't.'

'Yes it is.'

'No it isn't' were the rules of the game.

Finbar loved it, he even liked being in goal.

Chapter 20

The Boy Scouts