EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD ANDY HAWKE WAS A YOUNG LAD WHO WAS GIFTED WITH CONSIDERABLE FOOTBALL TALENT. HE HAD ALWAYS HAD THE GIFT, EVEN AS A YOUNGSTER. NOW HE WAS LOOKING FOR A FOOTBALL CLUB TO GIVE HIM A FUTURE.
A WEEK AGO, ANDY HAD TURNED UP LATE AT PORTDEAN'S TRAINING GROUND, AND HAD STRUGGLED TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION. HE HAD ANGERED THE PORTDEAN SCOUT, AND WAS TOLD NOT TO RETURN. ANDY DECIDED HIS OPTIONS WOULD BE WITH ANOTHER CLUB.
“C’mon Andy, you need to buck up. After what happened at Portdean last week, we don’t need a repeat performance”.
Andy sat up and made himself more alert. He had turned up for a trial with Premiership giants Portdean, but had arrived late, and things had gone downhill from there. Now, after a long drive with his father down to London, he knew that this was make or break time.
Andy had always had a natural talent for football. Right from his junior school, he had always played left wing for the school team. He was pacey, could dribble and was proud of his crossing abilities. He wasn’t bad with a free kick either. In the last six months, just before he broke up from college for Summer, he knew of at least three football club scouts who had come to watch him. There had probably been others who had not made themselves known, as well.
Andy was studying Business Studies. It had always been drummed into him by his parents that while being a talented footballer was a gift, not everyone with this “gift” actually made it their career. He needed something to fall back on. While Andy had not been convinced, he had humoured his parents by getting good grades in his GCSEs and then going onto college to study.
The congestion in and around London was depressing. Their car had not moved more than ten yards in a quarter of an hour. Geoff certainly had more patience than Andy had. Andy sighed yet again, and daydreamed of playing in the Premiership.
When they pulled into the car park at Kelburn Football Club, Andy was relieved to see they were still half an hour early. Kelburn were a Premiership also-ran team. They always finished in the middle to lower half of the table, and struggled to attract big names. Surely Andy would be able to make it here?
Geoff wished his son luck and went round the corner to a café. Andy found the changing rooms, and to his relief, found it had half a dozen nervous looking lads in it, getting changed. Obviously, they were also young hopefuls.
The door burst open, and the larger than life figure of Martin Paige crashed in. Paige, a former Irish international and now trainer at Kelburn had a continual beam on his face. Whenever Kelburn were on Sky Sports, Paige always had a way of getting himself in front of the camera to express his views on how the game had gone.
“Welcome to Kelburn, Lads! I expect you’re all raring to go? I want to see you over on Astroturf Pitch B in ten minutes”.
He left as quickly as he had arrived, and the lad next to Andy said
“Just as I had always imagined him to be. It’s great here, isn’t it? My name is Dave Horley, by the way. Have you come far?”
“The Midlands” Andy replied. “Pleased to meet you Dave. Where are you from?”
“South Yorkshire. We could have come down here together, if we’d known! This is my first trial, and I could have done with a Mate to keep my nerves in check”.
Dave was a tall, muscular lad, probably seventeen or eighteen. He was obviously either a centre forward or centre half. Andy warmed to his cheeriness. They made smalltalk for around 15 minutes, and discovered very similar interests. A new friendship was born.
Soon, it was time to go out. They quickly got to the Astroturf pitch, and began some warm up exercises. After fifteen minutes, they began a period of jogging, and then did some routines involving passing. Andy was enjoying himself, and so were the other lads, it seemed.
Next, they went through passing routines, and then dribbling. Andy excelled at that, and Mr Paige made encouraging remarks. Finally, they had a six a side game with some of the Reserves. Andy was pleased to see that he was the only left footed player there, and thought he played well on the left side of the pitch. The only problem was, he was quite a way from Mr Paige.
After ten minutes, the Reserves were 2-0 up. The lad marking Andy was big and tough, and Andy had trouble getting past him. However, he tried and tried, and eventually he managed to put the lad on his backside, and put over a cross for Dave to head into the net. Andy’s marker came up to him quickly, and Andy fully expected the lad to congratulate him.
“Think you’re good, do you Hot-Shot? You’re nothing. You’ll never make it in this team as long as I’m here. May as well go home”.
Andy was shaken, but determined not to let it upset him. However, the player started taking sly kicks at him when the ball was not in their section of the pitch. After four such kicks, Andy lost his control.
“Get off my back you brainless thug” he screamed in the Reserve team player’s face. Mr Paige blew his whistle to stop the play, but it was too late. Andy and his opponent were throwing punches at each other.
“Kershaw! My office, NOW. Hawke! Get changed and wait for me at the edge of the training field”.
“But Mr Paige I-“
“I don’t want to hear it Hawke. If you have no discipline during a training session, how would you be in a match situation? Get your stuff and I’ll see you in ten minutes by that fence over there”.
As Andy trudged back to the changing room, following slowly behind Kershaw, he had tears in his eyes. He had been playing really well, and then this idiot had ruined his chances. He looked back, the game had resumed as a five a side game, and nobody was paying him any attention. He walked into the dressing room and took off his trainers, throwing them hard at the wall.
“You’re finished Hawke. Nobody will want you at Kelburn after this”.
Kershaw was waiting on the seats opposite. Hawke ignored him.
“Nobody makes a fool of me. I am about to break into the first team, and I’m not letting some snotty joker ruin my chances”.
Andy quickly got changed and walked over to where Mr Paige had told him to wait. He waited half an hour, during which time his Dad had joined him. Andy explained what had happened on the Astroturf. Martin Paige came over.
“I just wanted you to know Andy, that I was very impressed with your skills, but not your temperament. Chris Kershaw is a trouble maker. Always has been, but you need to learn that there are plenty of Kershaws in this business. You will need to learn that to get on, you must be prepared to take some stick. I’m sorry lad, but I can’t recommend you after what’s happened”.
“Now hold on a minute Mr Paige. You know what happened with my boy and that thug. It wasn’t Andy’s fault at all”.
“I’m sorry Mr Hawke. Your son has considerable talent, but Kelburn is a club with family traditions. We don’t like trouble here. I can’t say any more than that. I’ve made my decision. I wish you lots of luck for the future. I’m sure you will find another club who will love to have you play for them”.
He turned on his heel and left. Dave came jogging over to Andy.
“Hi Andy! Guess what? I made the grade! I think they’re going to offer me a junior contract! What’s the matter?”
“They don’t want me Dave. After what happened on the pitch, they say I’m trouble. Listen, Good Luck for the future, you’re really good. I hope I can find another club soon. I’ve got one more trial lined up, and then I don’t know what I’m going to do”.
“Alright Andy, I’m sure you’ll find something soon. Listen : Can I have your phone number, I reckon we could be good mates”.
Andy scribbled his number down and gave it to Dave. Then he turned and walked away.
In the late edition of the London Evening Standard, a small corner of the back page had a single column, informing the public that “Young Defender Chris Kershaw, a name for the future, has been released by Kelburn. The club refused to comment further, but Kershaw says he vows to turn things round, and find a club more deserving. He also vows to show Kelburn how wrong they were to let him go”.
