Jack Rigby was about to give his team talk. “Where’s Faisal?” he asked.

Hasan explained.

“Well, we can’t wait much longer,” Jack said. “We’ve got a game to play.”

He waited for Faisal for a few more minutes, then got the boys together.

“OK,” he said. “There’s no sign of Faisal, so we’ll have to play with Jordan on his own up front and an extra man in midfield. If Faisal turns up, I can bring him on as a sub. We’ve got two games to go in the season. One team goes down into the second division. That point last week moved us off the bottom. If we win both games, we stay up. We’ll move the ball 40quickly and try to put Jordan in a good position to score.”

The only player who looked happy was Jordan.

*

Yew Tree were two places above Celtic in the league, and it was even in the first twenty minutes. Neither side was ahead. Suddenly, Hasan lost his marker, sprinted down the wing and crossed the ball. Jordan had the goal at his mercy.

“Go on,” Sam hissed. “Keep it low.”

But Jordan leaned back and skied the ball over the bar. He turned, holding his head.

“It got a bobble,” Jordan said.

Kai shook his head. “He’s the bobble.” 41

Everybody laughed. Just before half-time, something happened to wipe the smiles from their faces. Kai missed his pass, and Yew Tree had two players closing in on the Celtic goal. Yew Tree passed the ball between them, and Sam watched the ball roll into the net. There was nothing anyone could do about it.

“That’s a sucker punch,” he groaned. 42

Jack got the boys together. “Don’t let your heads go down,” he said. “You were the better team in the first half.”

He was about to say something else when Faisal arrived. His jacket was covered in dirt and he had a mark on his face. Hasan took him to one side.

“I knew something had happened,” Hasan said when they joined the others. “There’s a group of teenagers that hang around and wait for Faisal. This time they threw things at him and chased him. One of them punched him in the face.”

“That’s disgusting,” Kai said, and the other boys agreed.

The only one who didn’t say a word was Jordan.

“Are you OK to play?” Jack asked.

Faisal nodded. 43

“You’re playing up front on your own,” Jack said. “Jordan, you’re coming off.”

“You’re subbing me!” Jordan cried. “You can’t do that. I’m the best player.”

“You think you are,” Sam said.

Jordan went for him, but Jack stepped between them.

“Knock it off,” Jack said. “We won’t have any fighting. You’ve had your worst game, Jordan. I’ve got to make changes.”

Jordan stormed off and sat by himself away from everybody else.

“Spoiled brat,” Kai said.

Sam grinned.

*