While they’d been distracted, Kyle’s captive had got to his feet and was stumbling through the catchers. Kyle threw him to the ground again and told him to stay there.

There was a major brawl going on over at the left-hand side, and Ed saw that some of the stronger runners who had got through were coming back to free trapped friends.

Still the band played on.

And then Ed saw Kenton and Josa piling their way through the catchers. Josa was snarling like a cat. She headbutted a girl who tried to get hold of her, and the girl dropped to her knees clutching her face, blood pouring out from her shattered nose. Kyle made a move on Josa and she butted him too. Ed grinned. It would take more than that to stop a bonehead like Kyle.

Suddenly, though, Ed had problems of his own to deal with. Kenton was coming straight for him, his tattoos making him look like he was wearing a mask.

Ed froze. Kenton wasn’t going to stop. He was knocking other kids out of the way as if they were straw dummies. Ed made a frightened face and ducked to one side. Kenton gave a shout of triumph and spat an obscenity at Ed, but, as he sprinted past, Ed calmly stuck out a toe and tripped Kenton so that he came crashing down face first into the hard ground. He lay there, stunned.

Ed spotted Green and dragged him over.

‘Sit on this one for me, mate,’ he said. ‘Whatever happens, don’t let him up.’

Green grinned and did as he was told. Ed turned to see if Kyle needed any help and saw that he was running down the track towards the start line, with Josa over his shoulder, kicking and screaming and pummelling his back.

Everyone except the kids in the Slough section of the grandstand was laughing and cheering. Kyle was going to be disqualified, but surely the game would be over soon? He didn’t stop until he was right down at the bend, where he dumped Josa on the floor.

And then Ed was almost knocked over as two of Josa’s boys came running in to try to free Kenton. They barged into Ed and one of them stood guard while the other started to kick Green, who was trying to protect himself with his arms wrapped round his head.

The boy standing guard dared Ed to make a move. But he didn’t have to. Sophie came flying in and rugby-tackled the boy to the ground, giving Ed the chance to dash in and pull the kicker over by his leg. A major scrap looked like it was about to break out when suddenly there was silence. The music had stopped. Once the crowd realized it was over they broke out into loud cheering.