Football Fanatics
Jeremy Taylor
Copyright 2011 by Jeremy Taylor
Cover Photo: Jacek Chabraszewski
Smashwords Edition
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Chapter Three - Is Ashraf going to play for England?
Chapter Four - Ashraf makes a new friend
Chapter Five - Albert's great idea
Chapter Six - Ryan, Ashraf and the computer game
Chapter Seven - Alberts gets a team together
Chapter Eight - Ryan finds out about Albert and Ashraf
Chapter Nine - Problems in the team
Chapter Ten - Ryan is a dreamer
Chapter Eleven - A team with 21 legs
Chapter Twelve - No longer friends
Chapter Thirteen - Working together
Chapter Fourteen - The big game begins
Chapter Sixteen - Time for Alice
“Ryan! Telephone for you!”
“Who is it?”
“I don't know. I think it's your friend Colin.”
“Hello, Colin?”
“Hi, Ryan, I'm not Colin, I'm Ashraf.”
“Oh, hi, Ashraf, how are you?”
“I'm fine, Listen, Ryan, do you want to play football with Scott and Terry this afternoon?”
“I want to but I can't.”
“Why not?”
“My mum says I've got to visit my grandparents.”
“Hey, Ryan, what's wrong?”
“I don't want to visit my grandparents. They're so boring.”
“Boring? You think your grandparents are boring?”
“Yeah, they don't do anything. They go to a club once a week. They drink tea and talk with some boring friends.”
“Ryan, I don't understand you. Last year my grandparents visited us from Egypt. They stayed in our house for three weeks. They are so warm and friendly. I love my grandparents.”
“I think all old people are boring,” said Ryan. “I want to play my new computer game. It's brilliant. Do you want to play it?”
“Okay, perhaps tomorrow, after school.”
“All right, see you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye, Ryan.”
“See you, Ashraf.”
“Ryan! It's nice to see you,” It was Ryan's grandad. “How are you?”
“All right.”
“How's school?”
“It's all right.”
“How's your sister?”
“She's all right.”
“How's Bonzo?”
“He's all right.”
“So everything's all right, is it Ryan?”
“Yeah,” said Ryan.
Albert Fenn smiled at Ryan. “Do you like our club?”
Ryan looked at the many old men and women in the big room. In the corner, a woman sang an old song. Some of the old people listened to her. At the tables, more old men and women drank tea and talked. “It's all right.”
“Hello, Albert, how are you?”
“Ah, hello, Jack. I'm fine. I've got my grandson, Ryan, here today.”
“Ah, hello, Ryan, how are you these days?”
“All right,” said Ryan for the sixth time.
“Do you play football on the park?” asked Jack.
“Sometimes,” said Ryan.
“Yes, I saw you last week,” said Jack. There was a boy with you. He's not very tall but he's very quick.”
“That's my friend, Ashraf,” said Ryan. “He's one of the best football players at school.”
“Do you think he's going to play for England one day?” asked Albert Fenn.
“No, grandad, he can't,” answered Ryan
“Why not?”
“He's not English. He's from Egypt.”
“Well perhaps he's going to play for Egypt one day,” said Jack. “He's a very good footballer.”
Chapter Three
“Hi, Ryan, did you see your grandparents yesterday?”
“I saw my grandad but not my grandma.”
“Oh, where was she?”
“I don't know.
“You don't know?”
“I think she went shopping with her friends.”
“What did you talk about with your grandad?”
“Not a lot. Wait a minute, we talked about you.”
“About me?”
“Yeah, an old man saw you playing football in the park.”
“What did he say?”
“He said you're a very good player. My grandad said perhaps you're going to play football for England.”
“I can't,” said Ashraf. “I'm Egyptian.”