Free Kick by Tom Palmer (that summer book .TXT) 📕

reading it at its various stages and giving me such unflinching and intelligent advice.

Thanks to Ralph Newbrook and Jim Sells for their football advice.

And to Sophie Hannah and James Nash for excellent feedback on the novel in its first draft.

Thanks, as always, to Burnley FC for allowing me to spend time at their training ground and get some of the facts about academy football straight.

And to Nikki Woodman for reading it through and giving me great feedback.

Thanks to the football writers’ group. And to Thomas Wigg for introducing me to the PSP.

The Football Academy series came about thanks to the imagination and hard work of Sarah Hughes, Alison Dougal and Helen Levene at Puffin, working with David Luxton at Luxton Harris Literary Agency. Thanks are due to all four for giving me this opportunity. Thanks also to Wendy Tse for all her hard work with the fine detail, and to everyone at Puffin for all they do, including Reetu Kabra, Adele Minchin, Louise Heskett, Sarah Kettle and Tom Sanderson and the rights team. And thanks to Brian Williamson for the great cover image and illustrations.

Table of Contents

Cover

About the Author

Books by Tom Palmer

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Football Academy: Free kick

Snow

Off to London

Sing When You’re Winning

Bright Lights, Big City

Central London

Craig in Trouble

One-Match Ban

West Ham v Chelsea

Arsenal v United

The Deadly Duo

Penalties

Like Father, Not Like Son

Secret Santas

Posh Shopping

Thin Ice

Red Card

The Fan

Missing

An Announcement

Chelsea v United

One–Nil

Two Minutes

Karaoke

Father to Son

Thank Yous