Home Ground Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  1 Hasan

  What is a refugee?

  2 “He doesn’t talk”

  Child refugees

  3 Faisal

  Friendship through football

  4 Missing

  Refugees and football

  5 Five words

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Hasan

  He was there again – the boy Sam had seen before. He was standing by the fence. Sam had seen him every week at the sports centre. He came with some older boys and played on the next pitch. He was fast and skilful. Because he was younger and smaller than the rest of his team, he got knocked over a lot, but he always picked himself up. Sam didn’t know why he played in a team with kids that were older than him. One thing stuck out. It was the boy’s hair. It made him look a bit like Mo Salah.

  Suddenly, Sam heard a shout to his left.

  “Wake up!” Jordan yelled.

  It was too late. The striker Sam was meant to mark was powering past him, and Sam was on the back foot. Sam tried to get back, but he was too late. He swung a leg to cut off the attack, but he couldn’t get in a tackle. The striker left Sam behind, ran wide and crossed the ball, leaving the keeper in no man’s land. Another player was waiting in the goalmouth. He tapped the ball into the empty net. “Goal!” shouted the players on the other team.

  Sam’s team captain, Jordan, was really angry. His face was hard. His eyes were popping.

  “What’s wrong with you?” he yelled, and came right up close to Sam. “You’re not here to day-dream. You’re here to defend.”

  Sam felt sick – he’d given a goal away. His team, West Park Celtic, was second from bottom in the league and the boys couldn’t afford another defeat. There were two divisions in their league and they didn’t want to get relegated.

  Jordan was still yelling. His eyes were hard like stones.

  “All you need is a big red nose and floppy shoes,” Jordan shouted, “and you’d be the biggest clown on the pitch.”

  Sam could feel his eyes sting. But he wasn’t going to show he was upset. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. “I switched off for a moment, that’s all.”

  “Yes,” Jordan snapped, “and that’s all it takes. Your day-dreaming cost us a goal.” He shoved Sam in the chest. “You’re useless.”

  Jordan shook his head and stomped off.

  Sam didn’t want to look at his team-mates. It was so unfair. He knew he’d been one of Celtic’s best players over the season. Jordan was a big mouth. He was always shouting for the ball, but he wasn’t half as good as he thought he was. He lost possession most of the time and wasted chances. He always took the free kicks and penalties, but he missed them way too often. How does he get away with it? Sam thought.

  Jordan planted the ball on the centre spot and clapped his hands.

  “We’re only one goal down,” he told the rest of the team. “Concentrate.”

  Sam knew what was coming next. Jordan turned to Sam and tapped his own forehead. “That means you, idiot.”

  That was too much for Jack Rigby, their manager.

  “Knock it off, Jordan,” he shouted. “Show the other boys some respect. You’re not helping.”

  Jordan scowled. He didn’t like getting told off.

  *

  Celtic played better for the rest of the half, but they were still 2–1 down and heading for their third defeat in a row.

  “Well, at least you didn’t give another goal away,” Jordan said softly, so that Jack couldn’t hear.

  That made Sam angry.

  “Say that again and I’ll thump you,” he warned. “We should stick up for each other. You missed a pen last week and I didn’t say a word about it.”

  Jordan didn’t like Sam talking about his missed penalty.

  “That’s because you wouldn’t dare,” Jordan sneered. “You’re a coward.”

  Sam shoved Jordan in the chest. Then Jordan pushed him back. They had hold of each other’s shirts, ready to fight.

  “Stop right there!” Jack said, and stood between them. “Who started this?”

  Jordan pointed at Sam.

  “He did. He attacked me for nothing. He’s off his head,” Jordan said.

  “Did anyone else see what happened?” Jack asked.

  Another boy, Kai, stepped up.

  “Sam started it,” Kai said.

  “OK, Sam,” Jack said. “I’m subbing you.”

  Sam couldn’t believe it.

  “That’s not fair,” he shouted. “Jordan was winding me up.”

  “Then you need to get better at taking the banter,” Jack said. “You’re always going to get insults. It’s part of being a footballer.”

  Sam dropped onto the grass and watched the rest of the team jog back onto the pitch. That’s when he remembered the boy by the fence. Sam turned round to see if he was still there. The boy was in goal now, but he saw Sam looking. When his game finished, the boy came over to talk.

  “The manager was wrong to take you off,” he said to Sam. “You didn’t start the fight.” He pointed at Jordan. “He did.”

  Sam nodded. “I know. Jordan’s crafty like that. You’re not from round here, are you?”

  “I am,” the boy said. “I live in the flats over there.”

  “You know what I mean,” Sam said. “That isn’t a Liverpool accent.”

  The boy grinned. “I’m from Iraq,” he said. “I came here with my family. We’re refugees.”

  He waved his hand in the direction of the team on the next pitch. “My whole team is refugees. See those guys?” He pointed out two men standing by the goal. “They are from a local football club. They raised money for our kit and boots.”

  “Nice one,” Sam said. “So what’s your name?”

  “I’m Hasan.” He put out his hand and Sam shook it.

  “You’re lucky to be in a team with boys the same age as you,” Hasan said. “Everybody in my team is older. They don’t give me the ball and they make me play in goal – even my brother.” He pointed to the tallest player on the team. “I wish I was in a team like yours.”

  Sam didn’t feel very lucky to be playing for West Park Celtic. They got beaten more often than an egg.

  “We’re second from bottom,” Sam said. “We’re rubbish.”

  “So get some new players,” Hasan said.

  That gave Sam an idea.

  “Do you want to play for us?” he said. “I can talk to Jack. We play five-a-side here every Wednesday to train.”

  “That sounds good,” Hasan said.

  Just then they heard a lot of shouts and groans. Celtic had given another goal away.

  “That’s done it,” Sam said. “We’re going to be bottom of the league after this result.”

  Hasan laughed. “Then you definitely need me.”

  WHAT IS A REFUGEE?

  Refugees are ordinary people like you and me. They have to leave their home country because they are in danger. This could be because of war or a natural disaster. Or they could be at risk of being badly treated by their own government.

  There are about 60 million people in the world who have had to flee their homes. Many of them live in camps. Refugee camps are not good places to live. People often have to sleep in tents or even steel containers that are hot and stuffy.

  The biggest refugee camp in the world is currently in Kutupalong in Bangladesh. Turkey is home to more refugees than any other country – over 3 million. Less than 1 per cent of the world’s refugees come to the UK.

  Many refugees make long, dangerous journeys to escape war and fighting in their own countries. Some pay to get on a boat to cross the sea, but many of the boats are leaky and not good enough for the crossing. Thousands of refugees have drowned on their journeys.

  Other people get on lorries or trains. Often they have to hide. It can be very dangerous, and some have been hurt or killed. Sometimes there is no food or water. People have even suffocated because there was no air in the back of the lorry.

  When refugees do manage to reach another country safely, they aren’t always welcome. When they are waiting to see if a new country will take them in, they are called asylum seekers.

  Chapter 2

  “He doesn’t talk”

  It rained a lot that next Wednesday, so Sam thought maybe Hasan wouldn’t turn up for the five-a-side training. But he was there before anybody else, waiting by the goal. The rain was running down his face. There was another boy with him.

  “This is Faisal,” Hasan said. “He doesn’t talk.”

  Sam stared at Faisal. His face was like a mask. “He’s got to say something.”

  Hasan gave a shrug. “He doesn’t say much to me. He never talks to strangers. He has seen too many bad things.”

  What does Hasan mean? Sam thought, but he didn’t ask. It might be rude.

  Soon, the other boys started to turn up. Jack Rigby arrived in his car. “Where’s John?” he asked, looking around.

  “He’s dropped out,” Jordan said. “He’s fed up of losing. We all are.”

  Jack frowned.

  “That isn’t a very good attitude,” he said. “You can’t win every match.”

  “We don’t win any of them,” Jordan said. “We’ve only won twice all season.”

  “So what have we got to do, boys?” Jack said. He tried to sound cheerful.

  “Try harder?” was one answer.

  “Cheat,” another boy said, and everybody laughed.

  “You’ve got to work for each oth
er,” Jack said. “You’ve got to play as a team.”

  He looked over at Hasan and Faisal.

  “I see we’ve got two new players. Come over here, lads. I’ll have to get you registered.”

  He wrote down the boys’ details. “I’ll have to talk to your parents,” Jack said.

  “Faisal doesn’t have any,” Hasan said.

  “What do you mean, ‘doesn’t have any’?” Jordan wanted to know. “Who does he live with?”

  “He lives with his foster parents,” Hasan explained.

  “How did he get here then?” Jordan asked.

  “Lorries,” Hasan answered, “and a boat.”

  Jordan laughed. “Are you trying to be funny?” he asked.

  Hasan shook his head and stared back as if Jordan was trying to play a trick on him. “You wanted to know,” he said, “so I told you.”

  Jordan was getting angry now. He didn’t like the new boys.

  Jack split the boys into two teams and blew the whistle to start the game. “We’ve got too many for five-a-side,” he said. “One or two of you will have to sit out. I will take boys off from time to time and bring others on to replace them. That way, you will all get a turn.”

  Sam got the ball from the kick-off and rolled it to Hasan. He was facing Jordan. He poked the ball between Jordan’s feet and ran round him, slotting the ball into the net.

  1–0.

  “You got nutmegged,” Sam shouted as he jogged past Jordan.

  Hasan made Jordan look stupid again two minutes later. This time he rolled the ball forward as if he was asking Jordan to tackle him, then he dragged it back and went past him. He crossed the ball and another boy poked it home. Jordan fell over and landed on his backside. He wasn’t just fed up. He was angry because he was being made to look stupid.

  When Hasan got the ball a third time, Jordan didn’t wait. He pushed towards Hasan and ran his foot down his shin. Hasan rolled over on the ground. It hurt!

  “That was out of order,” Jack said. “Get off the pitch, Jordan. I’ll have a word with you later.”

  Hasan got to his feet, but he was limping badly.

  “You have a bit of a rest, son,” Jack said. “Let’s see what your mate can do.”

  Hasan was good, but Faisal was amazing. He was taller and stronger than Hasan. He didn’t do as many tricks, but he had such close control, nobody could get the ball off him. He scored twice with his feet and once with his head.

  “OK, Faisal,” Jack said. “Take a rest. Are you ready to come back on, Hasan?”

  Hasan nodded and showed more of his tricks. He did two step-overs, then rolled the ball into the net.

  As they walked off the pitch, Sam nudged Hasan. “Keep an eye on Jordan,” he said. “He doesn’t like anybody making a fool of him. Let Faisal know too.”

  Hasan grinned. “You can tell Faisal yourself,” he said. “He isn’t stupid, you know. He understands everything you say. He just doesn’t say anything back.”

  Sam thought about Faisal. Hasan said he had seen too many bad things. What did that mean?

  The boys stood round Jack. “OK, lads,” he said. “John has dropped out, but it looks as if we have struck lucky. We’ve got a couple of good players to take his place. I’m playing both of them on Sunday.”

  “Are you having a laugh?” Jordan asked. “They can’t just walk into the team.”

  “Who’s the manager, Jordan?” Jack said. “Me or you?”

  Jordan waited for a few moments. “You,” he said.

  “That’s right,” Jack said, “and don’t forget it. We haven’t won for four games. We defend all right, but we’re not scoring enough goals.”

  Jordan glared. “Are you blaming me?” he asked.

  “No,” Jack said, “I’m not blaming anyone. But we need more pace. Hasan and Faisal have got bucket loads. I’m playing Hasan in the centre of midfield. Faisal will be upfront alongside you, Jordan.”

  Jordan turned bright red. He looked as if his head was going to explode. “I don’t need anybody alongside me. I just need somebody to give me the ball. You can’t score goals without the right kind of service.”

  Jack waited for him to finish. “You’ll do as you’re told, Jordan,” he said. “You can’t do everything on your own, so you need support. Now you’ve got it. We’ll see how you can get on with Faisal.”

  Sam read the look on Jordan’s face. He didn’t think Faisal and Jordan would ever be friends.

  CHILD REFUGEES

  Many refugees are young people who have lost their families. They are often very lonely and afraid when they arrive in a strange new country where they don’t know anyone or speak the language.

  Over 80 years ago, nearly 4,000 children came to the UK to escape from the Spanish Civil War. Not everyone wanted the children to come to Britain, but they arrived in Southampton in May 1937.

  They were taken to a campsite where they lived in tents for a few months. The British government did not pay for food for the children, but ordinary people gave money to help them.

  When the Spanish Civil War was over, many of the children went back to their families in Spain, but some stayed in the UK. Some fought for the British Army in the Second World War, and six of them became professional footballers and played for teams in the English League. One of those was Emilio Aldecoa, who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City.

  Another famous group of child refugees arrived in Britain at the beginning of the Second World War. They came to Britain as part of the Kindertransport. That was what people called the nearly 10,000 mostly Jewish children who were brought to Britain to escape from the Nazis. Most of them never saw their parents again and were the only members of their families to survive Hitler’s mass killing of Jewish people, which we now call the Holocaust.

  One of the children who arrived in the UK with the Kindertransport was Alf Dubs, who became a Member of Parliament and now has a seat in the House of Lords. Baron Dubs, as he is now called, has tried to help children who are arriving in the UK today without their parents. Many of them are fleeing from war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Baron Dubs campaigns for these children, who are refugees just as he was, to be allowed to come to the UK.

  Chapter 3

  Faisal

  The match on Saturday was the first time the new team had played together. Sam arrived ten minutes early. His dad had come to watch. Hasan and Faisal were already there. Hasan was talking to his older brother, who was about to play on the next pitch. Faisal was standing to one side but not saying anything. Sam waited for them to finish talking. He was tying up his boots when Jordan arrived.

  “I didn’t think they would turn up,” Jordan said, his voice a kind of grunt.

  “Why wouldn’t they?” Sam asked.

  “They don’t belong, do they?” Jordan said. “They’ve got a team of their own. Why do they want to take ours over?”

  Sam didn’t understand why Jordan didn’t want two really good footballers in the team. “They’re not trying to take over,” he said. “They want to play football with kids their own age. They’re joining our team. What’s wrong with that?”

  Jordan gave a shrug and walked away to talk to some of the other boys.

  “He’s a real charmer, isn’t he?” Sam’s dad said.

  Sam shook his head. “He’s always like that.”

  Hasan and Faisal came over, and Jack Rigby gave his team talk.

  “OK, boys,” he said. “We have had the same problem all season. We play the ball out of defence OK, but it’s too slow. Our attacks just fall apart in the final third.” He looked at the two new players. “Hasan and Faisal have got pace. They can help us turn things around.”

  “We need something,” Kai said. “We’re bottom of the table.”

  Jack nodded. “We’re going to play Hasan in midfield, with Jordan and Faisal up top. We need you guys to play well together.”

  Faisal looked straight ahead. Jordan stared over at him. It was an angry stare.

  *

  The team Celtic was up against was called Five Ways. They were third from top. They kicked off and Celtic were pushed back straight away. Sam made two goal-line clearances in the first few minutes. Five Ways hit the post, and it went for a goal kick.