Defenders

An impressive debut novel which draws out the racism infecting football through an encounter between a star experiencing a rough patch and a young, hopeful and enthusiastic teenage fan

The School Librarian

A winning combination of realistic match play and realistic characters and dialogue, as well as providing a thought-provoking insight into how the racial tensions and abuse that are so prevalent in the stadium have a far-reaching and dreadful effect

The Bookseller

In between the action-packed soccer games, the characters have other lives. Underlying issues such as friendship, ambition and self-esteem make this an engaging story likely to appeal to football-crazed boys of eight and over

TES