The Reflections of a Teenager

The Football Match

By Ieuan Dolby

It was either my idea or Harry's! I said it first and then he said it second but he says it was him first but it was me. It was the summer holidays and we had this football match for the street, I can't play football but that was Harry's bit as I wanted to play table tennis but we only had one bat. It was the fathers against us! Me, Harry and a group of other kids from the street to play against our fathers; although some other people turned up who I had never seen before! No mothers though as they can't play football very well.

We got eleven players on each side just like a real team. My father was there and so was the 'fat man' newsagent who had sacked me from my paper round, he was smiling that day though. It was Saturday afternoon and we were playing in the park up the road. It was a really good day and the sun was shining and lots and lots of people that were walking past stopped to have a look. Some even joined all the mothers who had brought picnics and cakes and things and I felt so good to have organized all this by myself. Well, Harry did some to but I did most!

We had set up this great table with lots and lots of things that could only be eaten at half time. Even had home-made lemonade (maybe my mother would not notice I took it) for half-time and a present for the winning team. We were going to win and so the present was for us as fathers are a bit slow when playing games. The present was a silver cup that we had all put our money together to buy. It wasn't very big like in the adult's football game but it was all fancy and shiny and had nice pictures on it. Only cost us $2.99 at the shop but we put it on top of a large piece of wood and it looked great!

I'm thirteen and Harry is twelve.

It started well. Somehow Mr. Smith from number twelve managed to fall on top of Jim who went screaming to his mum. Mr. Smith is a very round man and I felt sorry for Jim. So we had ten people on our team. Then my father scored a goal (didn't know he could play football) and after that we were in big big trouble. They kept on scoring, bang, bang, bang and in they went. They didn't seem to remember that we were only kids. The mums kept on cheering and shouting and whistling like it was a real game. By half time they had scored three goals and we had only scored one, Mr. Jones the daddy team goal keeper had fallen asleep again and was not watching the ball like a good goal keeper.

At half time we all went to get our drinks. But the table was so crowded that me and Harry and the others just went away and tried to see how we could win the game. We came up with loads of good ideas and we decided that five of us should always tackle my father as he was the best! Didn't know that my father could play so well!

It was when we started to play again that the 'fathers' all started to act very slowly. We scored five goals, one after the next, and they hardly moved. I really thought that they were just tired after the first half, but then some of them started to groan and to sit down. Harry started to cry as his father curled up in a bawl and I think it was about then that the game came to a halt. I felt upset as we had just scored five goals and we could maybe get some more and really win but all the dads seemed to be in pain and they had ruined everything.

It was the lemonades fault.

They all blamed me and for days after that match I didn't dare walk down the street as they would all call to me and say bad things, some just ignored me. To get to school I used to climb over the back wall and sneak out through the garage behind us. What had happened was that the lemonade wasn't lemonade after all but something that my mum drinks to make her lose weight. I don't know what but something inside the jug went funny in the dad's stomachs, maybe only mums can drink it but it made them feel sick.

They were all better the next day but I said that we should have another match but my mum said that I should keep my head down for a little while. I don't think she meant down just not to ask to play again but I went to see Harry and I decided that we should have another match later but until then we would keep the cup. We had bought it anyway!

Next time we are not going to have any drinks.

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