The Mascot

By George G George

Mark was a thirteen year old lad and a keen rugby player the problem was his dad wasn't, he was a fanatical football fan and ex player. On his thirteenth birthday he finds himself playing in goal for his brother's football team, which his dad manages. Mark's life changes when the England football teams coach breaks down next to where he is playing and because of bet ends up on the plane to Brazil with the squad.
Due to a severe bout of food poisoning the squad is decimated and he finds himself on the bench to make up the numbers, the next thing he knows he's in goal for England facing a vital penalty.
Mark ends up breaking two sporting records in his life doing what he loves the most.

• Language: English
• Publisher: George G George
• Release date: May 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311624963

George G George

Born Gary Richard Hagger in the East End of London in 1958 and having a standard school education, he left school and completed a three year apprenticeship in bricklaying, after which he joined the British Army, spending three years in the Royal Green Jackets 2nd Battalion, serving with Andy McNab in Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1979. After serving his time, Gary went back to bricklaying and then started running his own small company, leaving in 2000 to become a site agent for various companies, in that time he designed and built his own skis and bindings why? "simple I could not buy what I wanted so I designed and built them myself and still use them today" and at the age of 54 he retired and started writing.

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Smashwords Edition

The Mascot

Copyright © 2013 George G George

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The Mascot is a work of fiction.

Though actual locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author except for the inclusion of actual historical facts. Similarities of characters or names used within to any person – past, present, or future – are coincidental except where actual historical characters are purposely interwoven.

The Mascot

Chapter 1

Mark Weston would be having his 13 birthday on the football pitch, not a choice he would have made himself if he’d had one that is. Bobby his dad was a fanatical football fan and ex-player, so this meant his two sons had to be the same. Mark didn’t hate football it was just that he would have liked to have chosen it for himself; truth was he preferred rugby and would play whenever he could.

Carol, Bobby’s long suffering wife had tried her best to get him to leave the boy’s to do their own thing; he was having none of it.

They’ll thank me later when their famous and loaded, you mark my words girl. He always said.

And what if they don’t make it to the top? What then? You can’t live your life in them there not you Bobby and look where it got you…Nowhere.

That’s because my dad never pushed me hard enough I’m not making that mistake, besides both Paul and Mark love it.

Mark doesn’t and you know it, Carol stared hard at her husband as she spoke.

Yes he does that’s why he turns up for training every week without fail.

He turns up because he doesn’t want to let you down and never plays does he why? Because he’d rather go and play rugby.

Bobby turned away in disgust and walked towards his car, rugby that was for brain dead morons. His boys weren’t taking that route not while he had any say in the matter, they’d thank him later he was sure of it. Beeping the horn Bobby sat and waited, it was the same every week. Paul who was three years older than Mark was always the first in the car to go while Mark was first when they left, was his wife right about Mark?

Bobby had another problem to think about, this was a cup game the semi-final. He knew due to injuries and a bout of flu in the school he’d have just enough players turn up or at least he hoped so, if not then he’d have to play Mark and none of the team wanted that.

Bobby had schooled them and they all disliked rugby and rugby players. He was the manager and could choose whoever he wanted but Bobby didn’t want to upset the team. The last time he went to play Mark who was a lot younger than the older boys they’d threatened to walk off and he gave in.

Why wasn’t Mark like Paul he