GAY LOVE IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT OR.....

I missed a friend's birthday on Friday and mine is coming up. So if I had been on the ball and maybe had earlier access to this weekend's book reviews, I would have bought my chum Ross Raisin's "A Natural" published by Jonathan Cape at £14.99.
Ross was born in Keithley, went to Bradford GS and read English at Kings' London and followed that with a Creative Writing post-grad degree at Goldsmith's. He is a popular author.
Perhaps somebody may come up with the bright idea of getting me the book later this month. Not that I am short of football books to read!

The book is about a young footballer, Tom, who, once with a Premier League club, set in the North-west, finds himself at 19 years old, knocking around the lower divisions of the Football League in the south, far away from home, playing for "Town".

Failing to make one's way in the big league, presents young footballers with the choice of dropping down through to the Non-League, which is perfectly acceptable of course, which pays less of course but always presents the opportunity to rise again by being scouted.  Jamie Vardy?

The other option is to jump ship, using the qualification that he might have acquired through the PL club's education programme (a Sports' Science Btec maybe?) and get a proper job. Tom's full time education was lost a while ago when the glitsy attraction of football was his main aim.

To join his new club, Tom has to move away from home, and still finds himself on the fringe of his new first team but inevitably is sent on "loan". At Town, Tom begins a relationship with the club's groundsman Liam. Since Justin Fashanu, Britain's first openly gay player, took his life, there are no openly gay players in the top divisions of the FL. Tom has to deal with his sexuality knowing that discovery would surely end his career. Needless to say the relationship with Liam is complicated.

The other side of the story is the dreary existence in a lower league club; long, tedious coach journeys, cheap hotels. bullying managers, being sub, the end of season "review", loans, the club captain's broken leg and so on.

OR

You could go to the cinema to see "Don't Take Me Home"12A, 85 minutes film. This is Jonny Owen's documentary following the Wales squad during the Euros in 2016. We all followed and admired their remarkable achievement (including their reaction to England's loss to Iceland), so although this might be a bit of an extended MOTD, it will be fantastic fun for football film fans.
I have not yet seen a film about England's time in France!
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/welsh-football-movie-shown-paris-12688937