posted on 28 Jun 2019

The Unlucky Eleven by Phil Earle

If you’ve ever followed a football team you won’t be a stranger to the idea that your side is just cursed. When you’re on a losing run just about everything seems to conspire against you: shots that should be goals bounce off the woodwork, your prize centre forward couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo and the referee is always finding reasons to give the other side an advantage. Sound familiar?

Well, that’s exactly what’s happening to the Saints. Last season they were brilliant and were beating everyone but now they just can’t do anything right. We know it’s serious because:

“..no amount of Jaffa Cakes or hot chocolate could cheer them up.”

After losing again, Stanley and the rest of the team are in despair and that’s when the idea of a curse takes hold. Although Stanley is sceptical of the idea of a curse, the rest of the team are convinced that it must be something to do with the kit – despite the fact that changing it doesn’t actually seem to make much of a difference to their incredible bad luck.

Eventually Stanley decides that the only way to bring the team back to their senses is to pretend to go along with the idea and he offers to mix a potion that will rid them of the spell they are under. Other than to shrink their shirts and shorts, the potion has no effect on their form and Stanley is forced instead to use psychology.

Will anything he does pull them out of their spiral of decline? Will the Saints ever start winning again? Well, I’m not telling you what happens and you’re going to have to read it yourself to find out.

The book comes in Barrington Stoke’s ‘Little Gem’ series – a format I’m very fond of with its bright production values and handy pocket size. This particular story is guided for 5 -8 year old readers and has the advantage of some brilliant illustrations from Steve May which are in full colour and are perfectly pitched (no pun intended).

I’m guessing that there will be plenty of boys and girls who play for a football team at the weekends who will recognise the travails of the Saints and identify with members of the team. Author, Phil Earle has based the book on his own son’s football team and they all get a name check at the end – so the book’s already got a ready-made audience!

Terry Potter

June 2019