Page 72 of Playing the Field
There is a message from Ben when I check in the morning, saying he’s gutted about Crawford’s loss and that he’s sorry he couldn’t get hold of me. I check when it was sent– 11p.m. I can’t help thinking that’s respectable.
When I call him back, I fill him in on the nightmare journey to Windham and he empathises– and laughs– at the appropriate parts of the story. He says he might take the train instead of driving when he comes down next weekend, to avoid a similar fate.
We discuss the game and I mention Bailey wasn’t on his usual form. ‘Is everything okay with him?’
‘He might be letting his new relationship affect his concentration,’ Ben speculates. ‘It’s the first time he’s been really serious about someone so it’s quite a big deal for him. I can have a word, if you like.’
‘It’s fine, I’ll handle it.’ I certainly understand how that feels after meeting Ben.
‘If you think it might be useful, I could have another word with all the players,’ he offers. ‘To remind them to keep looking forward and not dwell on any setbacks.’
‘I’m sure they’d appreciate a little morale booster in the team WhatsApp group,’ I tell him.
He admits he’s feeling a bit frustrated himself after watching Millford City lose yesterday. He’s got one more week on the bench after this and can’t wait to get back to playing. ‘I’m not saying I definitely would have made a difference, but I hate not even being able to try. On the flip side, it does have the advantage of making it easier to see you next weekend.’
We won’t be going to a hotel for this visit because there are a few bits he wants to pick up from the Whitehouse. But he should get away from Millford promptly on Saturday, seeing as he won’t have to warm down, so we’ll have a decent amount of time together. He promises to find somewhere nice for us to go for lunch on Sunday, so we don’t spend his entire visit in bed– although we’re both keen to make sure there’s plenty of that as well.
Not once in the conversation do I ask about how things went with Georgina, and he doesn’t bring her up either. But this doesn’t, as I worried it might, leave me with hundreds of possible scenarios running through my mind. On the contrary it helps me keep her out of my thoughts, and I end the call no longer feeling quite so bereft.
So that’s all I need to do for the time being, I tell myself, just focus on me and Ben. If I do slip and start thinking about her, I bring his Jake Gyllenhaal analogy to mind and force myself to think of her just as his new friend. Because friends do go out for dinner and have a laugh together, and that makes it easier to accept. And this strategy works, more or less, for the whole of the following week, by the end of which I’m beyond excited about being reunited with Ben.
I wake up at the crack of dawn on the day of our home match against Merribridge, feeling as elated as I was on the day Crawford United got its FA approval. Merribridge finished second from the bottom of the table last season, so we’ve got a really good chance of beating them. And then there’ll only be a matter of hours before Ben arrives, so it’s shaping up to be a very good day.
Dad’s already up too– I can hear him in the kitchen– and when I head downstairs, he asks if I want a cooked breakfast. ‘I feel like I’m going to need all the energy I can get today,’ he says.
I tell him to hold the hash browns for me, but to pile on everything else.
‘Coming right up.’ He beams, seemingly sharing my good mood.
Cassie wanders in through the back door a few minutes later. ‘Couldn’t sleep,’ she explains, sliding into the seat opposite me at the table, and shortly afterwards Marge and Bob turn up too, followed, to my surprise, by Thomas and Levi.
‘You’re very early,’ I observe.
‘Your dad said we could come,’ Thomas explains. ‘Because of not working and all that, I’m a bit skint, so Mike said about stopping by here and grabbing something, if I wanted. Then Levi got FOMO and asked if he could join me. I hope that’s okay, Mike.’
‘Of course,’ Dad says. He’s so in his element when he’s got a full kitchen table. ‘Grab another pack of sausages out of the freezer, would you?’
‘Yes, boss,’ Thomas replies.
‘I’ll dig you out some cheap nutritious recipes,’ Cassie says. ‘You need to eat properly all the time, not just today.’
‘I could come round and walk you through them if you don’t know what you’re doing,’ Marge offers. ‘Maybe I should offer all the team cooking lessons. We don’t want anyone getting malnourished.’
‘You’re such an angel,’ Dad says.
‘Well it’s not like we’re one of those fancy clubs where they get all their meals cooked for them,’ she points out.
‘Except for Craig– his dad’s got a chef,’ Levi says. Phoebs never told me this.
Dad laughs. ‘We’ll all invite ourselves round there for brekkie next weekend then.’
The rest of the team arrive throughout the morning until we’ve got a full house. Craig and Scott head out to the garden to practise keepy-uppies. Aaron and Jacob watch videos with Dad and talk tactics. Cassie gives Jamie’s calves a sports massage and Marge talks food with Thomas. Everyone looks relaxed and happy, just how we want them to be before each game.
Advance ticket sales have been strong again this week, close to three thousand, perhaps owing to the reports of people missing out on our first home game. I feel a bit sorry for the Merribridge fans– there are only a hundred of them. It’s a small club with a small ground and a small following. Coming up against such a huge crowd will be quite daunting for them– especially as the rest of our tickets sell out throughout the morning.
As it’s a home game and Merribridge has a less than perfect track record, I think we’re all expecting a win today, so we arrive at the ground full of eager anticipation. And once the match gets underway, I spend much of the first half on the edge of my seat, drumming my feet on the floor with nervous energy as our lads run rings around the visiting team– with the possible exception of Bailey, who still seems a bit off the pace. Dad’s just as restless beside me and even resorts to chewing gum again.
I’m amazed we don’t score given that we must have at least two-thirds of the possession, but this is still looking hopeful for Crawford. It’s the first time we go into the second half without being several goals down. I make a point of congratulating Elliot on his clean sheet during the break. I know it’s been tough on him losing our previous three games, and this will hopefully restore his confidence.
