Page 5 of The Lady and the Footballer
Lord Harcourt held up his hand.
“Not the best start for you, Thornton, but that is not why we are here. Sit.”
Colin nodded and did as he was told, despite everything within him that fought it.
“You were asked to practice with the team after the committee heard you were a talented footballer without a club. The recommendation from Tommy Ward helped you.”
“Yes, my lord.”
He and Tommy had grown up together, and as much as Tommy could exhaust him, he had never been more thankful for his friendship than he was right now.
“You have played with other teams?”
“I spent some time with Sheffield,” Colin said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Why did you part ways?”
“Family matters brought me back to Manchester.”
“I see. Well, lucky for us, because as it happens, I was impressed with what I saw today.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“You work in my mill?”
“I do,” Colin said, pointing toward the interior window. “On the factory floor.”
“Not easy work.”
“No, it isn’t,” he agreed. That was an understatement. Millwork was exhausting and dangerous. Colin worked as a machine operator, ensuring everything ran smoothly and intervening if a machine went awry. Every day, he risked getting caught in the many moving parts within the building that was overcrowded, dusty, and hot, while the noise of the machines had likely already caused him to lose some of his hearing.
Worst of all, women and children worked in these conditions – a fate that he would never allow his own family.
“You could play for many different teams and have the opportunity to make money doing so,” Lord Harcourt said, and Colin nodded slowly.
It wasn’t legal but was becoming more common as players had more choice.
“I can see an opportunity here for you,” Lord Harcourt continued. “You could move up to the position of a foreman in the mill. The work would be easier, though you would have more responsibility. Your pay would increase, your work in the mill coordinating with your work on the field, if you understand me?”
He did. It was common for football clubs to pay their players in hidden ways, such as with wages for another job.
“You would have leave to practice or travel to matches when the team needs you, so your hours wouldn’t be nearly as long. How does that sound to you?”
“It leaves no room for complaining,” Colin replied sincerely.
“Very well. It’s done, then,” Lord Harcourt said. “My offer is a pound a week plus a pound per match. And if you help us win the FA Cup, I’ll double it. Does that work for you?”
Colin swallowed hard. His family was currently surviving on a pound every two weeks between his wages and the small amount his sister earned teaching.
“That would work for me,” he said, trying not to show how much it would mean. And winning the Football Association Cup? It had been his goal since the tournament was introduced two years ago. He would give anything to play in it, let alone win it.
“Very good,” Lord Harcourt said, standing in obvious dismissal.
As Colin turned to go, the viscount called out to him one more time.
“Thornton?”
“Yes?”
