Great Balls of Fire Part 2

By Albatross
August 21 2002

Time at last for Great Balls of Fire Part 2. How is Timmy Turner doing in Codlington's Pre-season, and how is his new neighbour settling in? Time to "Give it some Welly"....

Great Balls of Fire - Part 2: Give it some Welly

Timmy Turner stared mournfully out of the window. The sight he was watching was of his new neighbour, West Pool United Manager Colin Taylor, enjoying a joke with his assistant David East and star striker Alan Holmes. They'd been there for a good ten minutes, and he was already late for work in the Garden Centre - but he couldn't face walking past the trio after the previous day's events. West Pool had beaten Dynamo Mustard of the Northern Counties league in a friendly, while his own Codlington Railwaymen had only scored once in beating Bradfield Wanderers' under 15 side. The season hadn't even started yet and already he was under pressure.

Eventually East and Holmes left, and with a sigh of relief Timmy folded up his newspaper and set off for work. He had almost reached the gate when a familiar voice hailed him from over the hedge. "Morning Timmy! Good win for your lads yesterday was it?" Suppressing a shudder and pinning a grim smile to his face, he turned towards the affable face of Taylor. "Well it's all about fitness at this stage of the season, isn't it Colin. Just a bit of a workout to get them into shape really. I'm happy enough." Colin grinned. "I hear some of those Bradfield lads are pretty hot actually - might take a look at them myself, you never know when you might need a bit of backup. Are you looking for anyone else Timbo?" Timmy winced. He hated being called Timbo. "I've got one or two irons in the fire," he invented. "Can't say too much at the moment, you know how it is." With a knowing look from Taylor following him, he rushed off. "Late for work! See you Colin!"

In fact, Timmy did have one or two prospects to have a look at. John Hairclip had phoned him the previous day with an offer he'd had of a player who'd apparently had League Experience. That evening young Thomas Walsh was to join the rest of Codlington Railway for a Training Session.

"So, Tom, you've been in the League I understand!" Tom Walsh didn't look like a footballer. Tall, pale skin, long black hair and a physique that could generously be described as lean, he looked more like a wannabe Goth. "What? Oh, er, yeah...." He didn't seem entirely in the real world either. "So where did you play," asked Timmy. The goth looked confused. "Err, in the middle somewhere, I told you before." "No, no, which team," Timmy explained. He already had a bad feeling about this. Hairclip had landed him with the odd wally before, usually after being told by the wally's friend or relative that he was a world beater. Often they struggled to beat eggs. "Oh, er, yeah... I played in Bradfield League like." A bit more cross examination revealed he'd played youth football for one of the teams in Bradfield rather than for Bradfield. Timmy sighed; Hairclip had struck again.

As he parked his car outside his house, Timmy couldn't help but notice a much newer and posher car outside his neighbour's house. As he was about to open the door, he saw a figure open Taylor's gate, turn and wave, and then get into the car. His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw who it was: Derek "Welly" Boot, last season's star defender in the Northern Premier! Surely... no, it couldn't be possible.... Taylor wasn't trying to sign him... was he?

The contrast between his own dud and Welly was too much: he would have to have a word with Hairclip, budget or not. This was serious...