Bladderfuls — the beautiful game shouldn't have a price tag

Have you ever seen big business ruin a community sports effort? This is why I wrote Bladderfuls — the beautiful game shouldn't have a price tag.

One man. Twelve kids. And a corporate giant willing to steal the soul of the game for a profit. Bladderfuls is the story of why we play the beautiful game —and why some things are worth more than a multi-million dollar exit strategy.

Bladderfuls — the beautiful game shouldn't have a price tag

The hero of Bladderfuls is fuelled by passion and discipline, while his nemesis is a vacuum of apathy and incompetence.

Meet Colderidge: he's the man standing between 100 kids and the beautiful game. He doesn’t care about the score— he just wants to leave early, to take an extended lunch.

"Will you be putting on a suit jacket later?" asked Stan, the Director of Sports Development at Lancaster Gate.

"Why?"

"You might consider wearing a collar and jacket for our meeting. Do you have a tie? If not, I can lend you one."

"I'm not aware of any meeting,' said Coleridge. "Can you provide me with more information?" He began to pretend to read a letter he'd opened.

"We're meeting to discuss—"

"Can I stop you there, old man?" With a playful gesture, Coleridge tapped Stan's shoulder with the empty envelope. "I won't be able to make that or indeed any meeting. I regret not telling you this earlier, but there it is..."

"But the meeting has been in your calendar for weeks."

"However, an unexpected issue has developed," offered Coleridge.

"What is it? Should I be concerned? Is it a sudden health emergency?"

"Don't fret, everything's fine; but I must head to the South Bank. I have a lunch date planned."

Bladderfuls — the beautiful game shouldn't have a price tag

The hero of the pitch vs. the puppet without a suit.

In Bladderfuls, the biggest threat to the future of youth football isn't a rival team—it's a man who couldn't care less about the game. While Mickey fights to get the kids from Staines onto the grass, Colderidge at Lancaster Gate is busy doing the bare minimum.

It's a battle of grit vs. greed, passion vs. paperwork!

Bladderfuls is out now, available from all good stockists.

Neil Mach is a prolific English author from Staines. He's known for his clean urban fantasy fiction (like his popular 'Moondog' series) and his historical fiction works. Neil is also a well-known public speaker, and a creativity advisor. Neil has a background as a rock journalist. He frequently shares his expertise on writing and the music business, particularly rock music history, and has written over 20 books, and he often addresses writing workshops. Since its launch in 2019, his extremely popular Myth & Magic podcast has provided enthusiasts of fantasy literature and fantasy art with over 125 hours of audio enjoyment. His novel, Bladderfuls: when the bastions of fair play bungled the ball was released on January 15, 2025.