Brandermill football club’s preseason campaign led to an increase in enthusiasm and expectation amongst their supporters in the city. In fact, after beating league giants Southend United which mounted a rather potent season last year, followed by a few more victories against other teams in their vicinities, the club was predicted to have an extremely impressive top finish with a chance of promotion, a marked improvement from a club that barely escaped relegation through a fluke last season.

Simon’s role in the club’s nascent success were not as perceptible as the role that James Pelletier had on the team. Pelletier has turned into a sort of a messiah for the city who lauded him as the man who will lead their team to glory.

However, where there are supporters, there are bound to be detractors which was the case for Pelletier as well. Many believed that the nearly forty-year-old, Italian, will not be able to cope with English football with his markedly Italian football philosophy.

This was the reason why at this moment, the week before the first match of the season on August 1st, a reporter amongst the host of reporters filling the press room, was currently staring at Pelletier while speaking with an unmistakably mocking tone:

“MR. MANAGER. EVERYONE WHO KNOWS EVEN A LITTLE FOOTBALL HISTORY IS AWARE THAT THE OUTDATED ITALIAN PHILOSOPHY OFCATENACCIO HAS BEEN PROVEN TO NO LONGER WORK IN ENGLAND. WHAT MAKES YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE THE EXCEPTION.”

SIMON WHO WAS SITTING BESIDE PELLETIER WAS SMILING UNCONCERNEDLY AS IF THIS WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF PELLETIER, HOWEVER, WAS AN UNCHARACTERISTICALLY ANGRY LOOKING TOM TENNER WHO WAS STARING DAGGERS AT THE REPORTER.

OUT OF THE THREE OF THEM, THE ONE WHO LOOKED MOST NORMAL WAS THE STOIC PELLETIER WHO JUST SAT THERE WITHOUT BLINKING. HIS STERN FACE WAS WITHOUT A SINGLE WRINKLE AS IF HE NEVER FROWNED A DAY IN HIS LIFE, WHILE HIS DARK HAIR JUTTED OUT FROM HIS HEAD MAKING HIM LOOK SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS. HE SIMPLY REPLIED TO THE REPORTER WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT:

“CATENACCIO DOES NOT WORK IN ENGLAND? I COULD HAVE SWORN WE WERE PLAYING ENGLISH TEAMS THE LAST FEW WEEKS. IT MUST BE AN ERROR ON MY DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL’S PART, I APOLOGIZE.”

HIS CHEEK AND TONGUE RESPONSE WITHOUT EVEN CHANGING HIS EXPRESSION ELICITED A BIT OF LAUGHTER FROM THE REPORTER WHO LOOKED AT THE QUESTIONING REPORTER IN DELIGHT. TOM’S FACE ALSO GOT SLIGHTLY LESS STERN. HOWEVER, THE REPORTER WAS SEEMINGLY UNCONVINCED AS HE IMMEDIATELY RETORTED:

“IS THIS AN OFFICIAL DECLARATION THAT ‘YOUR’ ITALIAN FOOTBALL CAN DOMINATE ENGLISH FOOTBALL?”

PELLETIER WAS VISIBILITY ANGERED AND WAS ABOUT TO LOSE PATIENCE WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING. HOWEVER, SIMON WHO WAS SITTING NEXT TO HIM BEAT HIM TO THE PUNCH AS HE SPOKE WHILE STILL SMILING:

“HAHA. THAT SHOULD BE IT FOR TODAY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OH AND TO THE GENTLEMEN FORM THE TRIBUNAL, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND MISS THE NEXT FEW PRESS CONFERENCES. GOOD DAY.”

SIMON IMMEDIATELY STOOD UP AND WALKED TOWARDS THE EXIT WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE REPORTERS TO RESPOND. THE FACT THAT THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE WAS CUT SHORT CAUSED THE OTHER REPORTER TO LOOK AT THE STILL STANDING REPORTER WITH ANGER.

SIMON WAS NOT WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THE MEDIA’S AGGRESSION TOWARDS HIS MANAGER BEFORE THE SEASON STARTED. HE WAS AWARE THAT THEY WILL NOT APPRECIATE THIS AND MIGHT EVEN LEAD A CAMPAIGN AGAINST HIM FOR HAMPERING THE PRESS, BUT HE WAS WILLING TO TAKE IT FOR THE CHANCE OF GETTING HIS MESSAGE ACROSS THAT HIS MANAGER COULD NOT BE HOUNDED WITHOUT BASIS.

SIMON WHO WAS WALKING AHEAD OF PELLETIER AND TOM TURNED HIS HEAD TO THEM AS HE SPOKE:

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT HIS COMMENTS WORDS JAMES. I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITY TO LEAD THIS CLUB. JUST FOCUS ON PLAYING YOUR FOOTBALL.”

PELLETIER WHO WAS WALKING BEHIND HIM NODDED HIS HEAD WITH A SLIGHT SMILE APPEARING ON HIS FACE. TOM WHO WAS WALKING NEXT TO HIM, HOWEVER, WAS LESS CONSTRAINED AS HE IMMEDIATELY SNORTED IN ANGER. SIMON SIMPLY SHOOK HIS HEAD AS HE HOPED THAT THESE TWO MEN WITH DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE PERSONALITIES COULD GET ALONG WELL TOGETHER.

SIMON PAID NO MIND TO TOM’S ANGER AS HE CONTINUED SPEAKING TO PELLETIER:

“AM ALSO GOING TO NEED YOU TO RECOMMEND GOOD YOUTH TEAM COACHES SINCE YOUR OLD JOB IS NOW VACANT.”

“HOW MANY COACHES?”

THIS WAS THE ONLY REPLY THAT PELLETIER GAVE, BUT SIMON KNEW WHAT HE MEANT AS HE REPLIED IMMEDIATELY:

“3. HOPEFULLY GUYS WHO CAN TRAIN THE YOUTH SQUAD TO PLAY SIMILARLY TO THE FIRST TEAM.”

“UNDERSTOOD.”

SIMON COULDN’T HELP BUT MUSE AT HOW EFFICIENT CONVERSATION WERE WITH THIS MAN. HE PROCEEDED TO BID FAREWELL TO THE TWO OF THEM AFTER GIVING THEM A FEW MORE INSTRUCTION AND THEN HEADED TO THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE HE HAD AN IMPORTANT MEETING HE COULDN’T MISS.

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SIMON DROVE HIS ASTON MARTIN THROUGH THE SMALL ROADS OF DOWNTOWN BRANDERMILL WITH A LOOK OF ANTICIPATION ON HIS FACE. HE REALLY WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE UPCOMING SINCE HE STOOD TO MAKE A TIDY SUM OF MONEY WHILE ALSO GAINING SOME BENEFITS.

A FEW DAYS AGO, TOM TENNER AND JAMES PELLETIER APPROACHED HIM WITH A REQUEST TO OPEN A YOUTH ACADEMY SO THAT PELLETIER COULD EFFECTIVELY INSTILL HIS FOOTBALLING PHILOSOPHY ON YOUNGER PLAYERS WHO WILL PLAY FOR THE TEAM IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SIMON WAS INITIALLY VERY RELUCTANT TO COMMIT TO THIS SINCE YOUTH ACADEMIES ARE NOTORIOUSLY EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING WHILE THE RESULTS ARE NOT EVEN SET IN STONE. HOWEVER, AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A DAY OR SO, HE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A RATHER POTENTIALLY LUCRATIVE IDEA.

EUROPEAN TEAMS THAT HAVE GREAT YOUTH ACADEMIES SUCH AS WESTHAM AND AJAX ARE KNOWN FOR RAKING IN MILLIONS THROUGH THE EXPORT OF PLAYERS. SIMON DID NOT HOPE TO COMPETE WITH THESE GIANTS, BUT HE COULD AT LEAST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PELLETIER’S EXPERIENCE WITH TRAINING YOUTH TEAMS TO AT LEAST GET IN ON THIS MARKET.

HOWEVER, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YOUTH ACADEMY REQUIRED A NUMBER OF STEPS SUCH AS THE ACQUIRING OF A BIG ENOUGH PLOT OF LAND NEAR THEIR STADIUM, BUILDING AND ZONING PERMITS AND CONSTRUCTION WHICH HE IMMEDIATELY GOT HIS STAFF TO BEGIN.

FORTUNATELY, IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD OF FILLING PERMITS, THAT SIMON RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR MEETING FROM THE MAYORAL OFFICE REGARDING HIS PLANS TO BUILD THE ACADEMY. SIMON DIDN’T THINK MUCH OF IT BEFORE HE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A RATHER MONUMENTAL OPPORTUNITY.

IF ALL THINGS GO ACCORDING TO PLAN, SIMON COULD LEAVE THIS MEETING WITH A BRAND-NEW YOUTH TRAINING ACADEMY WITHOUT SPENDING A MUCH OF HIS OWN MONEY. WITH THESE IDEAS FLUTTERING IN HIS HEAD, SIMON FINALLY REACHED THE CITY COUNCIL BUILDING.

WALKING IN WHILE WEARING HIS BRIGHT BLUE SUIT, SIMON STOOD OUT AMONGST THE GOVERNMENT WORKERS IN THEIR DARK SUITS, BUT HE DIDN’T CARE MUCH AS HE MADE HIS WAY TO THE RECEPTION WHICH WAS BEING MANNED BY A PETITE LADY WITH BLONDE HAIR.

SIMON WALKED UP TO THE RECEPTION AND STARED SILENTLY AT THE LADY WHO CURRENTLY HAD HER HEAD DOWN WHILE PLAYING SOME SORT OF PUZZLE GAME ON HERE PHONE. SIMON COUGHED SLIGHTLY TO GET HER ATTENTION, BUT WHEN THAT DIDN’T WORK, HE SIMPLY PUT HIS HANDS BETWEEN THE LADY AND THE PHONE.

THE LADY IMMEDIATELY STARTED BEFORE LOOKING AT SIMON WITH AN EMBARRASSED LOOK AND SPEAKING APOLOGETICALLY:

“PARDON ME. HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY?”

SIMON COULDN’T HELP BUT SMILE AT HERE EMBARRASSED FACE, BUT HE STILL KEPT HIMSELF FROM CHUCKLING AS HE SPOKE:

“MY NAME IS SIMON EMERSON AND …..”

“OH, I AM MICHELE DAWSON.”

“I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE MAYOR.”

MICHELE’S SELF-INTRODUCTION WAS SANDWICHED BETWEEN SIMON’S SENTENCE AS SHE THOUGHT HE WAS INTRODUCING HIMSELF TO HER. HOWEVER, SHE WAS IMMEDIATELY EMBARRASSED AGAIN AS SHE REALIZED WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

SIMON WAS AT A LOSS AT FIRST, BUT THEN HE PROCEEDED TO SMILE AT BRIGHTLY AT THE LADY AND SPOKE WHILE EXTENDING HIS HAND TO HER:

“NICE TO MEET YOU MICHELE. IS TODAY YOUR FIRST DAY.”

MICHELE WHO WAS NOW BEET-RED SHOOK SIMON HAND AS SHE SEEMED EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE. SHE SIMPLY NODDED HER HEAD AS SHE SPOKE:

“I ACTUALLY WORK UPSTAIRS AND JUST FILLING IN FOR MY FRIEND FOR A BIT.”

“IS THAT SO. WELL, I THINK YOU’RE DOING A FINE JOB. NOW, ABOUT MY MEETING…”

“OH, JUST GO STRAIGHT DOWN THAT HALLWAY.”

SIMON WAS INTERRUPTED AGAIN AS MICHELE IMMEDIATELY POINTED TO THE TO A HALLWAY BEHIND HER AS IF SHE WAS TRYING TO CHASE HIM AWAY. SIMON DIDN’T TAKE IT TO HEART AS HE THANKED HER AND PROCEEDED TO WALK TO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE WITH A BRIGHT SMILE ON HIS FACE.

SIMON KNOCKED AS HE MADE IT TO THE OFFICE AT THE END OF THE HALLWAY WITH THE MAYOR’S NAME ON THE DOOR. HE HEARD A MAN SAY ENTER SOON AFTER AT WHICH POINT HE PROCEEDED TO DO JUST SO. THE INSIDE OF THE OFFICE WAS SURPRISINGLY WELL FURNISHED WITH A LARGE MAHOGANY DESK IN THE CENTER AND TALL BOOK CASES ON EITHER SIDEWALL.

THERE WAS A LARGE WINDOW BEHIND THE PERSON SITTING AT THE DESK MAKING IT SLIGHTLY HARD TO SEE HIS FEATURES WELL, BUT AFTER A FEW SECONDS, SIMON WAS ABLE TO MAKE OUT THE MIDDLE-AGED MAN’S FEATURES. HE WAS SLIGHTLY BULGY WITH A DARK AND GREY HAIR. SIMON SIMPLY SMILED AT THE MAN BEFORE PROCEEDING TO SIT ACROSS FROM HIM WHILE SPEAKING:

“HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY MAYOR JOHNSON.”

JOHNSON SIMPLY LOOKED AT SIMON ODDLY FOR A FEW SECONDS SINCE HE JUST PROCEEDED TO SIT UNINVITED, BUT HE PUT A SLIGHTLY FORCED SMILE ON HIS FACE SOON AS HE SPOKE:

“AM DOING GREAT MR. EMERSON. HOW ARE THINGS ON YOUR END, YOU HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF NEWS LATELY.”

“HAHA. AM FINE, I WAS EVEN BETTER WHEN I HEARD MR. MAYOR WANTED TO SPEAK WITH ME HIMSELF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.”

“WELL MR. EMERSON IS ONE OF OUR CITY’S MOST PROMINENT RESIDENTS. THIS MEETING WAS LONG OVERDUE, DON’T YOU THINK.”

“LONG OVERDUE INDEED……”

AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF EMPTY PLEASANTRIES, SIMON WAS STARTING TO GET TIRED, SO HE IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO CUT TO THE CHASE:

“I SEE. WELL, WHAT MATTER DID THE YOU WANT TO DISCUSS WITH ME MAYOR JOHNSON.”

“OH YES, WELL THE CITY COUNCIL WANTED TO DISCUSS YOUR PLAN FOR A YOUTH TRAINING FACILITY.”

“WHAT ABOUT IT?”

“YOU SEE MR. EMERSON. THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUCH A LARGE TRAINING FACILITY SO CLOSE TO THE CITY CENTER. WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU HAD ANY OTHER LOCATIONS IN MIND, PERHAPS SOMEWHERE SLIGHTLY FURTHER.”

SIMON LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE MAN BEFORE SMILING BRIGHTLY AS HE SPOKE:

“I DON’T BELIEVE THAT IS POSSIBLE SINCE WE REQUIRE THE TRAINING FACILITIES TO BE CLOSE TO THE TEAM’S HOME. AM SURE YOU UNDERSTAND.”

“OH, I DO. BUT AM AFRAID THE COUNCIL WILL NOT APPROVE YOUR PERMITS SINCE THE LAND NEAR THE FOSTER STADIUM IS RATHER IMPORTANT TO THE CITY’S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLANS.”

“I SEE. WELL, I GUESS THE CITY IS UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CLUB. THIS WAS A MISTAKE ON MY PART MR. MAYOR AND WILL IMMEDIATELY RECTIFY IT. I’LL MAKE A STATEMENT TODAY ANNOUNCING THAT THE PLANS FOR THE YOUTH TRAINING FACILITY WILL BE SCRUBBED FORTHWITH, YOU CAN TELL THE COUNCIL NOT TO WORRY.”

THE OLD MAYOR DID NOT EVEN BLINK AN EYE AT SIMON’S VEILED THREAT, BUT RATHER SMILED EVEN MORE AMICABLY AS HE SPOKE:

“HAHA, DON’T BE SO FAST TO ACTION MR. EMERSON. THE CITY FULLY SUPPORTS THE CLUB, YOU JUST HAVE TO GIVE US MORE OPTIONS.”

SIMON WAS WAITING FOR THOSE EXACT WORDS AS HE SPOKE WITH FEIGNED RELUCTANCE:

“WELL, I DO REMEMBER THE CITY IS JUST ABOUT TO FINISH THEIR NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVING THE OLD SCHOOL EMPTY. THE SCHOOL IS VERY CLOSE TO THE STADIUM AND WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH.”

JOHNSON WAS SILENT FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE HE HELPLESSLY SHOOK HIS HEAD AS HE SPOKE:

“AM AFRAID THE COUNCIL HAS OTHER PLANS FOR THE OLD SCHOOL. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS MR. EMERSON?”

AT THIS POINT, THE SMILE WAS LONG GONE FROM SIMON’S FACE AND WAS REPLACED BY A FROWN AS HE SPOKE IN A GRITTY TONE:

“THEN I BELIEVE THAT THAT MR. MAYOR. I’LL GO AHEAD AND SHOW MYSELF OUT.”

JOHNSON LOOKED SURPRISED FOR A SECOND BEFORE HE SPOKE HURRIEDLY:

“ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT MR. EMERSON. I’LL DISCUSS YOUR IDEA WITH THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND SEE WHAT THEY THINK. JUST GIVE US SOME TIME.”

SIMON WAS NOT IMPRESSED BY THIS OLD POLITICIAN’S ANTICS AS HE KNEW THAT THIS OLD SCHOOL WOULD SOON BE TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT BY THE CITY. SO, HE DID NOT FEEL EVEN SLIGHTLY BAD THAT HE WAS USING THE CLUB’S POPULARITY TO STRONG ARM THEM.

HE IMMEDIATELY STOOD UP WHILE SPEAKING WITH A MORE JOVIAL TONE:

“I TRULY BELIEVE YOU WILL CONSIDER MY PROPOSAL WHOLEHEARTEDLY. IN FACT, I BELIEVE THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL IS NEED OF A FOOTBALL PITCH, WE AT THE CLUB WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUCH A PITCH FOR THE SCHOOL.”

SIMON SMILED KNOWINGLY AT THE OLD POLITICIAN BEFORE WALKING AWAY. HIS AMBITION WAS NOT TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL TEAM, BUT TO BUILD A LASTING LEGACY THAT WILL BEAR HIS NAME FOR GENERATION TO COME. HALLMARKS OF HIS AMBITION SHALL BE SEEN AND FELT THROUGHOUT THIS CITY AND THROUGHOUT ENGLAND.

AND EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE MIGHT CALL HIM RUTHLESS AND UNRULY, HE HAS LEARNED FIRST-HAND THROUGH PAIN AND SUFFER THAT ONE HAS TO BE RUTHLESS IF THEY ARE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THIS WORLD, A COSTLY AND PAINFUL LESSON TO LEARN, AND ONE HE WASN’T WILLING TO REPLICATE.