Overview:
'Will Berry: First Encounter' is an extraordinary story about an ordinary, football-mad boy. One night, Will's life is kicked upside-down when aliens from the planet Taygeta ask him to join a special football team. Their goal: to save Taygeta from the evil grasp of the planet, Zeta Reticula. Soon, Earth is entered into the Intergalactic Cup, where the boys must win a vital match against the planet Alpha Centauri, in order to progress onto the next round. Along the way, Will is drawn into a 100-year-old mystery that uncovers questions about his own ancestry and the history of Taygeta.
Will must rise to the challenge. Not only must he help save Taygeta but he and his international teammates must fight, football-style, to protect Earth. Will they succeed or will Zeta Reticula triumph? And is all on Taygeta what it seems? Meanwhile, back on Earth, can Will's school football team win the cup?
This book is perfect for all football-mad youngsters who hail from Earth and like a few surprises along the way. |
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Reviews:
"...It gripped me...the pictures were funny and the descriptions were brill."
Ashley Beel (age 10)
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About the Author:
After signing as an apprentice professional footballer with Stoke City Football Club, Challinor stayed with the club for six seasons. Playing alongside Garth Crooks at an International Youth tournament in Holland in 1976, the pairing scored a goal each to beat Celtic in the semi-finals before going on to beat Ajax in the final on penalties. After being released from Stoke City, Challinor went on to play semi-professional for Stafford Rangers and Nantwich Town, before his work commitments caused him to retire from the game.
For Challinor, the transition from player to coach came later than for most players, when aged 36 he was asked to coach his son’s school football team. It was at this point that Challinor started taking his FA coaching badges and went on to join the Port Vale Centre of Excellence. Meanwhile, Challinor and his wife Chrissie started One Kick Ahead/Ian Challinor Football School in Stone which ran for eleven years, producing a number of up- and-coming players, including Chris Birchall for Port Vale and Andy Wilkinson for Stoke City. With the wind in his sails, Challinor went on to manage the ComTel Communications sponsored team OKA Flyers, before joining Stoke City academy as the under 11’s coach and setting up the Stone Ajax Junior football club, where he is currently chairman and under 7’s coach. |
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