retired_milla0225

The King's School's sports fields, Chester (Chester City's Training Ground)

But by Monday training Phil hadn’t made any kind of decision, it was more of a desire at that point. But he threw himself into training, working hard, beginning to hope that he could make it back into the team. The team had lost heavily on the weekend and young Kevin Roberts had been unfortunate enough to have a mare.

But as the week draws on it became increasingly obvious that the Chester manager, Martin Alderton was completely oblivious to the work that Phil, or indeed anyone else was putting in. He seemed preoccupied, waiting for something. He was always on the spot when any delivery arrived, but always turned away when it became obvious that there was nothing there from ‘Play.com’

retired_milla0225

Friday 20th December 2008. The Deva Stadium, Chester

On the Friday the team for the weekend went up. Phil wasn’t in it, in fact it was the same team as got trounced the weekend before. Phil Bolland then made the decision that he would retire, giving it up at the end of the season so as not to leave the team a man short.

retired_milla0225

Friday 20th December 2008. The Deva Stadium, Chester

Phil went into see the manger. There was a thin cardboard box on the table between them. It has Play.com written on it.

Phil Bolland: “I don’t know how to say this, but I better say it straight. Boss, I’ve come to tell you that I’m retiring at the end of the season. If I can’t get in the team now, there’s obviously no future for me in the game”

Martin Alderton: “Well, Phil, I know how hard it is to make that final decision to retire, and I’d like to say that you’ve been a fine servant to this club, from way before when I got here, and thanks for all the hard work you’ve put in.”

“I’d like to wish you a happy retirement but I’m afraid that’s a bit academic now, you see I really come from a parallel universe, called ‘real life’ and in that universe it's really late October in the year 2007 and an event has happened that will mean the imminent destruction of this universe and everything in it. You see ‘Football Manager 2008’ has just come out and that kind of spells the end for this, FM2007, universe.”

“Sorry”.

Phil Bolland: “Oh.”

Phil left the office, stunned, and as he leaves he hears music swelling up in the background, it’s Skeeter Davis singing ‘Don’t They Know It’s The End Of The World’.

Don’t they know it’s the end of the World ?
It ended when I lost your love

The lyrics build and the music swells and as Phil reaches his car the world starts to go black because the Chester manager, Martin Alderton, had consigned the world to darkness.

He had just opened ‘Football Manager 2008’. Opened the box on a whole new world.

The End

retired_gabachitalinda

Wasn't expecting that!

retired_rahalbob

Super Phil Bolland!! \o/
Was a bit random, that story

shannon2007

Not as good as your best work CF2.

retired_w0lfpack1

LMAO. Quite entertaining!

retired_jgirl87

Not as good as my recent short story.

retired_w0lfpack1

Well, we only need one more now to assure ourselves of having this category at next year's awards.

retired_milla0225

Thanks for all the construcive comments there lads.

I have to say I'm a little bit disapointed with it myself, I went for the twist at the end a bit too quickly I think. Obviously I had a place I wanted to get to, you know the idea that we create these very real worlds for ourselves for the purpose of story making only to, as long as you are like me, dump them into the trash as soon as the next version hits the shelves. A good idea I thought, perhaps not the best execution.

Trouble is now, I've started playing FM2008, and I've started back at PP-70, and where am I going to find something new to say about that ?

Oh, and Spav, old buddy, I'll take on your short story with mine any day of the week. Bring it on