Chapter 1: Children in a Bloodied Football Environment

In May of last year, the tragedy of the Heysel disaster dealt a heavy blow to English football, not only due to the psychological toll it took but also because it affected the economy and even the national image

Aldridge found it difficult to integrate into such a public opinion environment; he could only lower his head and sneer inwardly: Crazy help for Wimbledon

At the end of May, Aldridge planned to employ his old tricks again one evening, targeting a newly opened video rental store owned by a young Black man named Sander. In East London, where racial discrimination is most severe, Sander, despite his tall and robust appearance, had to navigate life with great caution. He had inquired about the surrounding community and heard rumors of mischievous children vandalizing windows. Consequently, every night after closing the video store, instead of going upstairs to rest, he remained in the darkened shop. Although his primary concern was to guard against thieves and robbers, he inadvertently found himself waiting for an opportunity.

Fortunately, after the two brothers greeted others, they took him to sit in the corner

However, Aldridge frowned at the names of the four teams.

Rogue

When a small stone shattered the window glass and burst into the video store, Sand erupted with a roar in the dark shop

Aldridge perked up his ears to listen to the conversations among the surrounding fans, most of which were about the game. Here, they either discussed the community-supported team, the Lions of Millwall, or talked about the upcoming World Cup. In addition, one could occasionally hear discussions about the Dons of Wimbledon.

Then I want it too

However, the praise from Millwall fans is naturally not related to the team's performance; the main factor lies in the players of Wimbledon and their on-field demeanor. They are fierce and aggressive, with the head coach instilling a mindset of "fighting on the pitch." For Millwall fans, this is the type of match that truly appeals to them.

They only guess the top two positions of the group

24 teams, with 2 teams advancing from each group, plus 4 of the best third-placed teams, will make a total of 16 teams entering the knockout stage

Although Andrew and Audrich are still children, they do not see any problem with drinking. The two of them turned their gaze towards the paper that Barnett had placed on the table, which contained a schedule detailing the twenty-four participating teams from Mexico.

Once lively, active, and mischievous, Audric has suddenly become well-mannered and compliant after being discharged from the hospital

If you are referring to the Falklands War four years ago, you are correct, Britain won. However, football and warfare are two different matters; otherwise, Brazil would certainly not be among the top four.

Despite the current success of the team, which has even stirred a mainstream wave in England, the absence from the 1994 World Cup can be attributed, to some extent, to the influence of a rough style of play that led to their elimination

In fact, the only impression he has is of the final and the match featuring Maradona's "Hand of God". However, the odds for betting on the champions and runners-up were high before the match. By the time the quarter-finals and semi-finals were determined, the returns were evidently not very high.

Three days later, Aldridge was discharged from the hospital. The Hall family prepared a sumptuous feast for Aldridge at home, yet there was an underlying concern for him in the eyes of the family.

Hi, please help me take a look.

It is no wonder that the teams from East London, England, are the most notorious, with two arch-rivals being hailed as the breeding ground for football hooliganism: West Ham United and Millwall

According to conventional thinking, the strong teams from the six groups advance. Aldridge advised his brother not to bet all the money at once, yet he himself had his brother place a £100 bet on Argentina to win the championship and West Germany to be the runner-up

Andrew, the second brother, treats his one hundred pounds as a treasure, carefully asking his elder brother to place bets on the teams that are certain to advance from each group. Although the odds for the strong teams are inevitably low, Andrew does not possess the strong heart required for a high-stakes gamble.

Aldridge, seeing that his elder brother agreed, said: "How about this, brother? Let’s place a bet on the teams that advance from each group, what do you think?"

In reality, Aldridge is not only superficially confused, but internally he is also filled with fear. No one knows that beneath the skin of this ten-year-old child lies a soul from thirty years in the future, and it is the soul of an atheist from Huaxia.

This startled Aldridge, who had just thrown a stone outside the store and was feeling quite pleased with himself. He did not expect such a quick reaction from inside the store, and in his shock, he hurriedly darted into a small alley across the street. In his panic, he stumbled into a dead end. Hearing the door of the video store across the street open behind him, he was nearly scared to death. Although he was a local from East London, the immigrants here mostly lived in clusters, with African immigrants banding together and West Asian immigrants forming another group

The three brothers gathered together to discuss the teams that would advance from each group

To speak frankly, Crazy Help Wimbledon has created a miracle in these three years, achieving a three-peat, and will appear in the top-tier league next season. This is undoubtedly a commendable achievement

This is London, and my brother has also come of age; everything is legal

The animosity between England and Argentina is well known. Four years ago, when England reclaimed the Falkland Islands, the public naturally supported this move, and consequently, there was little goodwill towards the defeated party

What is football

It is said to be a loan, but in reality, it is no different from a gift

Audric's elder brother Barnett is already 18 years old, working alongside Arthur, and appears to be nothing more than a glass installer with no prospects whatsoever

Nothing means anything to them

As night fell and the lights began to shine, Audridge arrived at a fan bar in the community, accompanied by his two older brothers. The bar was filled with swirling smoke and unpleasant odors, yet the atmosphere was extremely lively

Sander was jumping up and down on the street, cursing loudly, which attracted the attention of those nearby. Soon, someone discovered the unconscious Aldrich and kindly took him to the hospital

Second brother Andrew is only 3 years older than Audrich, and he is still in school. However, it seems that he will follow in his elder brother's footsteps and become a member of the blue-collar class in the future

Barnett fulfilled his duties as an elder brother to the utmost, showing great care for his two younger brothers. The family was very united, which is perhaps one of the characteristics of families and communities in East London. He nodded slightly, appearing somewhat helpless

Seeing his expression, Barnett chuckled and said, "Why do you have that expression?"

As May 31 marks the opening day of the World Cup in Mexico, the football atmosphere in London has not diminished with the conclusion of the league; on the contrary, every fan hopes that England can shine in the World Cup and teach a lesson to the world's top teams, thereby indirectly conveying to the world: the exclusion of English teams from the three major cups is a loss for Europe and a loss for the world

Barnett actually wanted to get rich overnight by betting on the champions and runners-up, as well as the third and fourth places, which offered astonishing returns. However, now that he has calmed down, he feels that it is better to seek stability.

They do not discuss Millwall's season performance, nor do they look ahead to the situation for the next season. Instead, they talk more about matters outside of the game, such as fighting, brawling, provoking opposing fans, and how to embarrass the fans of the opposing team

As the conversation continued, many fans in the bar began to extol the virtues of the Crazy Gang of Wimbledon

Upon seeing his elder brother silent, Aldridge's eyes flickered, and he softly said: "Lend me one hundred pounds, and I will also place a bet"

Barnett casually greeted the young people he knew, while Andrew had a few acquaintances present. However, the ten-year-old Aldrich clearly felt out of place, as there was not a single familiar face in sight.

Thirteen-year-old Andrew knelt on the ground, looking down at the names of the four teams, clapping and cheering.

He started working for Arthur two years ago

But we have Leinke.

Embracing the idea of accepting what comes, Audric quickly adapted to everything, unaware of why he had arrived in London in 1986. At the very least, he had no attachments, as he was an orphan in Huaxia, just like the books.

Although the prohibition of English clubs from participating in European competitions was an order issued by the Iron Lady, Mrs. Thatcher

Argentina cannot defeat England

Just as Leeds United fans have long been regarded as the most extreme racists, regardless of how much time has passed

Aldridge was momentarily confused before suddenly realizing: his older brother wants to bet on football

Faced with a dead end, Aldridge, at the age of ten, agile and nimble, attempted to climb over the high wall to escape. However, in his panic, he managed to scale the wall but accidentally fell to the ground, hitting his head and causing it to bleed, ultimately losing consciousness on the other side of the wall

Barnett put away his smile and said softly: "Five hundred pounds, I saved for two years"

The bar was filled with coarse language, and as Audrich listened, he developed a certain understanding of these carefree fans.

Barnett fell silent, his expression revealing a hint of discomfort

Aldrich looked up at his relaxed older brother and solemnly asked, "How much do you want to bet?"

Just as Aldrich was lost in thought, Barnett sat down with several bottles of wine and directly handed the bottles to the two younger brothers, the least of which was beer

Andrew, feeling restless, also turned his gaze towards his elder brother

The young boy from the Aldrich family, whose family sells glass, would often secretly carry small stones in his pocket at night. Taking advantage of the dim evening light, he would smash the windows of some immigrant-owned restaurants or shops in the community into smithereens

No one inquired about this; they merely regarded it as Aldridge learning a lesson the hard way, having fallen from the wall and suffered a bloody head injury, which serves as a stark lesson. It is better for him to settle down, as it will spare the adults from additional worry

The more one walks at night, the more likely one is to encounter ghosts

Aldridge hurriedly wanted to stop it, but the words were on the tip of his tongue and he swallowed them back.

A murky River Thames divides London into north and south, traditionally characterized by the south being poorer and the north wealthier, with the east being poorer and the west wealthier. Perhaps this can be attributed to the German forces; during World War II, London was bombarded, and the East End became a heavily affected area, reduced to ruins. This place seemed to be abandoned, giving rise to the resilient spirit of the people of East London.

Barnett held a pen and wrote down the names of several teams on another sheet of white paper, then handed it to his two younger brothers and said: "What do you think? Champions England, runners-up Brazil, and third and fourth place are France and West Germany"

Soccer is best described as a combination of boxing and American football played with the feet

Aldridge can no longer clearly recall the details of the group stage, but he distinctly remembers the champions and runners-up of this World Cup

In 1986, Aldrich Hall was ten years old. He was a native of East London, and compared to children born in Northwest London, he evidently had no inherent material advantages to boast of. However, in this industrial area populated by a mix of immigrants, he was clearly fortunate. His father, Arthur Hall, was a partner in a small glass factory here, which was sufficient to support the family, especially considering that Arthur had three sons.

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Aldrich's frown deepened as he shook his head and said, "If you hope to see a return on your five hundred pounds, do not support England in winning the championship; there will be an emotional bias, and do not waste your money"

Wimbledon, having lost the support of the community, will find it increasingly difficult to maintain a fan base as it becomes estranged from the English teams.

If it were broad daylight, Aldridge would naturally not be afraid. As long as the white people here see a black person bullying a child, whether they know him or not, someone would naturally come to help. The black people would also not dare to provoke the locals. But now it is night, and Aldridge is afraid of falling into the hands of the black people, as he would then be isolated and helpless.

Argentina still has Maradona, so what makes you think Argentina can't even make it to the top four

Audridge was hospitalized for three days. His injuries were not severe, but after regaining consciousness, he became dazed and silent. Even when his parents, Arthur and Amelia, along with his two brothers, Barnett and Andrew, gathered around his bedside, he remained speechless, even covering his head with the blanket to avoid seeing anyone. This caused Arthur to anxiously seek out the doctor to question whether his youngest son had suffered some brain damage or had become mute.