Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder — Bali Rai

A young Sikh footballer reaches out across the generational divide to help a lonely old man in an uplifting story from acclaimed author Bali Rai.

When he spots a lonely old man watching his football games in the park, and then sees him again eating at the local gurdwara kitchen, Bobby wants to help.

At first the man doesn't seem very friendly and he doesn't want to take part in the local walking football league for older people that Bobby tells him about.

But when Bobby eventually changes his mind, it turns out that the man is a talented former professional footballer who has recently been widowed, and Bobby's invitation opens up a rewarding new opportunity for him to make connections in his local community.

About the author

Bali Rai was born in Leicester where he grew up in a multicultural community dreaming of playing football for Liverpool FC, being Bob Marley or becoming a writer. He writes the books he would have enjoyed as a teenager and his book Rani and Sukh is a set-text for GCSE English. His novel, Killing Honour, won the North East Teenage Book Award, and was described as “utterly compelling” by The Bookseller.