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Bladderfuls: when the bastions of fair play bungled the ball
After a coach-sanctioned harsh tackle in 1962, Mickey Clarke, who was perhaps one of the best football players of his day, suffered a serious injury that prevented him from playing professionally.
In the late 1980s, Clarke created a secure and enjoyable mini-league football format for children aged six to nine, featuring six-aside games at his home town ground at Staines Town, Middlesex. Clarke approached the Football Association, hoping to improve the national game and attract fresh players at a young age, urging them to consider his proposal and acknowledge his accomplishments.
The football regulating body did not overlook his efforts. But rather than assisting him, they undermined his plans, mocked and threatened him, and disparaged his achievements. Ultimately, they appropriated his concept and sold it to one of the wealthiest corporations in the world.
According to Mickey Clarke, the main character in this narrative, this is a true account of how the institution that was established to safeguard fair play on the pitches dropped the ball and botched the game! This football story accurately depicts the repercussions of taking on an institution that is so esoterically obscure that it became impossible to determine what their true objectives would be, or fathom their motives. To protect the 'main players' involved in this light-hearted football history, the novel incorporates fictional names, characters, companies, places, events, and incidents.
In the late 1980s, Clarke created a secure and enjoyable mini-league football format for children aged six to nine, featuring six-aside games at his home town ground at Staines Town, Middlesex. Clarke approached the Football Association, hoping to improve the national game and attract fresh players at a young age, urging them to consider his proposal and acknowledge his accomplishments.
The football regulating body did not overlook his efforts. But rather than assisting him, they undermined his plans, mocked and threatened him, and disparaged his achievements. Ultimately, they appropriated his concept and sold it to one of the wealthiest corporations in the world.
According to Mickey Clarke, the main character in this narrative, this is a true account of how the institution that was established to safeguard fair play on the pitches dropped the ball and botched the game! This football story accurately depicts the repercussions of taking on an institution that is so esoterically obscure that it became impossible to determine what their true objectives would be, or fathom their motives. To protect the 'main players' involved in this light-hearted football history, the novel incorporates fictional names, characters, companies, places, events, and incidents.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2025
About the author
Neil Mach
26 books15 followersNeil is a poetic rock journalist with a passion for frothing hot flushes and fanciful frissons. An old head crammed with silly but wonderful ideas... And lots of idiotic concepts. He lives with blue cat Leo in a small bungalow on an island in the River Thames. He has two grown-up daughters, Tanna and Perdie.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 15, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars
A Quietly Devastating Story About Institutional Betrayal in Football
Bladderfuls does something remarkable: it takes a story about youth football and turns it into a searing indictment of institutional corruption, all while maintaining a "light-hearted" tone that makes the betrayal even more gut-wrenching.
Neil Mach tells the true story of Mickey Clarke, a talented footballer whose career ended with a coach-sanctioned brutal tackle in 1962. Instead of becoming bitter, Clarke channelled his love of the game into creating a safe, enjoyable six-aside format for children aged 6-9 in Staines Town, Middlesex. It was innovative, it worked, and it could have transformed youth football in England.
But when Clarke approached the Football Association, the institution literally established to protect fair play, they didn't just reject him. They mocked him, threatened him, undermined his work, and then stole his concept and sold it to one of the wealthiest corporations in the world.
What makes this book so powerful is Mach's restraint. He could have written this as a rage-filled exposé, but instead, he lets the facts speak for themselves. The fictionalised names protect the guilty parties, but the institutional cruelty is crystal clear. This is a David vs. Goliath story where Goliath wins, and it's infuriating precisely because it's true.
If you care about youth sports, institutional accountability, or British football history, Bladderfuls is essential reading. It's a reminder that sometimes the organisations meant to protect the game are the ones who drop the ball, and that the real heroes are the Mickey Clarkes who tried to make things better anyway.
Highly recommended for anyone who's ever wondered how bureaucracy crushes innovation, or why good ideas don't always win.
A Quietly Devastating Story About Institutional Betrayal in Football
Bladderfuls does something remarkable: it takes a story about youth football and turns it into a searing indictment of institutional corruption, all while maintaining a "light-hearted" tone that makes the betrayal even more gut-wrenching.
Neil Mach tells the true story of Mickey Clarke, a talented footballer whose career ended with a coach-sanctioned brutal tackle in 1962. Instead of becoming bitter, Clarke channelled his love of the game into creating a safe, enjoyable six-aside format for children aged 6-9 in Staines Town, Middlesex. It was innovative, it worked, and it could have transformed youth football in England.
But when Clarke approached the Football Association, the institution literally established to protect fair play, they didn't just reject him. They mocked him, threatened him, undermined his work, and then stole his concept and sold it to one of the wealthiest corporations in the world.
What makes this book so powerful is Mach's restraint. He could have written this as a rage-filled exposé, but instead, he lets the facts speak for themselves. The fictionalised names protect the guilty parties, but the institutional cruelty is crystal clear. This is a David vs. Goliath story where Goliath wins, and it's infuriating precisely because it's true.
If you care about youth sports, institutional accountability, or British football history, Bladderfuls is essential reading. It's a reminder that sometimes the organisations meant to protect the game are the ones who drop the ball, and that the real heroes are the Mickey Clarkes who tried to make things better anyway.
Highly recommended for anyone who's ever wondered how bureaucracy crushes innovation, or why good ideas don't always win.
Displaying 1 of 1 review