The PFA: Part One- Stories: An imaginary world... based on a true story

Netta Scott marked it as to-read Dec 31, Holly marked it as to-read Dec 31, Ayden Jude Rose marked it as to-read Mar 29, MadOnReading marked it as to-read Sep 01, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. I'm a year-old geek who loves Disney World, penguins, and my two pet guinea pigs. I also happen to be a six-year kidney transplant survivor, and I'm battling other chronic illnesses including POTS Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia, among others. As little kids, my brother and I created an entire imaginary world full of pretend friends.

Eventually, I became a teenager, and our tales of talking cats and underground lands were literally pushed underneath my bed. Struggling with harsh treatments and an uncertain future, I pulled out the dusty stack of papers that described the pretend friends of my preteen years. As I fought for my life, I began reading the imaginary stories I had written as a healthy child.

Before long, I started writing again, using my imagination as an escape from the daily monotomy of needles, doctor's appointments, and chemo-like medicine. In June , only one month after graduating high school, I received a kidney from my amazing cousin. Almost immediately thereafter, I began writing a fictionalized version of my real-life journey.

I now represent clubs instead of players. They were fed up crossing swords with me in the boardroom so they asked me to work for them instead. Clubs give me a shopping list and I try to find suitable players, which involves a lot of meetings and flights out of London City airport. And I still have West Ham season tickets. Clifford Bloxham, 52, loved football as a child but was better at tennis, winning a tennis scholarship to an American university at the age of Having started his career at the Advantage sports agency he went on to become senior vice president at the sports agency Octagon where, for the past 28 years, he has helped to guide the careers of players such as Gareth Southgate, Frank Lampard, Graeme Le Saux and Daniel Sturridge.

When we begin working with a young footballer we hand them an empty book to represent their autobiography and explain that everything they do from day one will go into that book. We ask them to think how they will feel when their grandchildren pick up this book in the future. We try to get them to think about what really matters to them personally.

We want to know everything about them. Daniel Sturridge is widely viewed as confident and outgoing because he dances after scoring goals, but we know he is also deeply religious. We even know how many sugars he has in his tea. We also work very closely with his family — he is fortunate that his uncles Dean and Simon and his dad, Michael, were former professionals. For example, Gareth Southgate had ambitions to be England captain so when he did his columns for the London Evening Standard he wrote them himself because this portrayed leadership. So when he became captain those attributes were already ingrained.

And if a player decides to bring his children on to the pitch after a cup final they will become public property and the press will ask questions about them. His other partners, like Nike and Hyundai, can all grow with him. There are a lot of myths about football agents. The first is that you need a personal knowledge of football.

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No, you need to know who to ask, and work with people who can advise on specialist subjects like marketing, sponsorship, legal issues or finances. The second is that agents have influence over which club a player joins.

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I like to think that because Octagon deals with a wide range of athletes and personalities like Michael Phelps, Paula Radcliffe and Darcey Bussell as well as sponsors and brands, we can offer our football players experience and perspective. We have offices around the globe and staff who speak many languages.

Very few agents can say the same. That has an impact on the way they treat people and the way agents are perceived. Ultimately we are responsible for the long-term welfare of the player. No year-old footballer plans for the future, but we are there to ensure they think about the next step and the right way to get there. When they sit down with their autobiography at the end of their career we want them to be proud of it.

Follow the Telegraph Magazine on Twitter. Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation. Monday 17 December The truth about football agents Football agents, for many, epitomise everything wrong with the game today. But they are are motivated by their client's welfare, not by money, they argue.

The truth about football agents

Interviews by Mark Bailey. Rachel Anderson Photograph by Richard Ansett. Clifford Bloxham Photograph by Richard Ansett. Scores, fixtures, results and tables.

Charlie Eccleshare Wenger mustn't moan at fans - he and players only have themselves to blame. Holly marked it as to-read Dec 31, Ayden Jude Rose marked it as to-read Mar 29, MadOnReading marked it as to-read Sep 01, Karen marked it as to-read Sep 01, Elizabeth Smith marked it as to-read Nov 27, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. I'm a year-old geek who loves Disney World, penguins, and my two pet guinea pigs.

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I also happen to be a six-year kidney transplant survivor, and I'm battling other chronic illnesses including POTS Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia, among others. As little kids, my brother and I created an entire imaginary world full of pretend friends. Eventually, I became a teenager, and our tales of talking cats and underground lands were literally pushed underneath my bed. Struggling with harsh treatments and an uncertain future, I pulled out the dusty stack of papers that described the pretend friends of my preteen years.

As I fought for my life, I began reading the imaginary stories I had written as a healthy child.

Before long, I started writing again, using my imagination as an escape from the daily monotomy of needles, doctor's appointments, and chemo-like medicine. In June , only one month after graduating high school, I received a kidney from my amazing cousin.

The PFA: Part One- Stories by Hannah Reimers

Almost immediately thereafter, I began writing a fictionalized version of my real-life journey. It was incredibly boring, and I felt there was a huge piece missing. In March , I finally came to my senses and realized I couldn't tell the true story of my life without including the completely fictional stories of The Pretend Friend Association. Part One- Stories was published on December 21, Since then, I've published two or three each year.