Jamie Meek has a quiet life, if you ignore the fact that his Dad recently left his Mum taking all the family savings, and he has few friends to speak with, oh, and his sister is the school's biggest pest (female category) while he is the target of the bullying intentions of a gang of equal pests (male category).

At least he knows his place in the world, until Dr Sylver the school librarian gets orders to open up a new world to him; a world that moves sometimes faster sometimes slower; a world with unexpected friends and enemies; a world with more at stake than the usual business of surviving at school or improving scores on his PS2.

But how on earth did Jamie get roped into that football competition?