Joss and his friends are having their last practice session before the Cup Final against Valley Kings.

But who is this strange lad who begs to be given a chance? And why is he hanging around their goal? This story is part of the "Oxford Reading Tree: Treetops" series of fiction with built-in progression for pupils aged seven to 11.

Specially written for children who need the support of carefully monitored language levels, the stories aim to be accessible, motivating, and humorous.

The series is organized into "Oxford Reading Tree" stages (from Stage 10 to Stage 14), with each stage introducing more complex narrative forms, including flashbacks and changes in viewpoint; descriptive writing; extended reading vocabulary; and more pages, more text, and fewer illustrations.Each stage is supported by a teacher's guide, which offers guidance on using "Treetops" to assess children's reading ability, and includes a variety of activities, many on photocopiable sheets.