From Arsenal to the Ball God

”It’s a draw!”

When the news of Norwich drawing with Millwall at home came back to Bramall Lane Stadium, Sheffield United fans all widened their eyes, not expecting their rivals to falter at such a crucial moment.

”A draw?!”

”Who drew, Queens Park Rangers?”

”Norwich! Norwich drew with Millwall away, and they now only have 97 points!”

In the stands, fans holding phones spread the news, and those who had been anticipating it started calculating quickly.

”I’ve seen Norwich’s goal difference; it’s 40! A draw doesn’t change..... and before this game, our goal difference was 44, add in the 3 from this game, it’s 47!”

”A 7 goal difference?!”

”So even if we lose the next game, Norwich would need to score 8 goals to overtake us?”

”Isn’t that..... confirmation of promotion?”

”Yes! We are promoted! We are confirmed promoted!! Sheffield United is back in the top league!!”

This news spread throughout the stadium instantly, and in a flash, Bramall Lane Stadium was covered in a cacophony of noise, with many people who were sitting down, standing back up.

They seemed to have a remarkable tacit understanding, after a brief pause, they burst out with the loudest shout of the season: ”Oh..... Yeah.....!!!”

At the exit passage, many people who were eager to go home stopped in their tracks upon hearing this cheer, turned back, and looked inside the stadium with confusion.

”Premier League!”

Some of the security guards inside, who were themselves Sheffield people and naturally fans of the team, explained excitedly to these people: ”Norwich drew with Millwall, only have 97 points, 7 goal difference with us!

”We’re back in the Premier League! We’re going back! They’re celebrating!!”

These people rapidly displayed expressions of open-mouthed amazement, their eyes lit up, and they quickly picked up their pace, walking fast then shifting to a run, re-entering the stadium.

The stands were already in a frenzy; they could no longer return to their seats.

Some people, seeing the sight, got so worked up that they ran directly down the stairs, charging towards the pitch.

In an instant, scattered individuals dashed out of the audience and into the pitch, raising their hands as they rushed towards the players and coaching staff.

”Sheffield United....!! Sheffield United.....!!” They frantically shouted the team’s name, prompting even more people to join the wave of entry, with everyone going wild.

”Come on! Come on!”

The security guards on the sidelines, tasked with maintaining order, stretched out their hands to stop people, but after seeing more and more people running down, smiled helplessly.

”Let’s go in too.” suggested one security guard, eyeing the field, practically itching to join.

”There’ll be a pay cut.” The nearby security guard, also feeling the yearning, maintained the last bit of rationality.

”Pay cut?”

The security guard who suggested the idea heard this, thought of how everyone else was celebrating for Sheffield United, and got angry at his colleague’s concern over such a thing, ”Pay cut for what? At a time like this, who cares about a damn pay cut?!”

”Charge!!” He tore off his security uniform, threw it on the ground, and dashed in wearing his plain clothes.

The security guard beside him, seeing his demeanor, finally had his emotions stirred, and ripped off his security uniform to rush into the field.

Their actions even led other security guards along, causing even some of the cleaning aunties to struggle to keep their legs in check, some of whom weren’t even into football, following the crowd out onto the field.

After all, such a moment is rare to witness, possibly only once in a lifetime!

Meanwhile, on the field, Ma’el was still arm in arm with Gilbert celebrating, wondering why the cheers from the stands suddenly got louder, only to see someone seemingly spot something and dash out from the stands in front of him.

”What the heck?”

He glanced at Gilbert, and while turning his head, noticed the chaos behind him out of the corner of his eye and immediately turned around.

A surging crowd from that side of the stand rushed out, fervent like infantry charging in ancient warfare, just without swords in hand.

He quickly understood that it was this wave of people that spurred others from all directions to start rushing down the stands, the pitch was about to be occupied by nearly 30,000 fans!

At this time, Jorson, holding a phone, ran towards the players from the coach’s seat, shouting hoarsely: ”Don’t be scared, don’t be scared! They’re here to celebrate, not riot!

”Norwich drew; the promotion pressure is gone! We can confirm that we will be in next season’s Premier League!!”

Jorson, already in his thirties, now seemed more like a three to four-year-old child, jumping up and down on the spot while clutching his phone like a reversion to childhood.

”Really?!”

Garrispeed’s face turned brilliantly, as he had just been celebrating with the players and hadn’t checked the results of the other two teams.

Mainly because he subconsciously thought the opponent wouldn’t make a mistake at this time and drop points to send them up.

As it turned out, the surprise came just like that!

”Haha!!”

Garrispeed laughed heartily, not knowing how to express his feelings at the moment, choosing an abstract angle to approach: ”Alan Shearer once said on the program that if I bring Sheffield United to promotion, he will streak by the Thames River!!

”We did it, we did it! Hahaha..... We’re going to the Premier League!!”

His whole body became heated, visibly turning red, feeling all the pressure and worries fading away.

Garrispeed sprinted towards Jorson, leaping high, heading straight into his arms, ”I have to thank you! You must stay with the team, we have to work together for a long, long time!”

Jorson, being robust, caught Garrispeed, holding the towering coach as though holding a girl.

Of course, this position didn’t last long, as they soon realized its inappropriateness and separated quickly.

”Promoted?”

Elsewhere, Gilbert stood dazed, watching Ma’el with a wide-open mouth, his shocked expression slowly turning into laughter, ”Yes!!”

Ma’el didn’t have much to say, but stood there beaming, taking a long sigh, while his heart surged with waves.

Finally waited for this moment!

More than half a season of persistence, a season of effort, finally left something here!

Watching the fans rushing towards him, his breath became rapid. He swore he would never forget how he felt at this moment, never forget the faces filled with joy.

Now, just the championship remains!

This half-season’s persistence was right. He believed in what Mendes said, that as long as the team was promoted to the Premier League, by the end of the season, everything he’d lost would be returned to him doubly.

Everyone would praise his story, hail him as Sheffield United’s savior, a legend!!

There would be people who fall in love with him because of these deeds, more people looking forward to his future, next season starting at Arsenal’s game awaiting his Premier League debut!

”Ma’el!”

”I love you!!”

”You and Mr. Garrispeed saved us!”

The fans arrived, all eagerly expressing their love to Ma’el, afraid he wouldn’t hear them if the crowd grew too large.

Ma’el was about to greet them when seven or eight strong men lifted him up, skillfully taking their positions as if carrying a casket.

Then, they tossed him into the sky; up there, that was the place for Ma’el at this moment.

”Hey.....!!”

The fans shouted, and Ma’el quickly felt a surge of power beneath him, launching him into the sky, followed by a weightless fall.

Unavoidably.....he feared the fans might accidentally drop him, nervously enduring the first three or four throws.

”Hey.....!!”

”Hey.....!!”

By the fourth or fifth throw, he began to smile, starting to enjoy the sensation of being airborne and weightless.

He opened his eyes, gazing at the endless sky, unable to help but wonder what it would feel like to win the Champions League, to win the World Cup?

No!

First, he should think about what winning the Championship would feel like!

Also not right!

He should now enjoy this moment, fully experience the excitement and admiration people felt facing him.

Ma’el felt his image slowly becoming ’tall and grand,’ the honor of leading the team to promotion and this peak moment, deeply imprinted on him, never to fade.

People would remember this moment, and he would remember this moment.

......

After the celebration, Ma’el walked laughing and talking with his teammates towards the player tunnel, some still trembling slightly from the recent emotional high.

”Don’t relax! Don’t relax!”

Captain Robert clapped his hands, hoping everyone wouldn’t forget the most important current task: ”There’s still one game, the most crucial one, we must win against Queens Park Rangers!”

”Go Sheffield United, go!”

”We will be champions!”

”Don’t lose to them!”

The players clapped their hands too; after such a round of revelry, only fools would relax, and they certainly wouldn’t be fools.

They would only take their peak level of excitement and fighting spirit to the Queens Park Rangers’ home ground to defeat them and welcome an even greater celebration!

After cheering with his teammates, Ma’el picked up the phone, saw three missed calls from his auntie Betty, and called back.

”Ma’el.”

The voice on the other end was excited but first nervously probing: ”Your uncle is working overtime now. I watched the game with the kids. I haven’t been in football for long and haven’t learned much. You’ve been promoted, right?”

”Yes.”

Ma’el smiled as he shared the good news with his family: ”It’s undisputed, Sheffield United will enter the Premier League next season.”

”Oh....!” A wave of indoor enthusiastic shouts came from the phone, likely from his three younger siblings at home, along with banging on tables and jumping sounds, clearly they were celebrating this event.

”We’ll see if we can win the championship in the final round. Do you want to come to watch?”

Ma’el actively asked, wanting his family to witness the last match together, even though there was the risk of embarrassing failure, but if successful, the sense of achievement would be unimaginable.

”Sure....ah.”

Betty’s voice grew even more excited, almost to the point of tears of joy: ”Ma’el, we....we’ll come together next week, book us 5 tickets in advance, I won’t be polite with you.

”Do your best, really do your best, you are our greatest pride, the neighbors already know about you, come back once this summer.”

”Definitely.”

Ma’el agreed, and after ending the call with his aunt, he thought of the contract with McCabe.

Now, they had reached the second tier, entering the Premier League through the promotion zone, which meant a double-layered bonus.

600,000 pounds!

Net of tax, it’s 360,000 pounds!

”Indeed it’s like that.”

Ma’el smiled, he valued money a lot, ”If you play well, heaps of cash will eagerly fly into your pockets.”

......

ps: Everyone, go to sleep first; I won’t sleep until I finish writing the final match today.