> Name: Emma Hartley
> Age: 27
> Position: N/A
> Current Ability (CA): N/A
> Potential Ability (PA): N/A
> Key Attributes:
> - Communication: 16
> - Determination: 17
> - Ambition: 15
> - Professionalism: 16
No football stats, of course. But the mental attributes… they were off the charts. Determination 17? Ambition 15?
This was a woman who was going places. The system had just confirmed what her confident demeanor and intelligent eyes had already told me. She was a world-class operator in her own field.
"So, Danny Walsh who likes to analyze the game," she said, turning her attention back to the pitch, her green eyes scanning the play. "What's your analysis of this shambles?"
This was a test. My mind raced. I couldn't reveal the system, but I could use its output. I could translate the raw data into the language of punditry. It was a skill I'd been honing for years in arguments with Raj and on internet forums.
"Well," I began, trying to sound like I was just offering a casual opinion.
"AFC Hulme are going to win, probably 2-0 or 3-0. Their spine is stronger. Their two centre-backs are old, but they're smart. They're not getting dragged out of position. And their central midfielder, number 8, he's got a decent engine on him. He's doing the work of two men."
I was paraphrasing the system's data. The centre-backs had high 'Positioning' and 'Anticipation'. The number 8 had a 'Stamina' of 14, head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch.
"The Dog & Duck, on the other hand," I continued, warming to my theme, "are a mess. Their defence is all at sea. The left-back keeps getting caught too far forward, leaving a huge gap. And their attack is all one-dimensional. It's just 'give the ball to the fast lad on the wing and hope for the best'. But he's got no end product. He'll beat his man three times and then kick the ball into the car park."
Emma listened intently, her head tilted slightly. She wasn't just hearing me; she was evaluating me. "No end product," she repeated, a small smile playing on her lips. "You sound like a frustrated manager."
"Or a frustrated Football Manager player," I admitted, a little bit of the real me slipping through. "It's the same difference, sometimes."
She laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "I think I know the feeling. So, if you were managing The Dog & Duck, what would you do?"
This was my wheelhouse. My happy place. The fear and awkwardness melted away, replaced by the cool, clear logic of tactical problem-solving.
"First, I'd tell the left-back to stop pretending he's Roberto Carlos. His job is to defend. Simple as that. Then, I'd swap the winger over to the left. The Hulme right-back is slow and clumsy. His 'Pace' is probably a 6 at best. The winger could isolate him, get to the byline, and cut it back. Finally, I'd tell my striker to stop trying to run in behind. He's not quick enough. He needs to come short, link the play, and bring the midfielders into the game. Create overloads in the final third."
I finished, slightly breathless, realizing I'd just delivered a full tactical breakdown to a complete stranger. I braced myself for her to laugh or make a sarcastic comment. Instead, she was looking at me with a newfound respect.
"Create overloads in the final third," she said, nodding slowly. "You don't hear that kind of talk on a Sunday morning in Moss Side. You really do know your stuff."
As if to prove my point, The Dog & Duck's winger, Kyle Roberts, picked up the ball on the right, beat his man with a flurry of step-overs, ran into a dead end, and then shanked his cross straight into the side netting. Emma winced.
"No end product," she murmured, then looked at me and grinned. "Okay, I'm convinced."
We stood there for the next twenty minutes, watching the game and talking. She told me about her blog, her passion for giving a voice to the forgotten corners of the football world.
She spoke of the financial struggles, the dedicated volunteers, and the incredible stories of community and passion that existed far away from the glamour of the Premier League. It was a world I knew existed, but I'd never heard it articulated with such clarity and passion. Her Determination of 17 was on full display.
I, in turn, spoke about tactics, about player roles, about the simple, beautiful geometry of the game. I was careful, always framing my insights as opinions or observations.
I explained the concept of a 'half-space', why a high defensive line was suicide without a quick goalkeeper, and how a simple change in formation could completely alter the flow of a game.
I was essentially reading out the system's data, but dressing it up in the language of tactical theory.
It was the longest conversation I'd had with a woman who wasn't asking me for the price of a loaf of bread in years.
And it was exhilarating. She wasn't just listening; she was understanding. She was challenging me, asking smart questions, pushing me to explain my ideas more clearly. For the first time, I felt like my obsessive knowledge had value in the real world.
The referee blew the final whistle. The score was 2-0 to AFC Hulme. Just as I'd predicted.
"Well, Danny Walsh," Emma said, pulling a small business card from her jacket pocket. "You were right. About all of it." She handed me the card. It was simple, professional. 'The Grassroots Gazette - Emma Hartley, Editor'.
"I have a feeling you've got a few more stories in you than just analyzing Sunday league. If you ever feel like sharing them, give me a call."
My hand trembled slightly as I took the card. "Thanks. I will."
"I'll see you around, Danny." She gave me one last, appraising look, a thoughtful smile on her face, and then she was gone, jogging lightly towards the car park, her red ponytail bouncing behind her.
I stood there for a long time, watching her go, the small, rectangular card feeling as heavy and significant as the notebook in my other pocket.
The system hadn't given me any XP for the conversation. There was no 'Successful Interaction' notification. But this felt more significant than a hundred experience points.
I had spent my life feeling like an outsider, a spectator with his face pressed up against the glass of the world he desperately wanted to be a part of. Today, for the first time, someone from that world had looked back. And she hadn't laughed. She had listened.
I had a secret that isolated me completely.
But I also had a business card in my pocket. I had a potential ally. And as I walked home, the shouts of the players fading behind me, I felt a new, unfamiliar sensation bubble up in my chest. It wasn't just the thrill of the system, or the validation of being right. It was hope.