| Goal | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Michael Hardcastle |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Publication date | 1969 |
| Pages | 104 pp (hardback) |
| ISBN | 434-94233-3 |
Goal is a 1969 children's novel by prolific British author Michael Hardcastle. It is the third in a series of books focusing on the fortunes of fictitious English football team Scorton Rovers.
The story charts the rapid rise of talented teenage footballer Barry Dillon. At the start of the book his ambition is simply to make it into the school First XI and by the end he has become the youngest player ever to play for his local professional team, Scorton Rovers. Along the way he has to cope with sceptical parents, some nasty injuries and the jealousy of some of his peers, but his skill and determination, along with the unflinching support of his sister Jane, see him through. Goal is the first Hardcastle book about Scorton Rovers not to feature team captain Andy Blair who is injured when Barry makes his debut against Preston North End.[1]