Michael Hardcastle facts for kids

Michael Hardcastle MBE (born February 6, 1933 – died January 17, 2019) was a British author who wrote many exciting sports stories for children. He wrote over 140 books, but he was most famous for his books about football. In 1988, he received a special award called the MBE for his great work in children's literature. He passed away when he was 85 years old.

Early Life and School Days

Michael Hardcastle was born in a town called Huddersfield in England. He went to King James's Grammar School, Almondbury nearby. When he was young, he couldn't play many sports because he was often sick.

Instead of playing outside, he spent a lot of time in the school library. This is where he discovered his love for books. He especially enjoyed reading stories by famous authors like Charles Dickens. Michael even became the editor of his school's newspaper, The Almondburian.

Working Life and First Books

After school, Michael joined the Royal Army Educational Corps. He served in the army for five years and got to travel to places like Kenya and Mauritius.

In 1956, he started working as a reporter for a newspaper called the Huddersfield Examiner. Later, he worked for the Bristol Evening Post. He was a diarist there, which means he wrote about daily events. He also worked as a literary editor, helping with the books and stories the newspaper published.

In 1965, he became a chief feature writer for the Liverpool Daily Post. It was while working here that he published his very first book.

Writing Sports Stories

Michael Hardcastle's first book was called Soccer Is Also a Game. It came out in 1966, the same year the World Cup was held in England. The book was later renamed Soccer Comes First.

Many of his early books were about professional football. They often followed the adventures of a made-up team called Scorton Rovers and their star player, Andy Blair.

Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, Michael wrote the Mark Fox series. These books focused on amateur football and the challenges faced by youth football teams.

Besides football, Michael Hardcastle also wrote about many other sports. He wrote exciting stories about showjumping, Cricket, and speedway. His books helped many young readers enjoy the world of sports through thrilling stories.