The beautiful game is the focus of a new novel by Brookeborough man Paul Breen. ‘The Charlton Men’ looks at Charlton Athletic, the football team beside where Paul now lives in London.

The first part of a trilogy set in South London, this is Breen’s first novel, which combines literary fiction with a love of football.

“I have always been interested in writing, and I have tried this several times but I never really had a story that was worthy of a book,” Breen explained. Following conversations with publishers, he decided to set his story in the aftermath of the 2011 London riots, following Lance, a Londoner – who has followed Charlton his whole life from childhood right up until his return from Afghanistan, scarred by war – and Fergus, an Irishman, who comes to London to get a fresh start on life. Fergus finds himself falling in love, first with the club and the riots, and second with “a mysterious Marilyn Monroe lookalike whose darker side ripples beneath the surface.” Conflict arises when his friend Lance falls for the same woman and the two men find themselves pitted against one another as competitors for her affection.

“This competition for her affections is played out at the same time as Charlton’s quest for promotion from English football’s lower leagues,” Breen explained.

Social disenfranchisement and a search for meaning are key themes in the novel. “The book starts out with the London riots of 2011 which in itself was sparked off by feelings of alienation among young people in the city,” Breens says. “A lot of people of all ages in England at the present time feel quite disconnected from having any form of power or control over the direction the country has been headed in over the past decade. A lot of things have fuelled this such as the various wars overseas, the political expenses scandal, and the economic downturn of recent times.” He notes that voter turnout in England is only 40 per cent, adding: “You have this whole generation of young men and women for whom football at the weekend is their only real escape.” Breen believes that “football becomes almost like a substitute religion, not just for the working classes but lots of middle class people as well.” “Charlton attracts fans from right across the social spectrum, and this is also highlighted in the book,” he adds. “Football is also the one thing that still creates some sense of community in a city and a country where there has been less and less in recent decades.” This is not unique to England, according to Breen. “You just have to look at the discontent in other parts of the world, and even in Brazil recently, where there is a feeling that football has now been ‘stolen’ from the ordinary people by the corporate interests in FIFA.” With football such an integral part of society, rivalry is inevitable and it features in the book too. “Charlton’s main rivalries are historically with Millwall and Crystal Palace, though in this story, the main rivals are Charlton’s fellow contenders for promotion; Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town,” Breen explains. “Preston North End, featured on the back pages of last week’s Impartial, as a result of signing Andrew Little, were also one of Charlton’s main rivals in the season described in the book,” he adds. The events on November 5 (fireworks night), when Preston ended Charlton promotion hopes “play a major part in the book” and “is a good example of how the novel combines real-life football with activities and events in the lives of its fictional characters.” Rivalry is stronger “when you actually come from a place or live in a place,” Breen contends. “For example, the rivalry between Millwall and West Ham, which has caused so much violence down through the years, goes back to a dock workers strike in the 1920s when Millwall’s docks in the South-East of London were in direct competition with those of the East End where West Ham is based.” Stories like this get passed down through generations, “and this continuance also adds to the sense of affinity people feel with their local clubs … It surprises English people that most people in Ireland follow Liverpool, United, or three or four other big-name clubs.” A university lecturer, Breen lives in Greenwich with his wife Sarah. He is a season ticket holder for Charlton and is looking forward to the 2014/15 season starting in a few weeks. ‘The Charlton Men’ is available on Amazon (where it is in the top 20 of sports fiction) and in Waterstones.