Reading the Game

Fulham Goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer, visited Fulham Library to support this season’s Premier League Reading Stars campaign.

Schwarzer caught up with local schoolchildren from Fulham primary and their parents to talk about some of his favourite books and read a passage from a book he has co-written and chosen for Reading Stars, ‘Scarves and Sombreros’, before being quizzed by the pupils on football and reading.

Schwarzer’s chosen book, ‘Scarves and Sombreros’, continues the story of Edward “Megs” Morrison which began in ‘Megs and the Vootball Kids’, the first book of the series. It is about a football-mad kid from England who struggles to adapt to his new environment when he emigrates to Australia with his family.

Speaking about the Reading Stars programme and his chosen book, Mark Schwarzer, said:

“It is always a pleasure to meet with children and hear about their passion for reading. The Premier League Reading Stars programme is a great way to encourage children and their families to make use of their local library facilities and to read more.

“Scarves & Sombreros is a book I’ve co-written and it’s the second one of a five-book series. From my point of view it’s a great book based on football. It’s based on a lot of our experiences as kids growing up in Australia.

“It’s about an English kid who emigrates from the UK to Australia and I think a lot of people can relate to it because it’s based on football, how you fit into society, stick together, form friendships and go through the trials and tribulations of everyday life.”

The Premier League Reading Stars is in its eighth year and encourages people of all ages to read more and visit their local libraries by involving professional footballers to actively promote reading, something which Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer fully champions.

Head of Fulham Football Club’s Community Sports Trust, Steven Day, said:

“It’s wonderful to have Premier League footballers, such as Mark Schwarzer, involved in Reading Stars to encourage more people in their local communities to read more.

Mark is a great ambassador for this scheme and has drawn on his own experiences of growing up in Australia after his parents relocated from Germany which is reflected in the children’s books he has co-written. He also has an enthusiasm for reading as well as a genuine interest in trying to raise the literacy levels amongst children through the books he writes”.

Mark Schwarzer will be attending Fulham’s Premier League Reading Stars graduation ceremony at Craven Cottage in May where he will be presenting certificates to all of the pupils that have completed the Reading Stars programme.

‘Scarves and Sombreros’ by Neil Montagnana-Wallace and Mark Schwarzer is available to purchase from www.amazon.co.uk|