by Phil Brennan
Joe Green had it all, a rising football career, natural talent, and dreams of glory. But one brutal injury shattered his future and sent him spiralling into a life of drink, drugs, and petty crime on the streets of Manchester.
Years later, scraping rock bottom, Joe claws his way back into the game, not as a player, but as a referee. Clean(ish) and focused, he rebuilds his life whistle by whistle, game by game. But old habits die hard. When he starts officiating matches far from home, anonymity offers opportunity. Dressing rooms. Hotel suites. Private parties. Nothing is off-limits.
What begins as small-time theft explodes into a criminal double life, until a chance encounter with a man he never knew leads to a shocking revelation: his estranged father is a Sicilian crime boss. And Joe? He’s been under surveillance for years.
Recruited into the family business, Joe becomes the perfect cover: a travelling official with access, trust, and plausible deniability. From drug courier to hitman, his second life spirals into a deadly game across Europe's darkest corners.
But secrets catch up. Loyalties fracture. And with enemies closing in from all sides, police, mafia, and the past, Joe must decide if he’s too far gone… or if redemption is still within reach.
A raw, fast-paced descent into football, family, and the fatal cost of double lives, The Man in the Middle is a gripping thriller where every whistle hides a gunshot.
For fans of crime fiction, mafia intrigue, and the underworld behind the beautiful game.
I’m a journalist, author, and editor with a passion for football, storytelling, and creative writing. From working with clubs like Stockport County and Oldham Athletic to writing and editing books on football and beyond, I’ve spent over a decade immersed in media, sport, and the written word. Whether it's matchday reporting, children’s books, or spoken word poetry, my work is all about capturing the stories that connect us.
I’m a journalist, author, editor, and lifelong football enthusiast with a career rooted in storytelling and media. My journey began with roles at the heart of the game, as Press Officer and Media Manager at Stockport County Football Club, and later as Contributing Editor at TheNonLeague Magazine. Initially a regional publication for non-league supporters in the North West, TheNonLeague Magazine expanded into a national platform under my editorial leadership. I played a key role in its growth by securing advertising and sponsorship deals with major companies, helping to bring grassroots football coverage to a wider audience. In 2013, I published my first book, The Man from Uruguay, the biography of Danny Bergara. Its success allowed me to transition into full-time freelance journalism. Since then, I’ve contributed weekly football content, primarily non-league coverage, for newspapers, websites, and magazines across the UK. I’ve also worked directly with clubs, including a spell at Oldham Athletic FC, where I helped rebuild their social media and website presence during a period of internal restructuring. Alongside journalism, I’ve authored a range of children’s books in collaboration with illustrators Rob Purdon, Ric Pennington, and James Richardson. These titles include The Scarf, Football Alphabet, Cricket Alphabet, Football Football Football, Stay at Gnome – A Lockdown Tale, Tangerine Dream, and Granny’s Galactic Garden. As an editor, I’ve worked on several notable football titles, including the Non-League Groundhopper Diaries series and LOST – Football in the 1980s. My writing also extends into poetry, a creative outlet since my schooldays. I’ve written personal poems for family milestones and, more recently, have embraced performing my work at spoken word events, sharing pieces from my collections The Transient Curmudgeon and The Transient Mancunian. Whether through sport, storytelling, or verse, my work continues to explore the spaces where community, culture, and creativity intersect.
by P. M. Brennan
by P. M. Brennan
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