George, a player on AFC Bournemouth’s Under-10s, has won the Premier League's "Young Academy Writer of the Year" prize for 2025.
His story, "My Debut", impressed the judges with its surprising ending and thoughtful take on what it’s like to be a referee.
The Young Academy Writer of the Year competition is open to young Academy Players in the U9, U10 and U11 age groups, and aims to celebrate the wider achievements of the young athletes, encourage their interest in reading and writing, and illustrate the value the League place on the education of young players whilst in the academy system.
Through the competition, children get to see that how their engagement in education can also enable them to achieve great things.
The Young Academy Writer competition gives young players the chance to show off their creative writing skills, with the winner earning a school visit from the Premier League Trophy.
Now in its fifth season, the competition has already seen past winners like Rico Hinson-King and Jeriah Boateng go on to publish their own books.
Inspired by their success, George said, “I just love writing, and I am definitely going to publish a book."
The judging panel, which includes children’s author, Dan Freedman, selected the winning entry from over 200 stories.
Dan commented that "George’s story had a twist in the tale, in that it was about somebody about to have a huge match in their career… and it was only in the final line that he revealed he was going to be the referee in this game."
The Premier League visited George’s school, Lockyer's Middle, to present his competition prize. Special guest Farai Hallam, a PGMO referee, joined the celebration and spoke to pupils during a whole-school assembly.
Watch the ceremony at Lockyer’s Middle School, where George studies
Hallam shared insights into how referees communicate and make decisions under pressure, encouraging the children to reflect on how they, too, will face important choices in their own lives.
The competition re-opens for the 2025/26 season in January 2026.
Read George’s winning poem 'My Debut'.
The pitch, the players, the atmosphere. The biggest game of my career was about to start but I needed to remain calm and keep focussed. Winning over the crowd was not going to be easy. I knew my age and experience was going to be tested but this was my debut and I had to perform and show them all I deserved to be in the team. I had read all the press releases: I was the one to watch. They said I was confident beyond my years and had the ability to think clearly and make quick decisions on the pitch.
The teams I had faced to get this far had not been easy. The crunching challenges in defence, the combinations of play and formations I had to visualise and the pressure from the side lines telling me what to do. The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure was why I had made it this far. Being vocal helped too. The players can rely on me to see the best option and communicate it effectively. The coaches told me this is my super strength.
On match days I always get to the ground early and focus on my strengths. I imagine myself performing successfully and then prepare my body to compete. I am consistent with my warm up and mentally prepare for the match ahead. Of course nutrition, hydration and a good night sleep will be crucial to my performance on the day. I hope I have a good game. I hope I enjoy it.
Holding my position in the middle of the pitch is the main focus of my individual development plan. Being that middle man allows me to see the build-up of play from the back which helps me make clear judgements on patterns of play higher up the pitch. I hope the game will be end to end entertainment. I hope the decisions are fair.
It was time to head onto the pitch. Player after player filed proudly out of the tunnel and took their positions. The mascots were in awe. I could hear the crowd singing louder and louder before applause echoed around the stadium. My family were watching me from somewhere in the stands. This was Wembley Stadium. This was the Champions League final
Football is all I know. Playing it was all I wanted to do. Refereeing it is what I do.