England's Greatest

Chapter 148 - The Fallout Part 2 (End)

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..

The next morning Tristan woke to a dull throb in his foot and the glow of his phone screen lighting up with alerts. Notifications had piled in overnight, flooding his lock screen like a tidal wave.

He didn't even need to open them — the headlines spoke for themselves.

The Guardian: Tristan Hale Slams Newcastle's 'Tactics' in Fiery Post-Match Presser

The Daily Mail: Newcastle Show Leicester 'Real Football' – But Was It Fair Play?

BBC Sport: Controversial Officiating? Newcastle's Rough Approach Sparks Debate

The Athletic: Vardy's Warning – "Let's See How They Do at Our Place"

He exhaled through his nose and finally opened one. Same story, different outlet. They were all fixated on one thing: his speech.

All of them were circling the same storm: his post-match quotes.

"If I talk about the referee... I'll get fined. Maybe just check their bank accounts."

"People spend ninety minutes shouting at you... but I respond once and it's a problem? I want whatever those Newcastle fans are smoking."

"They're celebrating because they've got nothing else to celebrate. Not now, not in any future season."

He knew it would blow up. Still, seeing his own face splashed across every major sports site — pixelated anger frozen mid-sentence — hit different.

He pressed his palm to his forehead, sighing.

"...Well. Too late to walk it back now."

And then there was Twitter.

He should've known better. The second he opened the app, regret hit harder than any Newcastle tackle.

Football Twitter was on fire.

#TristanHale, #NewcastleVsLeicester, and #PLRefs were all trending — and not quietly either.

@IK: "Tristan Hale is 19 and already getting the Messi treatment. Fouled every time he touches the ball."

@TheTristanEffect: "They kicked him for 90 minutes and he STILL scored. If that's arrogance, give me more."

@mlungisi_mguni: "Newcastle's game plan wasn't 'physical'—it was just dirty. No tactics, just vibes and bruises."

@Bless: "Forget Hale, can we talk about the refereeing? Leicester played in an MMA match last night."

@MarkIsTheGoat: "Loved Tristan calling Newcastle bottom feeders — 'cause that's what they are. My guy has no filter, lmao."

But not everyone was on his side.

@LordShiva: "He's whining like he's the first player to get kicked in England. Welcome to the Prem, sweetheart."

@TioYui: "Tristan Hale is the most rattled man in England right now. Man woke up stressed."

@Jerôme: "Newcastle fans booed him all game, he shushed them once, and now they're crying. Hilarious."

Underneath it all, fans were at war. Arguments broke out in every thread — over Tristan's comments, Newcastle's approach, and most of all, the referees.

Some blamed Tristan for being "too soft." Others tore into the officiating.

"What were the refs even watching?" "Booked for dissent but not for kicks to the shin?" "Looked like a paid performance to me..."

There were screenshots, slow-motion clips, yellow cards that never came. Even the neutrals were piling on.

Tristan scrolled a bit more before locking his phone and dropping it face down on the bed. He wanted to join, but he figured it was best to just stay out of the chaos that was Twitter for his sanity.

If Twitter was chaos, the morning talk shows were just as heated.

..

The familiar Match of the Day theme faded out as the camera cut to the studio. Gary Lineker sat at the center of the desk, flanked by Alan Shearer and Ian Wright — two ex-strikers who knew all about rough treatment on the pitch.

Behind them, the screen froze on a defiant image: Tristan Hale with his finger to his lips, silencing the St. James' Park crowd.

Caption: Tristan Hale — Targeted or Just Premier League Football?

Lineker opened. "We expected a feisty one, but I don't think anyone predicted just how physical it would get."

Shearer exhaled. "I'm all for a bit of old-school aggression — but this wasn't just 'getting stuck in.' It was persistent, and it was aimed at one player."

The replay rolled. Colback clipping Tristan. Tioté crashing into him, studs first. Taylor's stamp on his hand. The panel watched in silence.

Wright leaned forward. "Every single time he got on the ball, someone went through him. That's not a coincidence. That's a game plan."

Lineker nodded. "And yet, even through all that, he scores. Mahrez picks him out, and bang — bottom corner."

Then the shot: Tristan's celebration. Finger to lips. Arms spread. Fury in the stands.

Lineker turned to the panel. "Let's talk about that celebration. Finger to the lips, staring down the crowd. Was it over the line?"

Wright leaned forward, hands clasped. "Was it smart? Maybe not. But after the way they treated him? I don't blame him one bit. You kick the lad for 60 minutes, cheer when he's limping, boo when he touches the ball — and then cry foul when he celebrates? Come on."

Shearer shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I'm Newcastle through and through. But even I winced at some of that crowd reaction. They were celebrating every time he got hacked down. Like they wanted him hurt."

He shook his head slowly. "Have we forgotten he's one of ours? The kid plays for England. He's 19. Why are we treating him like a villain?"

Wright added, voice firmer now, "That's what gets me. He's one of the best talents this country's seen in a decade. You want to beat him? Do it fair. Don't revel in him getting battered like you want his ankle broken."

Lineker's expression had sobered. "And that's the bigger question, isn't it? What kind of message does this send to young players watching? If a generational English talent gets this kind of treatment... what hope is there for the next one?"

Shearer nodded. "We all talk about 'protecting the game.' Well, it starts with protecting players like Tristan Hale. You don't have to like him — but you better respect what he's doing at 19."

Wright glanced at the still image again — Tristan defiant, alone, facing the noise. "He gave them the perfect response. Not the celebration. The goal. He did what great players do — shut the stadium up with his football."

Lineker leaned back. "So maybe next time... rather than cheer a foul, cheer a tackle. And rather than boo the boy, remember the badge on his shirt when he lines up for England."

The studio quiet for just a moment.

Because no one disagreed.

After a breath, Lineker continued, "Alright, let's talk about the officiating. That's what everyone's circling—besides Tristan's comments."

The screen flipped to a graphic:

Fouls Suffered

Tristan Hale – 8

Riyad Mahrez – 5

Danny Drinkwater – 4

Jamie Vardy – 3

Total Fouls

Newcastle – 16

Leicester – 8

Shearer looked over the numbers and shook his head. "That's one of the worst-managed matches I've seen this season. Eight fouls on one player? That tells you exactly who they came to stop—and how."

Wright was more animated. "And let's be clear: these weren't soft fouls. We're talking about studs up, after-the-ball hits, cheap shots. No protection. The ref lost control completely."

Lineker nodded slowly. "Which brings us to the post-match comments. Tristan's quote—'Maybe check the refs' history. Their bank accounts.' That's bold. That's going to raise alarms."

Shearer sighed. "He should be fined. You can't say things like that, even if you're frustrated. It puts the integrity of the league in question. The FA won't let that slide."

"But I understand why he said it," Wright cut in. "Leicester was getting hammered.The officials don't step in. The crowd's laughing at him. At some point, he's going to speak his mind. And he did."

Lineker leaned forward. "There's frustration there—but it's rooted in anger everyone understands. The league talks about promoting talent, about protecting flair players. Tristan's 19. He's English. He's starting for the national team. He's our best player. And this is how he's being treated?"

Shearer nodded. "The Premier League's got a responsibility. It can't be open season on the country's best young player. Because if this keeps up, he'll start looking elsewhere."

"You don't want him going to Spain," Wright said, shaking his head. "Or Germany. Or Italy. Because over there? They protect their stars. They let them play. If Tristan gets fed up and leaves, that's not just Leicester losing. That's England losing."

Lineker exhaled. "This has to be a turning point. For the officials. For the league. For the culture around this sort of treatment."

Wright gave one last look at the image of Tristan on screen — mid-celebration, mid-defiance.

"We talk a lot about building icons. But when one finally shows up, all we've done so far is try to kick him down."

..

Tristan's phone buzzed for the fifth time before he'd even finished brushing his teeth. He checked seeing the team's group chat active more than ever.

Belvoir Drive – Group Chat

Lingard: Did you lot see MOTD? Shearer looked like he wanted to fight the ref himself 💀

He padded into the living room, foot still aching, and dropped onto the couch with a sigh

Vardy:Morning, boys. How's everyone feeling?

Drinkwater: Like I got run over.

Lingard: Mate, don't even bother. We already know you're out for weeks. Just accept it.

Drinkwater: Wow. The support is unreal. Thanks, Jess.

Morgan: You should be resting, not arguing in here.

Drinkwater: Not much else to do when you're stuck on a treatment table, Wes.

Albrighton: Fair. Tristan, how's the foot?

Tristan glanced down — foot elevated. The swelling had gone down, but it still throbbed like hell.

Tristan: Still attached. So I guess I'm fine.

Mahrez: Bullshit. You were limping off like an old man yesterday.

Tristan: That was just for dramatic effect.

Vardy: Nah, you were done. No way you were finishing that game.

Andy King: That whole second half was a joke, though. They weren't even hiding it.

Liam Moore: Tbf, I don't think we helped by giving interviews right after. Did you see what's trending?

Lingard: #TristanHale, #PLRefs, #NewcastleVsLeicester — the media's eating it up. And those ones are just the top tags.

Drinkwater: Yeah, but did you see Newcastle fans? They think they rattled won the league

Konchesky: They scraped a 2-1 win after kicking us for 90 minutes and getting away with it.

Lingard: Bro, they stepped on Tristan's hand. Like what are we even talking about?

Tristan: Let them have their moment. They'll see us again soon enough.

Vardy: Exactly. Let's see how they do when they come to our place.

The chat kept rolling. Everyone was pissed.

Tristan set the phone down for a second, only for it to buzz again.

Lingard: By the way... Tristan, did Barbara let you sleep last night or was she still going off?

Tristan chuckled, thumb tapping slowly.

Tristan: She's planning my retirement already.

Mahrez: Smart woman.

He leaned back and exhaled.

There was fire in the group. And the rematch?

It was already circled in red.

..

FA Headquarters, London

The long oak table in the FA's disciplinary meeting room was already full when Darren Bailey, Head of Governance and Regulation, took his seat.

The tension in the room was thick.

At the far end, a muted TV monitor looped footage from Match of the Day — frozen now on Tristan mid-celebration, finger to his lips, chaos behind him at St. James' Park.

Bailey dropped a file onto the table.

"Well," he said dryly. "We've got ourselves a situation."

Around him sat a mix of officials from PGMOL, the legal department, and communications. Coffee cups. Bloodshot eyes. Tablets open to Twitter feeds and news headlines.

Scott Field, Director of Communications, gestured at the paused image. "It's not just the quotes this time. It's the storm around it. The pundits, the press, even neutrals — this isn't just a rough match. This is spiraling into a Premier League embarrassment."

Mike Riley, Head of PGMOL, rubbed his temple. "I've reviewed the full 90. At least two red cards missed. Several reckless challenges ignored. The ref lost the game early — and didn't get it back. We've already begun reviewing the officiating crew's communications and positioning throughout."

Bailey nodded once. "Good. The investigation begins today. Every incident. Every missed call. We'll analyze the on-pitch audio, and we'll release a statement to confirm it. The public needs transparency."

Then, from the other end of the table, Alex Horne, the General Secretary, asked the inevitable:

"And Tristan?"

Bailey didn't flinch. "He gets fined."

A few brows lifted. Field shifted in his seat.

"I get it," Bailey continued. "The kid's frustrated. He got battered for 60 minutes. But you don't go on live TV and start suggesting corruption — 'check their bank accounts'? Come on. That crosses the line."

"He's not wrong though," someone muttered quietly.

Bailey looked up. "Maybe not. But the moment a player implies that kind of thing without evidence, we lose control of the narrative. It's a misconduct charge. We'll phrase it professionally — high emotions, frustration, emotional context — but the fine stands."

Scott Field sighed.

"So... do we reach out to Leicester?"

Another pause.

Then Horne spoke. "Yes. Quietly. Let them know we're investigating the officiating. And more importantly — that we understand this can't keep happening to a player like Tristan."

Riley added, "He's 19. He's already in the England squad. He's the face of the next generation — and this is the treatment he's getting? It's not sustainable."

A legal advisor, seated near the middle, glanced down at their notes.

"Ian Wright's already said it on TV. 'We build up English icons, then let them get kicked to pieces.' It's becoming a national talking point. If we're not careful, this ends with him looking at Spain or Germany."

Bailey leaned back in his chair and stared at the muted screen again — Tristan, arms spread, silencing a sea of boos.

"We fine him," he said firmly. "We investigate the refs. And next week, we make damn sure whoever's in charge of the next Leicester match understands what's expected."

He looked around the room."We're not just managing discipline now. We're managing fallout. And if we get this wrong..."

He didn't finish the sentence.

He didn't need to.

Everyone already knew what was at stake.

..

Did I ever tell you guys how much I love you folks, no homie. Cause it feels like I'm always crashing out and not saying enough good things about all the readers here.

I was going through every single comment by the way, every every one of them last Chapter, 60 comments which is a lot too, thank you btw. I honestly got emotional reading all of them which doesn't happen a lot to me, I don't know, reading how much everyone likes the story and I read a few comments where people were actually waiting for me to upload yesterday, that's amazing to me. Apologies for not making a update Chapter on that, I was at work, fuck Amazon.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you as cringe as that sounds. It's amazing all that support I have gotten, it's a blessing. So thank you again for sticking through 148 Chapters now.