It was a passion for sport that inspired children’s author, Tom Palmer, to write. If ‘love sport, hate writing’ is a common theme in your class, try out Tom’s tips and ideas – maybe one of his lucky seven will be the key that unlocks your reluctant writers’ imaginations?

I hated writing at school but I did do one piece I was proud of. I still remember it. England had played in the European Championships. There was some trouble and the Italian police fired tear gas into the stands. The England keeper, Ray Clemence, ended up blinded by the gas that was swirling around him.

In school, I wrote about how he might feel. The teachers were delighted. The only thing that got me interested in writing was sport, an extension of my obsession with football. And that is why I now work in schools three days a week, trying to encourage a passion for reading and writing in children. What follows are some ideas I have used to get children writing through their love of sport.