Tom Palmer is originally from Leeds and credits articles about football with getting him into reading as a child. As well as writing the top selling Football Academy and Foul Play series (Puffin), he has also written many books for Barrington Stoke including Over the Line, Ghost Stadium, Secret FC, and the Rugby Academy and Wings series, all of which continue to sell strongly.

He travels all over the UK for events, performing his immensely popular rugby and football reading games, and is well-loved across the booktrade. A popular author, a Reading Champion, and former bookseller. He lives in Halifax.

David Shephard is an illustrator who lives in the UK.