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ANTI-RACISM Onside. Offside. Safe side. Rely on Tyres from Continental Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cp.

The clb openly stands p against racism, sectarianism, drgs and poverty and has conseqently made a name for itself in recent months.

com Fonded in 1994, the clb was originally known as Renfrew United bt has since changed its name to Renfrewshire United.

1 ANTI-RACISM Onside. Offside. Safe side. Rely on Tyres from Continental Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cp. 100% acceptable Scottish amater clb Renfrewshire United is niqe in the world of football. The clb openly stands p against racism, sectarianism, drgs and poverty and has conseqently made a name for itself in recent months. BY SEAN GRAHAM Former Scottish international Dncan Fergson with a Renfrewshire United shirt. PHOTOS: SEAN GRAHAM Fonded in 1994, the clb was originally known as Renfrew United bt has since changed its name to Renfrewshire United. They sed to play in black and white strips to denonce racism, jst as Holland and Portgal did when they wore a special edition strip for the same reason in recent internationals. Renfrewshire have since changed their colors to ble and green, and the clb is still going strong eleven years on. Renfrewshire United is mch more than jst a football clb; it has become a way of life for the likes of Ian Kelly and fonder and coach John Plott. They stand firmly against all that is evil, not jst in the football world bt in life in general. SIR BOB GELDOF The green and ble strips, the wrist bands that Plott wears stand for all that is good abot the clb. They are willing to say no to the isses that politicians and others prefer to dodge. The significance of the choice of team colors since 2001 is very straight forward. Renfrewshire welcome anyone, whether yo wear the green of Celtic the ble of Glasgow Rangers, it matters not. People are starting to sit p and take notice of Renfrewshire United, after coverage in newspapers, on television and on the radio. Former and crrent professional players sch as Archie Gemmill, Dncan Fergson, David Weir, Scott McDonald, Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist are among many who have been pictred with the green and ble shirt. Dring last year s historical Live8 concerts all arond the world, Sir Bob Geldof appeared in London s Hyde Park holding p a shirt and claiming Renfrewshire United, the clans are gathering. What more PR exposre does a clb need to prove that it means bsiness? PERSONAL LOSS Plott says that the man behind world famos rock band Oasis, Alan McGee, is considering ptting money into the clb. After speaking to people like Kelly and Plott, yo sddenly realise that they are very serios abot what they are doing and they focs 100% on the mission they have in front of them. Plott has had to come throgh personal tragedy dring his time with the clb, with both his sister, Clare, and brother Frank having passed away, bt perhaps it is they who are giving him the strength and passion to make his dream scceed. The clb wold like to stage a charity match at the home of the Scottish national team, Hampden Park, to denonce sectarianism and promote the right sort of message to today s children bt so far they have been nable to win the right sort of spport for the ventre. The clb s motto is 100% is acceptable. They may be chasing a dream bt perhaps one day people will wake p to the fact that Renfrewshire United are more than jst a dream team. The clb is, in fact, very real. FEBRUARY

CYPRUS UN ble berets pictred dring a football match in the Cypriot town of Skoriotissa. Football for peace Soldiers from nineteen contries are keeping the peace in Cyprs.

It is 11 o clock in the morning and the sn is blazing down on the village of Skoriotissa in Cyprs.

Like that of the soldiers from the nineteen contries that make p the UN forces, their role is to keep the peace on the island. Bt this morning, things are different.

This time, it is not carrying military spplies or troops; it is fll of football kits.

2 CYPRUS UN ble berets pictred dring a football match in the Cypriot town of Skoriotissa. Football for peace Soldiers from nineteen contries are keeping the peace in Cyprs. Football is their principal pastime and the UN ble berets common langage. FIFA magazine paid them a visit. It is 11 o clock in the morning and the sn is blazing down on the village of Skoriotissa in Cyprs. Here, along the 180-km line that splits the island into the Greek soth and the northern part invaded by the Trks, is the St Martin camp, where the Argentine ble berets are based. Like that of the soldiers from the nineteen contries that make p the UN forces, their role is to keep the peace on the island. Bt this morning, things are different. Now relieved of border patrol, talk is all abot football and one match in particlar. A van leaves the base for the UN protected area (UNPA) in Nicosia. This time, it is not carrying military spplies or troops; it is fll of football kits. Next to the helicopter landing pad, a sprinkling machine is watering a field, the vivid green contrasting sharply with the arid srrondings at the heart of Cyprs. Football is the soldiers main recreation. It is the common langage for these men hailing from different corners of the earth, and today the excitement is palpable. At midday, the ble berets from the UK and Argentina will be facing one another in a classic confrontation with only a football to separate them, and there is no sign of a David Beckham or Jan Roman Riqelme. One fact is still vividly remembered. These peace-keeping soldiers on this Mediterranean island were actally enemies at the time of the Falklands war back in Most of them were toddlers at the time, bt all of them know what happened. War tears people BY PABLO ARO GERALDES apart; football nites them. The memory of that armed conflict is still present bt the soldiers overcome the past with a sense of hmor and camaraderie. TWIST AND SHOUT Everyone is ready for action. The referee is British, aided by two Argentine assistants with a difference. They will be waiting on the sidelines dressed in combat niform. They exchange pleasantries and pose for pictres. Football serves to raise one s rank; Steve Archer, normally a lance bombardier in the British army, has been elevated to the role of captain on the pitch. As he is keen to demonstrate from the word go, Archer controls the ball well, and the British begin to dictate the pace with ease. Bt the Argentines have an excse; two hndred of their men have only jst arrived from Benos Aires after a long-hal flight of nineteen hors. They are a medley of players with some reglars bt others with their thoghts elsewhere. They may be playing football bt their minds are with the families they will be seeing in a few days time after six long months of UN service in Cyprs. When two become one UN soldiers from England and Argentina pose for a photo together. PHOTOS: PABLO ARO GERALDES 38 FEBRUARY 2006 FEBRUARY

CYPRUS Argentina (ble shirt, white shorts) find the net again. Team captains Jan Mjica (Argentina) and Steve Archer (right) shake hands before the match.

Panic spreads among the ble jerseys and the shoting begins, especially from the lietenant of the parachte regiment, who bears the brden of nmber 10 on his back as well as the captain s armband.

Astralian, Pervian and Slovenian ble berets off the pitch cry: Maradona! A srge in adrenalin inspires the Soth Americans to a few more tricks, and emotions are rnning high.

3 CYPRUS Argentina (ble shirt, white shorts) find the net again. Team captains Jan Mjica (Argentina) and Steve Archer (right) shake hands before the match. Gnner Federico Bernal, from the army hospital, keeping goal for Argentina, sffers a few scares before he is beaten in the sixth minte. Panic spreads among the ble jerseys and the shoting begins, especially from the lietenant of the parachte regiment, who bears the brden of nmber 10 on his back as well as the captain s armband. Bt jst before half-time, the Argentines eqalise. Cavalry sergeant Osmar Ramos-Lto finishes off a clever move from otside the box, and team spirit again soars. Astralian, Pervian and Slovenian ble berets off the pitch cry: Maradona! A srge in adrenalin inspires the Soth Americans to a few more tricks, and emotions are rnning high. Jst before the break, marine infantryman Sebastian Livedinsky finishes off a fine piece of team play from otside the penalty area to make it 2-1. This, in trn, prompts the British to raise their game, so the Argentine captain takes advantage of the break to cation his mates. When we are in army niform, I respect the ranks, he warns, bt on the field, I don t give a jot. Move abot more and pt some life into the ball we ve got to win. SMILES ALL AROUND The scolding and the pleading take effect. After swallowing gallons of water, the two teams file back onto the pitch. The scorching sn slows the game down bt play improves. It has taken the Argentines 45 mintes to get sed to one another and now they have gelled into a team. Forty-five mintes later, they have netted another three goals, inclding two beaties from angry captain Jan Mjica, to win 5-1. The closing scene prodces smiles all arond, with winners and losers throwing their arms arond each other. No jerseys are exchanged as they have been borrowed and have to be given back army discipline prevails. One of the priests, the Argentine chaplain, walks towards the strdy frame of English bombardier Chris Bracegirdle and stretches ot his hand. This is the hand of God, he jokes, and everybody roars with laghter. The reference is to the 1986 World Cp match between Argentina and England in Mexico intended hmorosly, of corse. Now that the game is over, the entire conversation revolves arond football. Football nites nations, and this shold serve as an example, comments Bracegirdle. His friend, gnner Craig Earley, adds: The langage of football is niversal and rises above politics, religion or race. The facts tell the story: the United Nations comprise 191 contries whereas the football family has 207 members, so the power of the king of sports to nify is enormos. WINNERS ALL AROUND As a captain in the Argentine army, Lcas Filippi is one of the promoters of sch matches. These matches are Mediterranean treasre Cyprs has always been a treasred island on accont of its strategic position in the Mediterranean. This position, combined with its wealth of copper, attracted hordes of invaders and conqerors to its shores Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans and Byzantines, to name jst a few. Then Christianity arrived, followed by the Orthodox Chrch. The British sed Cyprs as a stopover en rote to the Crsades, and the Knights Templar also passed throgh. In the 16 th centry, the Venetians converted it into a commercial hb ntil the Trks occpied the island. After World War I, Cyprs remained nder the mandate of the British, who introdced football to the islanders. In 1931, Apoel Nicosia won the first championship and three years later the association was fonded. Before World War II, the enosis movement to nite the Greek Cypriots with Greece gained momentm, whereas the Trkish Cypriots preferred to toe the British line, which opted to separate the island rather than accept a Greek government. In 1960, the gerrilla forces banned the British and declared independence nder a joint government. Bt qarrelling erpted again in 1964 and the UN moved in with peace-keeping forces to stop the threat of war between Greece and Trkey. In 1974, the sitation deteriorated when Athens offered to annexe the island to Greece. Trkey then invaded the north and divided the contry with the Attila line. Two thosand people died in the fighting and 1,600 remain nacconted for. Thirty years have passed since the invasion, and even thogh it was condemned by the international commnity, no sanctions were ever passed. Life and football contine on the island, with the bffer zone garded by 965 niformed UN soldiers treading catiosly between barbed wire, sandbags and minefields. The Trks seized 37% of the territory bt the advance was kept in check by the presence of the ble berets. In 1983, the Trkish-held area declared itself the Trkish Repblic of Northern Cyprs. Since then, football on the island has also been torn in two. FEBRUARY

4 CYPRUS 2005 adidas-salomon AG. adidas, the adidas logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas-salomon AG grop. Football alone will not solve political problems in Cyprs, bt it certainly brings people closer if they can play together. not only a fn form of recreation bt they also strengthen bonds, he points ot. Less than a qarter of a centry ago, Argentina and Britain were locked in battle and now we are joining forces for the sake of peace. When yo play football, yo forget the differences, adds gnner Gavin West, and his friend, Daz Holland, nods in agreement: Football alone will not solve political problems in Cyprs, bt it certainly brings people closer if they can play together. This is very tre. The Greek Cypriots celebrated the EURO 2004 victory as if it was their own, whereas the Trkish Cypriots revelled with Hakan Skr and company after the 2002 World Cp. Football is a well-tried key to the door of nity for sch fervent people. And from the gates of the army qarters and beyond, the idea has spread. Last Jly, the UN Department of Civil Affairs arranged the first ever match between civilians from the two sides of the island, in Pyla. It was the first time since 1968 that Greeks and Trks had played together since separation in 1968, and the experiment has contined with mixed teams of children. They are not hampered by political, ethnic or religios bias; for them, any boy or girl with a ball is a potential friend. It proved to be a starting point. Football can scceed where decades of military might and diplomatic efforts have failed. They will soon be meeting p again, this time in a Trkish Cypriot stadim. The game in Pyla ended 2-1 and the UN High Commissioner from Astralia presented the trophy. So, who won? This time there were winners all arond. Football for peace a member of the Argentina military looks on as Argentine and English soldiers play football. adidas.com/football FEBRUARY

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Delight for Soca Warriors For the first time ever, Trinidad and Tobago will play in the FIFA World Cp finals this Jne. With a poplation of only 1.

BY MICHAEL LEWIS The world famos Carnival had arrived several months early in Trinidad and Tobago. In virtally every city and town, the contry had come to a standstill.

Thosands of people wearing red and waving the red, white and black flag of Trinidad and Tobago mobbed the international airport, waiting to cheer their heroes on their trimphant retrn home the

5 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Delight for Soca Warriors For the first time ever, Trinidad and Tobago will play in the FIFA World Cp finals this Jne. With a poplation of only 1.3 million, it is the smallest contry ever to qalify for world football s most celebrated tornament. In Germany, the islanders hope to spring more srprises. BY MICHAEL LEWIS The world famos Carnival had arrived several months early in Trinidad and Tobago. In virtally every city and town, the contry had come to a standstill. People left their jobs to celebrate into the night of 16 November 2005 and into the small hors of the next morning. That is when Picaro Airport otside of Port of Spain became a sea of red. Thosands of people wearing red and waving the red, white and black flag of Trinidad and Tobago mobbed the international airport, waiting to cheer their heroes on their trimphant retrn home the following day. It was something that I can find no words to describe, said FIFA vicepresident Jack Astin Warner, a special consltant to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF). There was something for which there are no sperlatives. It was a torrent of national affection and adlation that was nparalleled and nsrpassed. What had seemed once to be an impossible dream had trned into stnning reality as the Soca Warriors had qalified for their first FIFA World Cp finals. After 35 years and 10 failed attempts at trying, Trinidad and Tobago finally reached football s promised land, booking a spot in Germany by overcoming Bahrain, 2-1 on aggregate, to become the smallest contry ever with jst 1.3 million people to qalify. PUBLIC HOLIDAY Striker and team captain Dwight Yorke, 34, who had endred five sometimes tortros qalifying campaigns called it the icing on the cake of his career. It is history. It is nbelievable, said the forward, who is crrently playing for Astralian clb Sydney United. It s a fantastic achievement for or small nation with sch a small poplation. And it is great for me personally to have come back from retirement to play again and to be going to the World Cp. Government officials declared a national pblic holiday to honor Trinidad and Tobago s 2005 trimph. This time the government did it after the national team had accomplished something. In 1989, officials declared the day after Trinidad and Tobago s qalifier against the USA for the 1990 event in Italy a holiday. There was one slight problem: the Soca Warriors had not qalified. It raised expectations to a ridiclosly nfair level and helped trn 19 November 1989 into a day that lives in Trinidad & Tobago football infamy, after what many felt was the nation s best ever opportnity to reach the World Cp slithered throgh the team s grasp. Trinidad and Tobago needed only a draw to clinch a spot in the 1990 World Cp finals, the USA a victory. The Americans won 1-0. My memories of that day will never die, Warner said, For many years I was devastated. The contry, I think, won t be ever able to replicate the whole momentm and atmosphere for that match. PROGRESS For 16 bittersweet years Trinidad and Tobago had longed to get another shot at World Cp glory, after missing ot on the 1994, 1998 and 2002 competitions (and hitting rock bottom for years ago, finishing in sixth and last place in the final rond of qalifying). After accring only one point in their first three games in the six-team CONCACAF final grop this time arond, it appeared the streak wold contine for at least another for years. Bt changes were made. Veteran Dtch coach Leo Beenhakker replaced Bertille St Clair as coach. The Soca Warriors made progress. Trying to catch regional powers the USA, Mexico and Costa Rica was ot of the qestion. Bt secring forth place, which ensred a play-off with the fifth-placed Asian side, certainly was within reason. The Caribbean side barely clinched the forth place spot. The Soca Warriors defeated Mexico 2-1 in the final rond of qalifiers on 12 October 2005 to edge ot Gatemala and secre the head-tohead with Bahrain. In the first leg on 12 November, Trinidad and Tobago sqandered home advantage, allowing Bahrain to leave with a 1-1 draw. Having conceded an all-important away goal, Trinidad and Tobago had to find a way to score halfa-world away in Manama for days later. Ironically, Trinidad and Tobago s day in the qalifying sn came only three days shy of the 16 th anniversary of the devastating loss to the USA. An nmarked Dennis Lawrence, a defender who plays for Wrexham in England s forth flight of professional football, headed in a Yorke corner kick. For Yorke, it was an emotional win. He had retired from international football, only to be enticed to retrn by St Clair. My decision to come ot of international retirement was correct very mch so and I am glad I did bt I give a lot of credit to Bertille St Clair, who was my first coach and mentor, someone I look p to immensely, said Yorke, who had played in that 1989 loss to the USA and who later became an international hero at Manchester United winning two English Premier Leage titles and the UEFA Champions Leage crown. NEW TURN Beenhakker will set p training camps in England and Erope to try to entice Premiership players with T&T backgronds to wear the contry s colors. He also will hire a scot to look for talent in the USA. Warner said Beenhakker has been simply a magician. We have to respect him. We have to thank him for what he has done. We have given Beenhakker total control. He has been told he has all the fnding he needs. Re-energised, the TTFF plans to recrit the sponsors it has lacked throgh the years. That has been a very sore Three Trinidad and Tobago titans captain Dwight Yorke (far left), goalkeeper Kelvin Jack and Silvio Spann. PHOTOS: IMAGO 44 FEBRUARY 2006 FEBRUARY

www.emirates.com magazine TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO We all speak one langage. Fly Emirates to five continents where football is spoken. Keep discovering. point in the past, Warner said.

I see the professional leage, which is still a fledgling competition and strggling Lively spport for the Soca Warriors. here, coming to life in a very serios way, he said.

I see women s football and yoth football taking a new trn and emerging from the doldrms, where they are now, to some area of importance.

6 magazine TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO We all speak one langage. Fly Emirates to five continents where football is spoken. Keep discovering. point in the past, Warner said. I don t see that as a problem in the ftre. Warner also expects the local leage to get a shot in the arm. I see the professional leage, which is still a fledgling competition and strggling Lively spport for the Soca Warriors. here, coming to life in a very serios way, he said. I see bsinesses coming on board to help the leage and help the clbs. I see a development plan being pt in place for the primary schools. I see women s football and yoth football taking a new trn and emerging from the doldrms, where they are now, to some area of importance. LIGHTING UP THE COUNTRY Traditionally, first-time qalifiers do not fare well in the FIFA World Cp. Warner, however, expects the Soca Warriors to pll off a srprise or two. Yo can take it from me that Trinidad and Tobago is not going to Germany to make p the nmbers, he said. We are not going to Germany to be beaten by Tom, Dick or Harry. We are going to Germany to light p the contry with or cltre, or msic, or talents, or steel band. Most importantly, on the field of play, we shall perform in a most clever way. Football, not maths Dtchman Leo Beenhakker, 63, was appointed Trinidad and Tobago coach on 31 March And the former Ajax and Real Madrid coach promptly gided the islanders to the FIFA World Cp finals for the very first time. In this interview with FIFA magazine, he provides answers to varios keywords. Leo Beenhakker on the elation of the people of Trinidad and Tobago when their team qalified for the World Cp in Germany: I ve seen some parties in my time in football, bt this was a new experience even for me. Normally the jorney from the airport in Trinidad to the team hotel takes half an hor in peak-hor traffic. When we came back from Bahrain it took s five hors! The people in Trinidad and Tobago are warm-hearted and high-spirited, I knew that before I came here. Bt this party topped my wildest dreams. the basis for sccess: I don t know the answer to that (laghs). We worked very hard for or sccess. As I didn t start the job ntil April, it was in effect a mission impossible. Bt we soon realised that teams sch as Panama, Gatemala and Costa Rica were no better than s. I focsed on developing a team spirit and instilling some discipline. The problem was that 80 per cent of my players are contracted to foreign clbs, which meant we only ever had three days to prepare for games. We were working almost 24 hors a day. Dwight Yorke, the team s most famos player: Dwight is one of those players who wold be important for any team. He s not only a good player, he also ensres the team spirit is good. He has personality and class. As a coach, yo only have to say a word or two and he nderstands immediately what s reqired. I discss my ideas with him before every match, bt I also tell him to concentrate on his own game first and foremost. exotic teams at the 2006 FIFA World Cp : Of the 32 contries taking part in Germany we re nmber 32. Trinidad and Tobago is a small nation and the players have no World Cp finals experience. We re going to the World Cp to do as well as we can. Bt we aren t jst going with the Olympic spirit, we re going there to win. After all, it s football we re talking abot here, not maths. And the World Cp is the greatest thing a player or coach can experience. I have high hopes that the for weeks we are giving orselves to prepare will bear frit. My players are making rapid progress. Leo Beenhakker: I have learnt a lot abot people in my 40 years as a coach, bt my footballing philosophy hasn t changed nor have I lost any of my enthsiasm for the job. I always say, Give me a team, any team, give me 20 balls and I m the happiest person in the world. I recognise and respect the differences between the varios cltres. There are regions where tomorrow isn t important. I call it the mañana syndrome. Bt there s only one football cltre, and there tomorrow is very important. My players know that. ghe FEBRUARY

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