Up Pohnpei: Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory, Paul Watson (Profile Books)
Football is littered with underdog stories. But Paul Watson’s Up Pohnpei might just trump the lot as a triumph of spirit and the will to succeed. It started with a dream shared by two friends, of finding a national side that would award them an international cap. The quest led them to Pohnpei, a remote Pacific Island that had never won a match. After establishing that qualifying to play for the remote nation wasn’t an option, the football writer Watson and his friend, Matt Conrad, set out to the remote island in Micronesia with a new challenge: to coach Pohnpei to their first victory.
“It started with a dream shared by two friends, of finding a national side that would award them an international cap.”
And as they survey a toad-strewn pitch in one of the wettest places on Earth, it dawns on the pair that this will be no easy feat, and what follows is a rollicking good tale of triumph over adversity, armed only with a set of second-hand football kits and an unshakeable love of football. The pair soon have to acclimatise to their new environment and adjust to their new roles as international managers.
“And as they survey a toad-strewn pitch in one of the wettest places on Earth, it dawns on the pair that this will be no easy feat”
Watson writes with such warmth and affection of his daunting football challenge, and what shines through is his commitment to the cause and the people of Pohnpei. He invites you along for his journey and you are soon willing him and his rag-tag bunch of soccer hopefuls on every step of the way.
Up Pohnpei is a joyous celebration of football’s grassroots. Watson’s trusted assistant Conrad is now prepping a film of their adventure in Micronesia, entitled The Soccermen, so make sure you track down book before the film is released.
Eleven:
This review first appeared in Eleven magazine
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The Soccermen is scheduled for release in autumn 2018. You can find out more at www.thesoccermen.com
On the back of the success of Up Pohnpei, Enkhjin Batsumber (current manager of the Mongolia national team) approached Watson about moving to Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar to set up a new team, Bayangol F.C. He moved to the country in late 2013. Watson is currently director of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, bringing the CONIFA World Football Cup to London in 2018.
Follow Paul on Twitter @paul_c_watson