In 2007, disillusioned football italia journalist paul watson and his friend matt conrad decided to embark on a quest to become international footballers, by finding the country with the worlds worst football team. Read up pohnpei leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory by paul watson available from rakuten kobo. Watson born 1984 is a british writer and football coach. The job offer didnt come as a total shock in the past watson had coached the worlds lowest ranked national team on the micronesian island of pohnpei and had written a book. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The players come to life in this book and you get a real sense of community. The only football pitch on the island was bumpy, puddleridden and inhabited by a stubborn army of toads, and there was little to no funding to be had, least of all a salary for a coach. Up pohnpei ebook by paul watson 9781847658005 rakuten kobo. Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory is paul watsons memoir about coaching the pohnpei football team. The team is not a member of fifa, or a regional confederation, and therefore cannot compete in the world cup. Pohnpei s outer islands are low islands, and include pingelap, mokil, ant, pakin, ngatik, nukuoro, oroluk, and kapingamarangi. Paul watson is a british writer, football coach, anda very nice guy. Mar 19, 2012 on the one hand, on pohnpei is the story of a determined man trying to build something from nothing. Wikipedia leads them to pohnpei, a remote pacific island whose team is described as the.
Jul 03, 2019 determined to fulfil a boyhood dream of playing international football, paul watson went searching for a minnow team that would provide an easy path to a national cap. The team play their home games at the palau national stadium in the town of koror city. It is a story with much to say about how sports are governed and the impoverished lower reaches of a sport otherwise seemingly awash with cash. But the pohnpei football team plays matches against other micronesian national teams, some being fullasian football confederationmembers like guam national football team and some being associate member of the oceania football confederation like palau national football team. But in discovering the remote pacific island of pohnpei, whos side was dubbed. They are thrilled when wikipedia leads them to pohnpei, a tiny, remote island in the pacific whose longdefunct football team is described as the weakest in the world. Once a semi professional footballer himself, he is best known for serving as coach of the pohnpei state football team and federated states of micronesia national football team in 2009 and 2010, an experience about which he wrote the 2012 book up pohnpei. The big issue in a market saturated with indepth analyses of how money rules the game, sitting alongside prematurelyreleased autobiographies from prima donnas, up pohnpei stands out as a shining beacon of football literature. But in discovering the remote pacific island of pohnpei, whos team was dubbed the worst in the world, paul found himself on a new quest. Although written by a brit with a fancy of italian and worldwide football, the heroes of this story are not liverpools boozers, the diving barcelonistas, or even the honest working. One football, no nets tells of one mans leap of faith into the unknown, swapping life with his girlfriend and a third division football team in eastern europe for international football management in africa. Up pohnpei tells the story of their quest to coach the team and eventually, organise an international fixture pohnpeis first since a 161 defeat many years ago.
He recently hired a football coach, far more qualified than he ever was, to go to pohnpei and spend three months coaching there. Here in pohnpei soccer association, where you can update more about soccerfootball in the fsm. He is best known for serving as the manager of pohnpei state football team. Currently 90% of pohnpei citizens are obese due to poor diet and 30% suffer from diabetes. A quest to reclaim the soul of football by leading the worlds ultimate underdogs to glory. Determined to fulfil a boyhood dream of playing international football, paul watson went searching for a minnow team that would provide an easy path to a national cap. Bureaucracy hindered their intentions to become genuine pohnpeians and after discovering that football facilities and funding were both in a bad state as well as coming to the realisation that they would have an easier time displacing wayne rooney on the england team sheet than they would of representing pohnpei in a fifarecognised match. The end goal for watson is to help pohnpei, through micronesia, achieve fifa recognition, and the subsequent funding that would improve the islands football infrastructure from the ground up. Watsons book up pohnpei tells their story from planning their initial. A tale of two friends becoming the national team coaches of remote micronesian island, pohnpei other.
Coyne airways interest in the pohnpei story is about more than just football though. Pohnpei soccer, the home of football in micronesia. But in discovering the remote pacific island of pohnpei, whos side was dubbed the worst in the world, paul found himself on a new. Jun, 2019 determined to fulfil a boyhood dream of playing international football, paul watson went searching for a minnow team that would provide an easy path to a national cap. Getting the job is only the first step in setting up an entire football program. After one too many late night discussions, football journalist paul watson and his mate matthew conrad decide to find the worlds worst national team, become. Up pohnpei is published by profile books and will be released on. The coach whos hoping to transform mongolian football. They contact pohnpeis football association and discover what it needs most urgently is leadership. This is the story of paul watson and his friend matt conrad and there quest to coach a national team. In a market saturated with indepth analyses of how money rules the game, sitting alongside prematurelyreleased autobiographies from prima donnas, up pohnpei stands out as a shining beacon of football literature. A pohnpei football team is currently active and moves are underway to recreate a national federated states of micronesia team.
Pohnpei is incorrectly said to have a national soccer team described as the worst team in the world. They contact pohnpei s football association and discover what it needs most urgently is leadership. After one too many late night discussions, football journalist paul watson and his mate matthew conrad decide to find th. Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory main by paul watson isbn. After one too many latenights discussions, football fanatic paul watson hatches the perfect plan find the worlds worst national team, become. This book was more then just a story about football soccer. Best football soccer books score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The palau national football team is the national football team of palau. I have capital that will be used to provide special loans to the region that will cost between 3,000 and 70,000,000. Bureaucracy hindered their intentions to become genuine pohnpeians and after discovering that football facilities and funding were both in a bad state as well as coming to the realisation that they would have an easier time displacing wayne rooney on the england teamsheet than they would of representing pohnpei in a fifarecognised match.
They contact pohnpeis football association and discover what it needs most urgently is. The federated states of micronesia fsm is a group of small islands in the paci. Jan 24, 2012 a heartwarming, uplifting antithesis to all that is wrong with the modern game, up pohnpei is the mustread football book of 2012. Summary paul and matt have always dreamt about playing international football. Once a semiprofessional footballer himself, he is best known for serving as coach of the pohnpei state football team and federated states of micronesia national football team in 2009 and 2010, an experience about which he wrote the 2012 book up pohnpei. Watson ended up as pohnpeis national coach and without revealing too much about his time on the island left with the team, and its infrastructure, in a much better state than when he.
Up pohnpei is a funny, funny book about changing the fate of the worst football country technically, region by making it win its first football match in history. Youngest football manager takes charge of worlds worst team a british amateur footballer has become the youngestever international football manager. The federated states of micronesia national football team is the national team of the. Full of charm and pathos as watsons love for grassroots football in. Watson excoach of pohnpei and federated states of micronesia national football team, author of up pohnpei and sports editor at the positive. Im a huge fan of both football and reading, so a book about football is. Jun 06, 2017 watson ended up as pohnpeis national coach and without revealing too much about his time on the island left with the team, and its infrastructure, in a much better state than when he. Paul watson after one too many late night discussions, football journalist paul watson and his mate matthew conrad decide to find the worlds worst national team, become naturalised citizens of that country and. Pohnpei is a central location in south sea adventure 1952, the second of willard prices young adult adventure series books featuring hal and roger hunt. Pohnpei soccer is offering you the chance to join our football revolution and become a member of our board from just a. The pohnpei football team is the official football team representing the island of pohnpei, one of the four federated states of micronesia.
The team are inspiring a nation to confront and deal with terrible health issues which are prevalent on the island. After one too many latenight discussions, football journalist paul watson and his friend matt conrad decide to find and join the worlds worst national football team. The book chronicles the challenges he faced in getting his team ready to play competitive football. Paul and matt have always dreamt about playing international football. Oct 04, 2010 the pohnpei soccer team says thank you to coyne airways.
A heartwarming, uplifting antithesis to all that is wrong with the modern game, up pohnpei is the mustread football book of 2012. Pohnpei had not played against another nation in years and they did not have a team. The federated states of micronesia national football team is the national team of the federated states of micronesia and is controlled by the federated states of micronesia football association. Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory and millions of other. They contact pohnpeis football association and discover what it needs most. Conifa football for the forgotten pdf ebook download free.
The team is not affiliated with fifa or a local confederation. One football fan took his passion for the game one step further by taking on the colossal challenge of travelling to a tiny island in the south pacific called pohnpei to set up a league and a. Governor of pohnpei governor of yap micronesian parliamentary election, 2007 micronesian presidential election, 2007. He then moved to mongolia and became coowner of anticorruption mongolian premier league team bayangol fc. Feb 06, 2012 after one too many latenights discussions, football fanatic paul watson hatches the perfect plan find the worlds worst national team, become a citizen and win an international cap. Federated states of micronesia national football team football in the federated states of micronesia. Espn soccernet filled with passion and warmth fourfourtwo. Pohnpei is incorrectly said to have a national football team described as the worst team in the world. After one too many latenights discussions, football fanatic paul watson hatches the perfect plan find the worlds worst national team, become a citizen and. Up pohnpei profile books, 2012 is the remarkable story of the eighteen months that paul spent, not just coaching pohnpeis national football team, but actually creating that team in the first place. A pohnpei state team is currently active and moves are underway to recreate a national federated states of micronesia team.
Up pohnpei tells the story of their quest to coach the team and eventually, organise an international fixture pohnpei s first since a 161 defeat many years ago. Federated states of micronesia national football team. But the pohnpei football team plays matches against other micronesian national teams, some being fullasian football confederationmembers like guam national football team and some being associate member of the oceania. Leading the ultimate football underdogs to glory paperback. With no funding, a population whose obesity rate is 90 percent and toadinfested facilities in one of the worlds wettest climates, their journey is beset by obstacles from the outset. Feb 21, 20 up pohnpei tells the story of their quest to coach the team and eventually, organise an international fixture pohnpei s first since a 161 defeat many years ago.
As we close in on the fundraising target we need to reach guam in august we are hoping that football lovers from across the world will show their solidarity and make a small donation to make a big difference to. From those five teams he assembled a national team. Youngest football manager takes charge of worlds worst team. Penguins stopped play meets cool runnings in this hilarious and uplifting true story of footballing triumph against all the odds, set on a pacific island. But how can you make it into a team when you are not the next david beckham. Up pohnpei the inspiring tale of footballs ultimate underdogs is set to be adapted into a documentary film. On the one hand, on pohnpei is the story of a determined man trying to build something from nothing. He organized a football league on the island consisting of five teams. Paul watson wrote for football italia for four years before fleeing to the tiny micronesian island of pohnpei to coach the worlds lowest ranked national football team.
Pohnpei soccer association psa is responsible for growing and governing the sport of football in the micronesian state of pohnpei and supporting the federated states of micronesia football association. Paul watson is the former coach of the pohnpei football team in micronesia and wrote a book about his experiences called up pohnpei. After one too many late night discussions, football journalist paul watson and his mate matthew conrad decide to find the worlds worst national team, become naturalised citizens of that country and play for them achieving their joint boyhood dream of playing international football and winning a. The struggle to help micronesia exist according to fifa.
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