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Jim Tranters World Cup Diary Summer 2010

The story of the campaign

Posted 21st October 2010

It all started back in October 2009. The England Great Grand Masters (the over 65 squad) had won the European championship in Amsterdam and arranged a celebration match, inviting those youngsters like myself who would be eligible for selection in 2010. There were a few fill-ins to replace those not available, so I found myself marking a current England over 55 player – hard work.

We then had a series of trials and practices from January through to April. I don’t have a clue whose idea it was to hold trials for geriatrics in January and February. In the weather at that time survival was the name of the game rather than trying to impress a bunch of selectors, but the final squad of 16 was eventually announced in April at Southgate, much to the relief of all those selected. We could now concentrate on becoming a team rather than a bunch of individuals in competition with each other.

Practices and matches followed, including the European championships in Antwerp (unofficial because it was a World Cup year, and without Germany, who declined to enter an over 65 team – but we won it anyway, albeit with a bit of a struggle in the final game against Holland – a narrow 2-1 victory) and the home internationals at Swansea (comfortable victories against Wales and Scotland).

By the time we came to our last two practice matches in August we were looking like a proper team. Most of us had slotted into regular positions, myself as right defender (right half in oldie-speak), but we all had to be prepared to fill in as necessary in other places. During the lead in period I played in all of the defence and midfield positions except sweeper and goalkeeper.

September eventually arrived, and I realised that the World Cup tournament was upon us. We all had to make our own travel arrangements, so we were arriving in Cape Town at all sorts of different times. Here’s how the two weeks went for me:

Sunday Sep 12 – last minute packing. Packed playing strip in hand luggage in case of lost baggage. To Heathrow to catch 19.30 flight (12 hours).

Monday Sep 13 – arrive Cape Town 8.00. Pick up car. Get lost twice on way out of airport. Arrive hotel 10.00. Room not ready, so doze on tourist bus for a couple of hours.

Tuesday Sep 14 – morning free. Drive to Chapman’s Peak (famous tourist route) and see whales at Fischoek. Afternoon practice session on main stadium pitch. Hartleyvale Stadium very good (2 water based pitches, seating for about 2000, tight security). Practice session mediocre. Evening opening ceremony at Newlands (test match ground, reckoned to be most attractive ground in test cricket). We were supposed to parade on the test match outfield, but the mayor of Cape Town was late, and it was dark before she arrived, so the parade was cancelled. Pity - I was looking forward to that

Weds Sep 15 – tournament day 1. Afternoon match v. Holland. I realised it was going to be tough when a 6’4” left winger man-marked me all through the first period – left wingers are normally lazy buggers, so this was a bit of a shock to the system. We scored a scrappy goal from a short corner and won 1-0. Holland gave up after we scored.

Thurs Sep 16 - day 2. England 1, Germany 0. Another short corner goal. Germany defensive and rough. Not enjoyable but good result. Semi-final place now guaranteed. One of our squad tears hamstring and is out for the rest of the tournament.

Fri Sep 17 – day 3. Australia 1, England 0. Lots of short corners and open play chances, no goals. Conceded goal 10 mins from time. Not playing to our potential, no goals yet from open play. We know we’re capable of much better – grim determination sums up the mood. Nobody happy.

Sat Sep 18 - day 4. Rest day. We had originally booked a guided walk up Table Mountain today, but postponed it on Thursday because of a poor weather forecast. Weather bright and sunny – Table Mountain looking stunning. Went on a trip to Cape of Good Hope instead. Foggy at the Cape, but stunning.

Sun Sep 19 – day 5. Rest day.

Mon 20 Sep – day 6. Trip to Robben Island in morning – where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Extremely moving. Last pool game in afternoon, v. Scotland. Essential to do well. England 4, Scotland 0. We did well. Goals at last. Much better. Tomorrow is semi-final against Germany.

Tues 21 Sep – day 7. Semi-final day – this is where it really starts. Losing this one is not an option. Practice session in morning, rehearsing new short corner routines. Vice captain breaks down with injury and is whisked off to physio. Tension rising.

Vice captain OK after treatment. Tense pre-match dressing room. A few speeches – one sticks in memory (from vice-captain) – “I’m one of the lucky ones. I am already a world champion. I know what it feels like, and I want you guys to be able to feel like that too.” I’ll go along with that.

Australia beat Holland in first semi-final.

Our match starts. After 3 minutes, routine play down right wing, centre – goal! 1-0. After 10 minutes it’s 3-0. Get set for 60 minutes of pressure, which doesn’t materialise. Final score 3-0. Brilliant. Played whole match.

Lots of (restrained) celebration. The job’s half done.

Weds 22 Sep – day 8. Rest day. I start repeating my mantra – “I’ve got a World Cup silver medal. I don’t want another one”. Team-mates will get fed up of my repeating this, but it’s so true.

Thurs 23 Sep – day 9. Rest day. Carry on repeating my mantra.

Fri 24 Sep – day 10. This is it! There are three games on the main pitch today, all of them finals, all of them England v. Australia. Ours is the middle one.

A very tense, quiet morning. We arrive at ground in time to see England senior Grand Masters (over 70’s) beat Australia. One gold medal.

We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve lost to them in the group stage – we must improve – and we do. It’s a tight opening, nothing in it to start with, but we’re slightly on top. We score mid-way through the first half, and the game becomes tighter. The Aussies do not want to lose. We concede a couple of corners, but the defence is good. It’s a long-drawn-out struggle. With ten minutes to go our captain finds space, rounds the keeper and lifts the ball into the net. 2-0. Still very tight, but the clock ticks down and with a couple of minutes to go we know that we’re going to do it. Ted – he of the torn hamstring – is let on to the pitch and hobbles around on the left wing for a minute or so. All 16 of us have played in a world cup final, some of us (including me) for 70 minutes, Ted for less than 2 minutes, but it’s a team effort, and we won it on merit – as did the Grand Masters (over 60’s) to make it a clean sweep.

It still hasn’t properly sunk in that we’re world champions, and that we have two years in which we’ll remain world champions. I’ve been playing for our club for about 55 years now, and it’s taken me that long to reach what has to be the pinnacle of my career. If I can get across one message from my world cup experience for other club members, it’s that the more you play, and the longer you play for, the more enjoyment you can get from this game – and sport is about enjoyment above all. Of course winning is important (and helps the enjoyment no end) but enjoyment is more important in the long run.