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Jeff Bland was a simple man with simple interests. Football was his only significant passion - and the reason why every other weekend he'd attend Villa Park religiously to see his side struggle to find any form of consistency. He was also a teacher at a local primary school, in history, French and sports. Coaching football was the joy in his day however. To improve the abilities of the youngsters there was always a dream and though he never dared admit in public, his dream was that one day he'd help find a future star or eleven.
He'd even taken the requisite coaching courses that many professional managers took to help improve his abilities. Along with what he thought was a fairly reasonable approach he felt that at some point in time he'd be ready to take his coaching to a more serious level. He'd been teaching for 8 years and had enjoyed every bit of it at Winterfold School, Chaddesley Corbett.
However, despite his relatively simply wants, his underlying passion for football was beginning to manifest itself in Jeff's conscience. The more he coached the kids, the more he enjoyed it. So not every kid was a sports star, or even liked the coaching sessions, but that never bothered him. If a kid wasn't a natural, or didn't have the inclination, he'd always allow them the opportunity to try other sports or do some work. If they were interested though Jeff never gave up on them.
He knew most of the kids he taught were crap, and wouldn't have much of a career in football, but, like in most aspects of life, passion was an emotion that needed to be nurtured. Encouragement was key and regardless of talent, everyone of them improved their game under Jeff. Whether it was through the group training sessions, or 1 to 1's, they all got better and appreciated what he'd done for them.
Aside from football, Jeff led a quiet life. He went to the cinema, did the grocery shopping, read books and generally led an unremarkable existence. It kept him content, but that was all. From an early age he'd always dreamt of a career in football. Of course like so many kids, it became a pipedream, a fantasy that would never turn itself into reality.
He would never score the winning goal in a Cup Final, or score a 90th minute winner in front of the Holte End and celebrate with the fans, but the dream never died. Coaching kids proved to be an outlet that helped satisfy his urges, but it would never suffice. The vision that one day he would be a part of the professional world of sport had never subsided. So if he wasn't going to be a footballer, he'd be the next best thing. A manager. At 33 years old though, he'd need to start making more noticeable efforts if that was ever to become a reality.
At school and university, he had always held an interest in history and languages - and this natural fascination with other cultures would prove to be a major asset in Jeff's ambitions. Fluent in French and Spanish, Jeff expanded his interests to Russian and Japanese - with the latter holding his attention longer than he thought possible. The anime and movies had always been an interest to him and many of his friends, but there was something in the back of his mind that longed to know more.
The culture, the history, the traditions. The samurai legends, the bowing, the mysticism that seemed to encompass it, everything. This thirst for knowledge and understanding had always helped him earn the respect of teachers, and surprisingly, some of his students. Even at such a young age, a few were able to discard the natural stereotype that teachers were sad sadistic bastards intent on inflicting immeasurable mental pain on children.
So it was, that on having completed his UEFA B license in early June. He handed in his resignation as a teacher at Winterfold and decided to seek his fortunes in football. It had been a tough choice of course - he had many friends at the school and he did in many ways enjoy his job, but he also knew that to ignore the pestering voice at the back of his mind would have driven him insane eventually. Once the school year had officially finished, and he'd attended his leaving party held in his honour by the history department head, Jeff took his first step on the journey to football management - with Droitwich Spa Swifts U17 team.
The challenge of coaching elder kids was one that Jeff enjoyed enormously. It enabled him to harness his own recently acquired talents and pass them on to his charges - some of which actually possessed a sizeable talent - enough - if they had the desire - to ensure they could hold their own in the bottom rungs of the League or Conference. Two titles later and it was the local Hartlebury Sunday League that took his notice. Working with the beer guzzlers proved to be hard work though and his time there was short lived, as he barely survived a season with frustration getting the better of him.
Attempting to get into serious football, Jeff began applying for coaching roles in any capacity at the professional clubs but with little immediate success. The first few vacancies were at clubs in different regions of the country and unsurprisingly they'd never heard of him. The citations of "lacking real experience" at club level was proving to be a hindrance, but eventually he did manage to secure a temporary role with Kidderminster Harriers. It initially saw him work on the youth development programme - which included visiting local schools for coaching courses - ironically taking in Winterfold in the process - as the club monitored his success.
Having proven himself a very able coach, he was asked to fill in at the first team level on a handful of occasions throughout the season - and when that management team left after two years, the club placed him in the caretaker's role as they searched for a valid replacement. However, as the club's fortunes improved and relegation fears were allayed, he was offered the post full time. He accepted, and at long last he felt he had discovered his niche. The coaching side of his job was one he relished, and the players responded in kind - but suddenly having the responsibility elsewhere with regards to contracts, signings, media appearances and the like effected him negatively at first. He now had more tasks to juggle alongside leading a life outside of football. Making time for friends and relationships was proving difficult and Jeff feared he'd lose contact with them sooner rather than later.
It took an unexpected source in the following summer to change the course of his career, and life in general.
Situated deep in the heart of Japan's proud mountainous lands you find an ancient tribe lost to the rest of the world. Skilled in the arts of Jiu-Jitsu and Kyu-Fu, they defend the sanctity and honour of the region. Repelling not only enemies of Japan, but also the Emperor and his personal army - they were a law unto themselves. They did not seek battle, and had no wish to conquer other territories, but in the face of an invasion and an attack on their people - they would fight. And fight hard and dutifully - with death a risk all were prepared to undertake. They were called - the Tairomai.
It is rumoured that they are descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, but there is no sign they worshipped Yah-Weh. It is more likely, though it cannot be ascertained, that they are of pure Japanese blood and most likely date as far back to the time of the Yamato State. This state was the first emergence of the province as an independent state from the Chinese Han Dynasty circa 4th century CE. It expanded continually over the years as other provinces in Korea also emerged, but the arrival of Buddhism would soon temper Japan's early imperialistic desires.
Around the beginning of the 6th century, Japan, having forged an alliance with Paekche ( another new state formerly of the Han Dynasty ), and the northern mountain state of Koguryo against Silla, a regime supported by Han. Tang China, disapproved, provided military support for Silla and defeated the Yamato state and company, forcing Japan's hand into engaging in diplomatic relations thereafter. The defeated Koguryo state retreated north and began developing the foundations for an empire of their own in Manchuria, very much modelled on the Chinese example.
As a result, much of Japan began to move away from it's clan structured society to one more similar to that of the Chinese. Prince Shotoku created a new imperial structure, with for example regions linked by roads, and a centralised tax system. A more formalised state incorporated Buddhism into it as part of it's state religion, alongside the more traditional Shinto. The regional emperors of the time had to fight off many attempted rebellions however, as Japan still remained far from being a united country. This was a time when the traditional tribes clashed with the emergence of new alliances, and a struggle to hold onto long held beliefs began.
The 12th century saw the emergency of one of the more notable clan empire clashes- The Kamakura Shoguns. It began with the ascendancy of the Taira Clan, as Power had been earned through the imperial court via the destruction of the uprisings of both Hogen (1156) and Hejii ( 1158 ), and continued in the same vein defeating a revolt led by Minamoto Yoritomo in 1180 at Ishibashi-yama, but Yoritomo returned and with the aid of his generals crushed the Taira clan, including the child emperor, and so began the Kamakura Shogunate as a result of Japan's most famous battle - The Gempei War. Unknown to many historians however was the role played by The Tairomai - often assumed, incorrectly, to have been a mere branch of the Taira clan, that died out along with its supposed clan members, but they could not be further from the truth.
A reclusive society, they had inhabited the northern region of the Honshu island, approximately 50 miles from the town of Kuriyagawa. As mentioned before, they were not aggressive by nature - only attacking once they felt threatened - but during these wars, their region came under threat. The desire for total power consumed many totalitarian clan leaders, with battles raging through-out all four of the islands. However, Moshito Kamasuki, their leader elect noted the developments of the Kamakura Shoguns battle with interest. As the years progressed it became clear that their stability was questionable and surely it wouldn't be long until Yoritomo turned his attention to the north.
Seeking a pre-emptive and peaceful resolution, Moshito travelled to Yoritomo's base just south of Utsonomiya. A new clan - the Fujiwara - were growing in strength in the north, preparing to take their base outside of Hiraizumi another town not too far from The Tairomai and Moshito sensed an agreement could be sought. Offering to eliminate the Fujiwara threat in exchange for the independence of his region, Moshito was delighted when his empirical opposite acquiesced.
Preparing the warriors for battle, Moshito saw the permanence of his tribe's independence and smiled. As his well trained army comfortably defeated the Fujiwara threat, only 60km from their base, it was with sadness therefore that Moshito fell victim to an arrow in the closing moments of battle. The wound proved serious and the Tairomai leader died a mere half day's journey shy of the return to Kuriyagawa. Honoured in the tradition befitting of such a man, his son Ryota took command and continued in the same vein as his father - the tribe's proud, fiercely communal existence living for centuries undisturbed.
I'm really trying to do something different from what I have in the past - and I am sure that this will be a slower updated story than my Challenge one - but hopefully I can keep it going. Out of interest - the Tairomai clan are entirely fictional, but the rest is historical fact - assuming the encyclopoedia I used was reliable.
thanks - I think I jumped the gun a bit starting this one - eagerness and all that, but I've written a few updates ahead of myself - and I'm going to try and keep it this way as long as I can. Seeing as I won't be around over the weekend, I'm posting now - but trust me - it won't be this regular next week
Jeff's Far-Eastern Adventure
Part 1
A Gift From the Postman
Jeff's moderate success as a manager made few waves in professional football, in England at any rate. Abroad though, foreign clubs from lesser developed, in football terms, countries tended to scour the lower leagues of the Italian Spanish and English leagues to find a coach who knew what he, or she, was talking about. Their knowledge and passion for the game was vital component sometimes missing from home grown coaches who studied only textbooks and had to work with sub standard players, unable to improve them significantly.
Often they ended up choosing talented coaches, who had been schooled right through the FIFA or UEFA licensed courses, but did not have the history in the top end of the game to raise an immediate profile in the English or Spanish hierarchy for example. Jeff it would seem was about to take that path, but as he awoke that morning, showered and breakfasted, he had no idea that his life at Aggborough was about to change.
The postman pulled up to deliver the letters to his house just at the same time Jeff was about to leave, meeting Mr. Fairway with the customary “hello, how's the bike?" (in reference to another side story) so Jeff collected the letters and drove to work. Inside his office, with a moment to spare before business officially took hold, he perused the contents of the mail. Aside from two bog standard bills, today brought surprise. On his coaching courses, Jeff had signed up absent-mindedly to a fairly new initiative organised by the FA for British coaches seeking employment. In conjunction with various other countries heads of football, the plan was to aid lesser established nations develop their own home grown talent with help from abroad - a rather hopeful and naive attempt to "redress the balance" in world football.
Of course, the key markets lay in Asia and Africa. North America was a deemed a lost cause. With so many other sports encapsulating their people’s attention soccer fell far behind and held little support from the governments. Counties like Japan and to a certain extent Korea rejoiced in the sport. The imminent World Cup that would be held in 2002 was bringing football into millions of people’s lives - and unsurprisingly the domestic leagues noticed a giant leap in interest. Even competing with the ever popular European leagues, the host nations desperately wanted to see that quality of football pervade their local environs. As a result the respective nations sought outside help - and cue the programme Jeff signed up to.
Jeff had opened his first newsletter since his final summer course and began to pass through the periodical with casual interest. At first. The more he read, the more it appealed to Jeff - a man who had never lost his interest in cultures other than the western one he was beginning to grow weary of. Japan was a land he'd often thought of visiting in - perhaps working there - as a teacher, he'd be in demand - and of course the option to pursue his football interest would no doubt be very easy to take up. At the end were a stunning array of vacancies and contact numbers. These were clubs in the lower reaches of their nations calling out for aid, willing volunteers who were: "passionate, devoted football fans, keen to pass on their knowledge to a generation desperate to learn."
By now, Jeff had become pre-occupied with what he was reading before him. Such an idea had never crossed his mind before - why would it? But now - to read this... well it made him think. He did enjoy it at Kidderminster of course he did - but he'd be lying if he told himself it was a job for life. It wasn't - it had always been a vessel, somewhere to learn his skills, learn from his mistakes and develop his managerial experience. The ultimate ambition of many a failed footballer. If you couldn't do it on the park - why not be there at the side? Telling others how to do it - watching with pride ( and envy ) as they improved under you. It was the same with Jeff. He wanted to have a successful career so badly his social life was practically non-existent. He had friends - but when did he see them? Hardly ever. And most of them were the crew at Kidderminster too.
In his mind a crossroads began to emerge. So many paths, so many choices and an extremely puzzled "mini-Jeff" wondering where the hell he was going to go. Did he stay or did he go now? Jeff turned his Clash CD off a moment - it was very distracting. Kidderminster. Regain a life outside of football. Fortunes Abroad. Japan. Korea. Cultural divides. Was his Japanese up to any good? All of the above? No! He couldn't do that. Family? Did he even want one? Cost? Uprooting himself? Could he find accommodation? Would he get on with the Japanese players? How much money would he have? What were his responsibilities as manager? Expectations for the season ahead? Pause. Breathe. Why did the last load of questions all assume he'd be out in Japan managing a lower league side? Possibly because he desperately loved the culture and thought the experience and challenge would be encapsulating and potentially exceptionally rewarding and life-changing. Or because Kidderminster was a dump.
Either way, he'd made a decision more or less. A quick one too - but in his heart he knew it was right. His brain was going into panic overdrive. This was a huge leap. He hadn't a clue about the basics. Was Yen the currency? He couldn't be sure. The only problem was wishing he felt more confident about him. The safety mode aspect of his brain was telling him to stay put - you know England, you know Kidderminster - you know the life you like the back of your hand. And then it struck Jeff. That last part was the problem itself - and now he needed now further convincing, as he filled in the required forms, printing his FA ID number, and rushing off to the local Woolworths store to get some passport sized photos of himself. Unfortunately they were all crap and he re did them. Twelve times - possibly one of the more ludicrous ways of wasting $36.
That day Jeff was a bundle of nerves, and coaching was rather fraught - as he eventually passed over responsibility to his assistant Mark. The players didn't seem to notice, which perhaps put the final nail in Jeff's coffin. He was out of here, but he couldn't cope. He was so excited. He nearly wrote his resignation letter, before his senses finally returned to him. The application would take at least a week or so to be processed - then he'd have to go for an interview with a representative for the club down in London, then pass the interview - before sorting out the minor details of shifting his life over a continent and a time difference or six. Which then sent him into another frenzied panic, this time solved only by a strong alcoholic beverage, and then another.
AlbireX Niigata, Omiya Ardije, Shonan Bellmare, Consadole Sapporo, FC Mito Holly Hock, Montedio Yamagata, Sagan Tosu FC, Oita Trinita, Orawa Red Diamonds, Vegalta Sendai and Vent Foret Kofu. The eleven sides that consisted of J-League 2 were all looking for some foreign input - and all their ads had been placed in the newsletter Jeff had read. Not all were for the managerial vacancy obviously, some specified assistant with a view to becoming manager, others in charge of youth development and so forth. There were a plethora of lower league, Japanese Administrative clubs offering vacancies - the majority coaching positions too, but Jeff took the optimistic route and aimed for the J League. All he had to do now, was wait.
I'll be interested to see where you end up. I have very pleasant memories of a Japan game with Kyoto Purple Sanga on CM03/04. It keep me occupied for a couple of months.
Jeff Bland's Japanese Adventure 
Linear Mode
