The incredible story of the Sutton Coldfield international footballer
Sammy Collins didn't plan to become an international footballer when he moved to St Helena – but it was
The ball touched a rabbit hole, but the action continued. The humble stadium offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and will host six football teams with three back-to-back matches on the same day.
As players, families and fans grill throughout the day, the smell of roasted rabbits and curry goats fills the air. Welcome to St. Helena to play football.
The six teams participating in the tournament represent the entire Nations League, and the tournament is the main weekly match on the island, with events throughout the day being both social and goal-scoring events.
Among them is the 35-year-old Birmingham native who will represent St. Helena at the Guernsey Island Games this week.
Sammy Collins moved to the island 18 months ago to work as a social worker. The defender joined the club team and qualified to represent the national team under the 12-month residency rule, where he will play in the first match against Menorca. St. Helena will also face Gozo and Jersey in the group stage from Sunday to Tuesday, with their aim for a historic first victory.
But for an island, participating in the tournament was a success in itself, and the island's manager built a bar out of shipping containers to help raise money for the Island Games.
They have been a football association for 101 years, but mainly play friendly matches with visiting naval ships and the neighboring island of Ascenion. The arrival of the airport six years ago partly opened the floodgates for international competitions, and four years ago the team competed in the Island Games and lost all three games. Hopefully this year will be different.
Collins, from Sutton Coldfield, said: "The situation is expected to improve from four years ago. "It was the first time to leave the island for many players and the experience gave them an in-depth understanding of football beyond St. Helena. The addition of Taylor Benjamin and Sean Straud makes the offensive threat even greater. St. Helena's dream is to get their first international victory!
"There is a big community of saints in the UK, so we are expecting some people to travel to Guernsey to cheer us on!"
This will certainly be easier and cheaper than the journey the team has already taken. Before the airport was built, the only way to get to St. Helena was by monthly boat, which took five days from Cape Town. There is now a weekly flight to Johannesburg and the team boarded on 1 July before flying to Heathrow for a four-day training camp in Reading before boarding a ferry from Poole to Guernsey.
All competitors are required to pay for their own travel and take time off, and their competition accommodation includes a luxury tent that can accommodate five people. Baden-Baden This is not the case. After a long fundraising effort, a squad of 17 people has set off.
"It costs around £3,000 per player to cover airfare, accommodation, living expenses and equipment," Collins said. "It's a huge effort for a small island that doesn't have a lot of resources. It was mainly raised through fundraising events on the island.
"We ran a raffle and the prizes included a motorcycle, flat-screen TV and a live goat donated by the captain. In May, we celebrated St. Helena's National Day and all proceeds went to the football team.
"The manager (Jonny Isaac) built a bar out of shipping containers to raise money at the event. We also sold replica kits and received generous donations from Saints on the island and overseas. ”
The St. Helena squad includes Collins, 54-year-old goalkeeper (Keith Young) and 16-year-old winger (Blake Peters). The captain (Mike Williams) is the president of the football association and a part-time goat farmer, while the others are fishermen. Forgot, today's catch, if the footballer can achieve a historic first victory, it will be the game of the day.