Learning about the WSFC with Nick Kasak

[nckkss]

“So I hear there’s a world cup coming?” Nick casually asks during Kaapstad training one day.

“What?” pipes up Louis Ashworth, running past the pitch, “No, dummy, its the WSFC, it’s legally and distinctly different to the World Cup. Whatever that is.”

“Yeah,” responds Nick, unconvincingly, “that’s what I meant.”

“So, I don’t think anyone else here will be playing for England, right…” Nick scans around the changing room they are now in but talking to no one in particular. “I mean, Okada is Japanese, Jang is… Mexican… von Wolfe is… Canadian?”

“Yeah,” says Felix, drying himself off with a towel “But there’s no England team… you’ll play for the British Isles.”

“Oh right,” says Nick, “obviously, because that’s the whole country.”

“No it isn’t”, says Tex Star, walking into the car park with training bag over their shoulder, “The British Isles describes the north western European island group that includes the islands known as Great Britain (as opposed to little Britain, or the French region of Brittany) and Ireland, as well as a number of crown dependencies that are legally distinct to the United Kingdom or at the very least it’s four major constituent nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So the Isle of Wight is part of England *and* the British Isles, whereas the Isle of Man is its own legally distinct entity. And the Channel Islands are politically the British Isles, but are actually considered part of the British Islands instead. They’re also self-governing. Duh.”

Kasak looks confused and impressed by Star’s knowledge about geography, especially somewhere he isn’t from.

“Ok, so no one represents their country?” Nick asks?

“Not exactly,” Homme Esquire III Ltd responds while getting his hair cut, watching Nick standing behind him in the mirror, getting in the barber's way, “Canada and USA have just a national team because they have a large group of players to pick from. Whereas South America and Oceania play as an entire continent.”

Nick frowns, confused… “So… if they have the most players then USA or Canada must have won it then?”

“No...they didn’t,” says Howie Dewitt, dressed sharp in a suit and tie, sitting at a restaurant opposite his date in a beautiful cocktail dress browsing a menu, with Nick awkwardly sits between them, still in his green Kaapstad training tracksuit, “the final was between Central Europe and Pyrenees Union.”

“I see,” Nick replies, eyeing up a cocktail menu himself, “so basically Germany versus Spain and France.”

“Sort of,” says Dewitt, “Now, could you leave me to my date?”

“Sorry, sorry,” says Nick, embarrassed, “Just wanted to know when the next one was happening and if I should do anything about it.”

“Well,”  says a waiter, now outside the restaurant with Kasak, “they’ve made the announcement and it sounds like it will be in a couple of seasons’ time – you’ll probably be nearing your prime by then? And there are so many talented BI players in your draft class too. It really could be you and your region's time to shine.”

“That’s true, that’s true. Something to think about, so who is the current BI manager?”

“Well,” says a well meaning homeless man at the bus stop, “there isn’t one, all the managers step down after the tournament and new people come in to take over for the next one. You never know, it could be you…”

“Me?” says Nick, surprised.

“Yeah.” The homeless man, looks at him and then doubts himself, “You’re Barry McGlynn, right?”