Head Hunters? Not Anymore - Football Hunters!

 At the end of last month I got interesting task to do by the football magazine I cooperate with – to write an article about football environment in Solomon Islands. And so I used that as a kick to get myself a bit more interested in the sport activities than before. Luckily there was that weekend first round of the Oceanic League, which is at the same time qualifier for the FIFA Club World Cup, between Koloale FC and Auckland City from New Zealand.



The stadium I was passing by every day on my way to work didn’t seem as big as FIFA declares on their website. Indeed, 20 000 “seats” seemed to be very generous number, considering that the whole stadium has around 1000 actual seats (for sitting). 

In front of the stadium I faced the problem of getting my ticket as in the crowd nobody seemed like selling tickets and I haven’t noticed any official selling place. After a while I decided to ask one of the guys where is possible to purchase the passage to thestadium. What a surprise when he pointed at the crowd around fence surrounding the stadium. Until then I thought the people there just don’t have money to get in so they enjoy the game from distance. Girls with tickets in their hands were on the other side, distributing them in exchange for 10 Solomon Dollars (CCA 1 EUR). So I joined the crowd and soon I walked away with this magic piece of paper in my hand.

On my way I passed by several ladies with green piece of fabric with “Go Koloale! Go!” letters. Considering that I was probably the only white guy at the stadium attracting attention I decided to buy one and show my sympathies with local team. Well equipped and ready for the game I was heading to find some place with a nice view. At that point I had no doubts about the information on FIFA webpage regarding the stadium capacity – over 15 000 people was there, that’s for sure.  The hill next to the pitch serves as natural stand. Its cascade structure makes possible to sit at some parts of the steep. I sat down right above the middle of the field with very nice view. At least that’s what I though. Unfortunately there was some kind of passage point for people to go back and forward just in front of me and I was sliding down on the back of man who was just below me. I can’t even express how much I did envy the guy next to me who got the chance to hold the roots of a tree and unless me had some stability.

People around were asking me whether I’m from New Zealand. I denied everything pointing at the signs of my sympathies around my neck with letters “Go Koloale! Go!”. “This defender was in our beach soccer team at the World Championship,” claims the guy in garbage collector suit next to me. I waggle my head with obvious sign of recognition in my face.

Half time whistle comes just in the right moment as I start to have cramps in my legs and hands from sitting on the hill. While I was stretching my legs one of the local supporters started to ram down the ground behind me so I can sit a bit more comfortable in the next half. I accept this nice gesture with polite smile. As I can see I might not even need such a help as from upper part of the hill other local guys made some space for me and so in the second half I can watch the game with new friends.

Koloale managed to play pretty well. At least much better than I would expect. Auckland was leading at half time only by the penalty kick and so the second half could be very interesting. Unfortunately for Koloale it wasn’t. Their lack of discipline, patience and tactical consistency lead to their defeat 4:1. Audience have been very quiet and who would expect some organized chants, would be very disappointed.

Solomon Warriors - my way to become professional football player

This experience reminded me that I could actually go and play some day. My colleague Colin offered me the chance to join one of next Sundays his friends on their weekend friendly game. I decided to give it a try. Waking up before 7 AM on Sundays isn’t my favourite activity, but I managed to move myself to the place. Everybody has chance to play, old, young, fat, slim, black, white, with or without shoes... One game is 2x15 minutes and then the next group of players moves in. I had big problems to realize who is in my team as everybody looks the same to me. And so sometimes it happens that I try to take the ball from my surprised team mate and sometimes I pass to player from the opposite team.

After the game I was sitting with some of the players and, as usual in here, I had to face many questions from surprised sportsman about how it happened that white man from Europe is playing with them. It turned out that one of the guys is assistant coach of one of the best local teams FC Solomon Warriors and I was offered to take part of their training.

The next day I was waiting for the players and coaches to come on the football pitch they were supposed to practice on. The players are brought every day on trunk of a truck and so they were this time. Solomon Warriors are divided into two teams according to players football abilities and practice separately. At the end of the training comes friendly game between both teams. I got my chance to play in attack and as soon as I enter to the game there is ball on my side. I can hear players along the line laughing and supporting my first touch with the ball: “White man! White man!”

After the training they all gather together in a circle, hold their hands and listen to the speech of the coach. After that there is a praying part. Missionaries did very good job over last centuries. The 1999 population census revealed that 41.9% of the Population is Roman Catholic, 23.1% Church of Melanesia (Anglican), 16% South Sea Evangelical Church, and 11.7% are Seventh Day Adventists (SDA). The remaining 7.3% is comprised of members of other denominations, and a small number of Pagans. In general churches have played a vital role in the development of Guadalcanal. Not only are they fulfilling their evangelism and Christianizing roles but they are active development agents as well. I usually don’t declare my atheism and rather say I’m catholic. That helps me to avoid further questions. Praying is very common activity at any occasion – meeting, common lunch, sport events...

Before I jump in to the truck with other players coaches invite me to watch game of their B-team next day. To my surprise they want to register me, so might even play. I guess it’s kind of question of prestige as they would be the only team with white player from !EUROPE!. I accept the invitation and the following day I enjoy the atmosphere from the bench with rest of Solomon Warriors.  At the Lawson Tama stadium for “20 000” people as this is the only stadium for official games in Solomon Islands.

Obviously my presence on the bench of Solomon Warriors confused some of the supporters. “My wantoks (meaning people from the same place/village) told me Solomon Warriors have a new white coach. He was on the bench with them in their last game. He has to be from overseas, probably American,” told me Collin the other day in the office with amusement in his face, knowing it was me.

Last Sunday I went to play the friendly weekend game again and some of the Solomon Warriors players have been there too. “Our coach registered you in our team, you can play with us now,” informs me one of the Solomon Warriors B defenders. Considering that I never told them my last name I would really like to know how, or under which name they managed to register me. Let’s just say Solomon Islands is the place where Matouš almost became professional football player.

Solomon’s Time

That some countries are less strict with being on time is nothing unusual. At least in Europe will nobody be surprised with the fact that more to the south you get, the more careless and easy going people are. More to the north you get, the more perfectionist approach within the society will be present. By coming to face the Solomon Islands institutions I knew that expect anything else than some version of south European carelessness would be very naive, but even though you are ready to face the reality, when the reality hits you it’s not easy to remain calm.

First time the term “Solomon's time” crossed my way, was just second day after my arrival to Honiara, when in the Heritage hotel took its place capacity development workshop for local ministerial employees. The workshop started one hour later and by that time I considered such a situation as meaningless delay which might happen anywhere else. The problem of Solomon Islands is that this easygoing attitude spills over to all the spheres of administrative places, institutions and everyday life situations.  

When I was assigned to the Guadalcanal Provincial Government, I got very early a chance to taste all the different flavors of local working environment. On one of our first meetings I got to know the Financial Treasurer for G-Province Patrick, who was supposed to finalize the financial report for period 2009/10 (fiscal year 2008/09 which was one of the reasons of disqualification of G-province from PCDF funding is not finished and this time wasn't even required from Financial Treasurer) and submit that to the Auditor General at MPGIS (Ministry of Provincial Governance and Institutional Strengthening). Reports, absence of which disqualified G-Province last year from receiving of substantial amount of money from PCDF (Provincial Capacity Development Fund). Financial Treasurer was supposed to report himself at the MPGIS the day before, but even though he assured provincial advisors who reached him on phone that he is on his way, he never got to the final destination. As the sum of 6,194,673,56 SBD was in stake, special arrangements were established and guidance necessary as the factor of help, control and supervising provided, so that no political pressure would disturb Patrick from efficiently performing his duties. He got one week to have it all done and even though the pressure was intensive from all the sides, it took more than a month until it was finally submitted to the Auditor General.  More than a month full of constant notifications about Patrick, who didn’t report to the ministry. 

For the fiscal year 2011/12 Guadalcanal province operates with 6,882,000 SBD service grant, 10,218,788 SBD from own revenues and 290,000 SBD from PCDF fund. Service grant and own revenues are used for financing of recurrent expenditures. Only fund available to finance development projects therefore is PCDF fund. The sum is so low because Guadalcanal, as the only one out of 9 provinces, didn’t qualify for the funding (even though G-province was 3^rd best and didn’t get the funding probably because of absence of Provincial Secretary at the general meeting, where the other PS’s could lobby for their province). In PCDF are considered all the sectors, but the priority is given to health, education and women’s sector, going along with Millennium Development Goals. How sustainable this policy is, whether local authorities will continue in this trend even after the qualification for additional funding and how much it will help the province, Honiara city and Solomon Islands out of the vicious circles of poverty – which I assume is one of the goals of UNCDF who as well contributes to the fund - is questionable. Let’s hope next year the G-province will qualify and local authorities will allocate this resources where the society needs it the most, to the causes of the problems.



After our assessment of projects located in South and West of Guadalcanal (as mentioned in the article below), there was another visit of projects on the opposite side of the island planned for 18^th October 2011. The factor of conditionality was present in this matter; first has to be planned workshop for Guadalcanal provincial heads of departments on development planning . This turned to be a crucial point as the planning itself was based on condition that people who are in charge of financial resources for G-Province have to agree on the allocation of money for the workshop. Details were supposed to be decided on the meeting first week in October.  I was told to be at work the next day at 10am ready for the meeting. At the time of the meeting some important  members didn’t show up and so the new instructions were to be there the next day at 10am. The day after the same situation occurred and so the following days. At the time of writing it’s almost one month since the meeting was supposed to happen and so far I was at work every day before 10 am, because what if... The workshop was at the end planned for last week of October, Thursday and Friday, without meeting. Unfortunately only one third of participants showed up, even though there were several notifications, reminders and announcements. My curious looks about “what is it this time” I got two answers: either 1) the heads of departments didn’t finish their reports, weren’t prepared for the workshop and decided not to show up, or 2) the lack of allowance at the workshop didn’t motivate them enough to please us with their presence (in Solomon Islands they have a tradition to pay money in form of allowance to participants of this type of programs) – lunch wasn’t obviously appropriate incentive.


I was sad for the people who organized this workshop as it turned to be temporary failure in Solomon style, but happy on the other hand as due to the abundance of pre-ordered lunches I had something to eat for whole weekend. The workshop is supposed to be postponed by one week which means it might happen again tomorrow. But one is much more cautious to count on anything in this environment. And so, even the trip to eastern part of Guadalcanal is somewhere in undecided future.The perception of time and strictness with deadlines (which are never reached) at Solomon Islands is very specific and nasty phenomenon. Inefficient institutions makes any attempts for improvement very insecure and from my current experience I remain very sceptical towards assumption that inflow of more capital will be effectively allocated and not mostly dissolved in the sea of provincial administration structures.

Supplement: 3/11/2011 - the day of planned workshop. Today was supposed to be first day of the workshop. Unfortunately it was called off for the lack of financial resources. The workshop is postponed for the week after 10th of November, as that day the assessment team comes to evaluate Guadalcanal Province and decide whether they are eligible for PCDF funding.

Supplement II.: 14/11/2011 - Last week was the assessment of the G-Province for PCDF funding. Province most probably qualified for PCDF. At the day of the assessment Patrick, the Treasurer called, claiming he can't come because he is sick. Monister of Finance of the province sent a car for him and within one hour was Patrick in the meeting room with us. The same the next day. Do they even need healthcare here? It looks like little threat can cure any kind of sickness.