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The Ball 2002 is kicked over the Great Wall of China on its way to Korea & Japan

Category: Korea

Fear of football

Whose security?
Us and them and them and us…

As I reflected on the Korea v. Poland game, some thoughts began to take shape in my mind – and right now I just want to get them out in the open. Pat Nevin’s comment that travelling with a football was like carrying a second passport, so I’ll write this with football as my nationality and see what happens…

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France v. Uruguay, Busan

We’re just about to head off to the stadium to see our first live game of this World Cup. Rob’s first game ever! Ole ole ole ole…

Rob's first ticket to a live game of football
Rob’s first ticket to a live game of football

Big thanks to (name withheld) for the tickets! You’re a gentleman and a scholar, and Football’s Leaving Home is very grateful.

Work work work

NEWSFLASH: The first batch of video vignettes of our trip is ready to roll… we’re going to wait for the Windows Media Player version to go online before we post a link to the first one – so you PC folk don’t have to install Quicktime just to see them. Big shout to Dirk and Monika at Berlin-Bristol Mediawire and Films at 59.

Phil and Chris pose for a press photo
Phil and Chris pose for a press photo

With our arrival in Korea, the nature of our journey has changed from just doing it to reflecting on it and trying to pitch the idea to as many press folk as we can. This photo is for the Korea Herald, and possibly other papers, depending on whether the story that has been written about us gets syndicated. Most of the journalists that we have met have been enthusiastic about our story, and have given us what assistance they can. We look forward to seeing the results.

Te Hamin Gwo!

Te Hamin Gwo!
Te Hamin Gwo! A Korean supporter looks forward to the game

Phil, Rob and I joined about a million Koreans in Seoul’s main square to watch their opening game against Poland. As we wandered through the streets on our way to the centre, we paused in many a soju tent – where people go to eat tempura and drink soju, the brutal local spirit – to wish the locals well, though none of us rated their chances much. Famous last words, as it turned out…

Korea play Poland, and find out that their team is better than they perhaps thought. Certainly, the Red Devils seem to be happy with the situation…

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The consummate professionals at work…

As we made our way across Europe, we were still reading the camera manuals trying to familiarise ourselves with the vast amount of functions that Sony have packed into the little video cameras that we are carrying…

click here to download the MPEG of Phil showing his grasp of the technology

By the time we arrived in Urumqi, we had travelled through 12 countries in eight weeks, encountering more than 15 languages along the way…

click here to download the MPEG of Chris showing his grasp of geography

Korean taste of Senegalese victory

Korean and Senegalese
The beautiful game unites.

click here or on the image to download the MPEG movie clip

Chris adds: the Senegalese drumming turned the subway into our pre-club club… a prelude for Fat Boy Slim’s gig in Seoul tonight…

Fat Boy Slim flyer
Fat Boy Slim flyer

Korea kicks off


Ole ole ole ole…

A fervour was whipped up after the opening game as a couple of hundred Red Devils – a posse of Korean supporters and their two drummers – chanted, danced and sang in the park outside the stadium.

click here or on the image above to download the MPEG clip of the Red Devils

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The Ball reaches its goal

Arrival at the Stadium
The Ball arrives at the stadium

The trans-continental odyssey reached its first point of closure with the Ball’s arrival at the World Cup stadium in Seoul. We had high hopes of getting inside as the opening ceremony started, since we had heard that there were still tickets for sale at the box office…

The Ball makes its final journey – to the Opening Ceremony, the place it has travelled 8000 miles to reach.

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The Ball on air

Pat Nevin signs the ball on air
Pat Nevin signs the ball on air

Chelsea fan Phil meets ex-Chelsea captain and Scotland international Pat Nevin during an appearance on Radio 5 Live just before the opening ceremony…

Some outtakes from our encounter with Nicky Campbell and Pat Nevin, who interviewed us just before the Opening Ceremony.

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The Ambassador’s Ball

The Ambassador's Ball
The Embassy teams

The day of the Opening Ceremony, the Ball was invited to the British ambassador’s residence for a little kickabout between Chris and Phil on one side, and the combined talents of the Foreign Office Minister, Dr. Dennis McShane and the ambassador himself on the other…

We just have time to stop off at the British Embassy for a cup of tea and a kick-about.

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The Ball 2018 left England on 25th March 2018 and travelled to the World Cup in Russia.

The Ball 2014 kicked off from England on 9th Jan 2014 and headed to the World Cup in Brazil.

The Ball 2010 left England on 24th Jan 2010 headed to the Opening Ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Ball 2006 travelled from London to the Opening Ceremony in Munich, Germany.

The Ball 2002 was carried 7000 miles across Europe and Asia to the World Cup finals in Korea & Japan.