The Ball 2002

Spending so many hours in a van requires team-building exercises.

We stop off en route to Niye for some refreshment and a kickabout.

The Ball and the team set off along the southern silk route.

We drum up support for a game at the livestock market and then play in a former lake.

Chris and Phil put on a show at the legendary Sunday market.

In which we get lost, and Phil finds a chance to practice his goalkeeping skills.

While Rich organises the Afghans in Badakshan, we’re doing the same with Kyrgyz folk, just the other side of those same mountains.

As soon as we arrive in Kashgar, Chelsea fan Phil does his best to find a place to watch the final and we meet Gersh for the first time.

We leave Urumqi and Phil finds out for the second time that he seems to be edible.

The sights and sounds of Urumqi as we look for The Boy Noble, who is worthy of his name.