Tuesday, July 12

If the kits are United...

Interviewed David Sau, the only man in Solomon Island history to become a FIFA-qualified referee’s assistant, before the second Solomons versus Vanuatu friendly at the Lawson Tama Stadium. David now works for the Solomon Islands Football Federation and is the field coordinator at Lawson Tama, organizing the ball boys and flag displays among other duties. When Malaita Eagles fans threw stones and burned down the SIFF Clubhouse, he says “I took the ball boys into the centre of the pitch and we formed a circle for their own safety" - as you do.

Sau, who is from Malaita Province and has two children, looks a bit like a Solomons version of Chris Hughtonand is proudly wearing an England training top, as does Solo gaffer Jacob Moli. David officiated at an Australia versus New Zealand Oceania World Cup play-off in 2001 and at the under-20 World Cup in Argentina. He retired in 2004 because of a knee injury.

David has had a pitch named after him at Bekabeka School in the Western Province. He tours schools with SIFF and says the soccer-crazy children desperately need new kit.

The average wage in Solomon Islands is around £600 a year, so help is needed. If any philanthropic readers have old England kits, or indeed West Ham or Dukla Prague away kits, then please post them to David Sau, Solomon Islands Football Federation, Allen Boso Complex, Honiara, PO Box 584, Solomon Islands, and he can distribute them to schoolkids. Enough Irons kits and we could get an extra 500,000 fans.

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