Jamaica in big league? Now that is real 冷静な／正味の

AS A football Philistine which is to say one who doesn't regard it as more important than war, 集団殺戮 or 飢饉 - I 登録（する） my joy at Jamaica qualifying for next year's World Cup.

明白に the cognoscenti are 持つ／拘留するing their noses, appalled that a bunch of demented Rastos are to desecrate their ４年毎の 教会会議, but they have only the rapacity of FIFA, the game's 判決，裁定 団体／死体, to 非難する.

The 単独の 推論する／理由 FIFA 増加するd the number of finalist nations from the 伝統的な 16 to 32 was to 長引かせる the tournament, saturate it with matches and thus 二塁打 their income from TV. Stand by, therefore, for hour upon hour of television panellists, some with unintelligible accents and a ごくわずかの しっかり掴む of syntax, analysing a

game as though it were the 突発／発生 of some 全世界の 軍の 衝突.

Football people do take themselves 本気で.

So welcome Jamaica, the Caribbean island which awarded itself a 国家の holiday for 製図／抽選 0-0 with Mexico.

They 港／避難所't a hope, of course.

William Hill 率d them 200-1 yesterday and even those are cur-mudgeonly 半端物s. But what they will bring to the Mundial in

フラン is fun, zaniness and a 解放する／自由な spirit that will captivate the world as long as they 生き残る.

Jamaicans have a 評判 for it. You have only to cast your mind 支援する nine years to their most outrageous 冒険的な 企業: entering a four-man bobsleigh 乗組員 from their sweltering island to compete in the subzero 気温s of the Calgary Winter Olympics.

Those Games were a serious affront to anyone who believes that sport is more than entertainment.

Britain's brilliant 出資／貢献 was Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, a ski-jumper so utterly hopeless that he flopped off the end of the chute like a plastic 捕らえる、獲得する of blancmange. But with his 瓶／封じ込める-end spectacles and bizarre line of 雑談（する） he became the 教団 人物／姿／数字 of the Olympics. His 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会s were packed out and they even flew him 負かす／撃墜する to 売春婦 llywood football for a TV 雑談（する） show. The Finns, who took all three 利用できる gold メダルs with stupendous jumping, were apoplectic.

And then, just across the valley, there were the Jamaican bobsleigh team, hurtling 負かす／撃墜する the run with headphones 爆破ing native music in their ears.

They'd trained 支援する home on dusty slopes on somefour-wheeled contraption and with their hey-man vivacity were attracting the attention of every writer, カメラマン, TV-乗組員 and 漫画家 in the place.

They were better at their discipline than Eddie Edwards but on their big day they 衝突，墜落d and were disqualified. Over but not やめる out.

I received a phone call from 夜明け Steel, an old friend who'd 取って代わるd David Puttnam as 長，率いる of Columbia Studios.

'D'you reckon these guys would make a good picture?' she asked.

'Rubbish', I replied with the usual perception over 会計の 事柄s.

夜明け went ahead and produced the film anyway. It was called 冷静な／正味の Run-nings, was a laugh a minute, 要求するd a PG 率ing because of some fictional 注射s and took the big 審査する by 嵐／襲撃する.

Lord knows what publicity the Jamaica football team will attract next year in フラン, but I'm delighted they will be there to throw some light 救済 into what 脅すs to a ponderous and 国祭的な antagonist event.

IT MAY come as no surprise to 正規の／正選手 readers of this column that I am not 完全に 納得させるd Mr Tony Banks is a suitable man to 持つ／拘留する the office of Britain's 大臣 of Sport.

But fair's fair and the 最新の 強襲，強姦 on his erratic 行為／行う isn't. He told the Jamaican Football 協会 that he would 接触する the English FA to see whether they would play a pre-World Cup warm-up match against Jamaica at Wembley.

This he did and the English FA's perfectly reasonable reply was that such a fixture had no place in their 計画（する）s.

Where's the problem? Banks 約束d nothing, went through the 訂正する 外交ルートs and the 事柄 was 解決するd in a perfectly civilised manner .

This was an under-the-belt 職業 which 単に 土台を崩すs what is now becoming a 国家の （選挙などの）運動をする to 解放する／自由な Mr Banks from his onerous 義務s and 許す him to return to shout his を回避する for Chelsea at Stamford 橋（渡しをする） 物陰／風下's such a good sport

WE ARE now approaching that season when 事実上 everyone will be 投票（する）ing for his or her Sportsman, Sportswoman or Sports Team of The Year.

Ridiculously ITV, 決定するd to get in first, 審査するd its findings weeks ago with a programme so recklessly under-用意が出来ている and shoddily produced that it utterly 平価を切り下げるd what, at best, is an 独断的な tossup. Contrary to so many 荒涼とした headlines this has been a tremendous year for British sport.

Naseem Hamed remains unbeaten in the （犯罪の）一味, Alison Nicholas 達成するd the 近づく-impossible in winning the US Women's Open ゴルフ 肩書を与える, Greg Rusedski and Tim 女／おっせかい屋-man saved our tennis from 完全にする 絶滅, the Lions 達成するd a colossal rugger 勝利 in South Africa, our 競技者s carried off the European Cup , England's football team at least qualified for the World Cup and, against almost every 予測, Europe's golfers （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 America for the Ryder Cup.

I guess the Ryder Cup team, with so many 大陸の players 船内に, will be out of the reckoning in the serious 投票s now coming up. However, before the Sports Writers 協会 of 広大な／多数の／重要な Britain's 投票（する） の近くにs in a few days' time, I shall 本気で be reviewing the 信任状 of 物陰／風下 West-支持を得ようと努めるd for the Sportsman 肩書を与える.

Here is a 競争相手 who has not only leaped up world 最高位のs but is an admirable 外交官／大使 for England every time he walks on to a course. For me that means a lot.