British marines under the kosh from local Iraqi soccer team

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 4-3-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SOUTHERN IRAQ, April 3 (AFP) - Eleven British Royal Marines have come under the kosh on the dusty streets of Umm Khayyal, being handed a 7-3 thrashing by the local football team, resplendent in full strip, boots and squad numbers.

A thousand spectators came from all ends of the town, throngs of screaming men and children marking out the boundaries of the pitch.

In the face of such passion, Leading Airman Dave Husbands said the marines were beaten from the start.

"We turned up to play and there was no-one around, just a few kids messing about," he said.

"Then suddenly, out of nowhere, came this kitted-up football team together with a referee and two linesmen.

"The boys thought they must be the Iraqi international side or something. In truth, they thrashed us."

In a dusty old market square, 11 of 42 Commando's K Company finest struggled in stifling conditions under blue skies.

There were no jumpers for goalposts here -- even the referee had a whistle and cards in his pocket, two linesmen proudly carried flags.

Hundreds of children chanted, some sporting the red shirts of Manchester United or Arsenal, carrying playing card pictures of David Beckham and David Seaman.

Behind them lay old defensive military positions, trenches used two weeks ago by the Iraqi army. On Wednesday they were dug outs, sand pits for kids to play in.

On the pitch the marines used tactics practised not so much on the fields of Eton as the parks of Wimbledon - a game of hussle, bustle and long ball.

The Umm Khayyal XI made merry, skipping around the robust tackles and passing the ball around with glee.

Water and oranges at half time could not save the marines, their hair coloured grey with layers of dust, their faces and arms black with dirt.

Meanwhile, the throngs of men and children on the sidelines grew as news filtered through the town of the Iraqi triumph.

Locals came by foot, on bicycles and pedal-carts.

Football is their passion and, needless to say, "Mister Beckham", Manchester United's star midfielder, is their man.

"Beckham is best, Beckham is best!" shouted Mohammad, a 21-year-old spectator.

"You need him," replied his friend, pointing to the pitch. "You lose bad."

Meanwhile, the commander of the unit, Lieutenant Colonel Buster Howes, attempted to be magnanimous in defeat.

"We want a rematch," he said with a smile.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

	Members of the team from Juliet Company of the British Army's 42 Commando play local Iraqis in a friendly game of soccer in Basra, Iraq (news - web sites), Wednesday April 2, 2003. The marines lost 9-3. (AP Photo/David Husbands, Pool) - Apr 03 10:53 AM ET
	A member of the Juliet Company of the British forces' 42 Commando Marines, right, during a pick-up soccer game with local Iraqis in Khor az Zubahir in Basra, southern Iraq, in this Wednesday April 2 photo, made available Thursday April 3, 2003. The marines lost 9-3. (AP Photo/LA (Phot) Husbands/Pool) - Apr 03 10:15 AM ET
	Members of the Juliet Company of the British forces' 42 Commando Marines, right, during a pick-up soccer game with local Iraqis in Khor az Zubahir in Basra, southern Iraq, in this Wednesday April 2 photo, made available Thursday April 3, 2003. The marines lost 9-3. (AP Photo/LA (Phot) Husbands/Crown Copyright /POOL) - Apr 03 7:49 AM ET
	A member of the Juliet Company of the British forces' 42 Commando Marines, left, during a pick-up soccer game with local Iraqis in Khor az Zubahir in Basra, southern Iraq, in this Wednesday April 2 photo, made available Thursday April 3, 2003. The marines lost 9-3. (AP Photo/LA (Phot) Husbands/Crown Copyright /POOL) - Apr 03 7:02 AM ET
	Member of the Juliet Company of the British forces' 42 Commando Marines, play a pick-up soccer game with local Iraqis in Khor az Zubahir in Basra, southern Iraq, in this Wednesday April 2 photo, made available Thursday April 3, 2003. The marines lost 9-3. (AP Photo/LA (Phot) Husbands/Crown Copyright /POOL) - Apr 03 6:35 AM ET
	A member of the Juliet Company of the British forces' 42 Commando, center background, is seen during a pick-up soccer game with local Iraqis in Umm Khayyal, Iraq, in this Wednesday April 2 photo, made available Thursday April 3, 2003. (AP Photo/LA (Phot) Husbands/Crown Copyright /POOL) - Apr 03 6:04 AM ET

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Ping

[thepitts]

Very cool.

[lepton]

Stuff like this happens in wars, but it's surreal.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Good story. APH.

[ThinkDifferent]

National Geographic headline of this event: Coalition Forces Suffer Humiliating Defeat. (by Peter Arnett)

[craig_eddy]

But the Syrian ambassador says that we're brutalizing the people of Iraq. Og course, he'd also say these pictures are fabricated...

[Walkingfeather]

Kinda glad they lost. It is good for the locals.

[Retrofire]

Well worth the read. I never doubted the mission success or the ultimate outcome, but its heartwarming to read about things like this.

And coming frome Agence France Presse is the sweet little marachino cherry on the top of it...

[KansasCanadian]

GREAT find

[ChromeDome]

How many times do we see a soccor match where a war breaks out. It's nice to have a war where a soccer match breaks out.

--ChromeDome

[chadwimc]

Why do these Limeys persist in calling soccer "football"??? Everybody knows Americans play *REAL* football. Thanks for all your help with the war...

[dep]

it really is a great find. but it wasn't a real game -- no one was trampled to death at the end.

dep

[EggsAckley]

It's SO good to see the soccer stadium used for something other than the execution of innocent women.

By the way, what's a "kosh?"
Great post!

[KansasCanadian]

I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out?

[mylife]

anybody have pics of the US spec ops guys playing buskaki with the afghans??
Those were a hoot!!

[SeeRushToldU_So]

Ping.....and cool. This is a way to win the local's heart.

[LibKill]

I've seen soccer (what they call football over there). I guess I'm just a heathen soul, I can't get excited over it.

[thinktwice]

Snatching a defeat from the jaws of victory and delighting the vanquished.

A magnanimity witnessed in Persia's conqueror -- Alexander -- 24 centuries ago.

[DED]

Good comment.
What they'd miss is the amount of good will these Brits gained by good naturedly getting walloped.

[truth_seeker]

Today it is the immediate best interest of the Iraqis to a) Not shoot, b) Accept food and water and medicine, and c) Play soccer.

It is not anything permanent. With full bellies, and incitement from dictators and mullahs, these folks can be swayed.

[danzaroni]

Coalition Forces Suffer Humiliating Defeat. (by Peter Arnett)

ROTFL!!!!

[AHerald]

Thanks for a killer post. Love it.

[BenLurkin]

[SuziQ]

"Beckham is best, Beckham is best!" shouted Mohammad, a 21-year-old spectator.
"You need him," replied his friend, pointing to the pitch. "You lose bad."

Talk about effective diplomacy! Good on you, guys!!

[Delta 21]

That should have been the title of this thread!!

Very COOL!!

[Ronin]

This is MIND-BOGGLING BEAUTIFUL!!!

Hearts and minds stuff.

I think Iraq is going to be chock-full of very pleasant surprises as the Iraqis come to the full realization that Saddam is GONE, the Ba'ath terror machine is GONE, that war is finally, totally OVER.

I am going to giggle all day over this story.

[FreedomPoster]

>>National Geographic headline of this event: Coalition Forces Suffer Humiliating Defeat. (by Peter Arnett)

They sent me a grovelling email today, trying to make nice. I'd already dropped them, Arnett just sealed it, that I had made the right decision.

[VMI70]

Exactly--

Just this one little snapshot, witnessed by 1000 people will do more for the cause than anything. They'll be telling their other little islam buddies: "Hey these guys aren't anything like the ogres they told us they were. They're stand up guys. Don't mess with them."

That kind of news will travel fast.

[Teacher317]

Contrast this with yesterday's Turkish bombing of the British embassy because the Turks lost 2-0 in Euro Cup action.

[yooper]

Not wanting to believe this, but do you think the Brits lost on purpose, for the political points?

[Incorrigible]

Very nice.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

By the way, what's a "kosh?"

I haven't a clue...

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Though, you must admit that their game is much more aptly called "football" than our game.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Where exactly did they have the room for a golf club and golf balls?

[tdscpa]

There is a war going on and the French are still playing games.

[DED]

What a GREAT photo! Where in the world did it come from?

[DED]

Lots of room in the tank muzzle when it's not being fired....

[XEHRpa]

Rest assured that, while good times were had by all, I'm fully confident that basic psy-ops doctrine calls for this sort of thing (including losing to the local hosts) as a means to build comraderie, restore a sense of normalcy, etc.

I don't mean it in a cynical or sinister way... just making an observation. Though I'm sure the Brits had a ball complying [sorry for the pun].

[CyberAnt]

You better believe it is - swwwweeeeeeeet! This totally debunks every nasty thing France said about the UK. Awesome!

[Travis McGee]

Football diplomacy...

It's over but for the shouting.

God Bless Great Britain!

[Travis McGee]

Can you imagine their sense of relief to be able to play and not worry about being tortured for losing?

Just to play for sport and fun, not your life?

Nobody under 45 remembers anything but pure brutal tyranny in Iraq. When the freedom takes hold, they will be something to watch. Think of how the Poles and Bulgarians are our strong allies today, because we battled for their freedom during the cold war. Maybe it will work this way in Iraq.

[Travis McGee]

See 33.

[ALS]

[KneelBeforeZod]

There is a story about a WWI Christmas day truce...Germans and British stopped fighting and had a soccer game... I don't know if its true or not... Monty Python played on this in "The Meaning of Life"

Didn't see the story listed on snopes, but I did find this story about it: The Christmas Truce of 1914

[BenLurkin]

LOL!

[al_c]

That is so cool! But this is the only battle the Iraqis will win. ;o)

[Tijeras_Slim]

It's true.
Read "Silent Night: The Story of the World War One Christmas Truce" by Stanley Weintraub.

[Rocky]

This is great news. Thanks for posting it.