The Gambia (more commonly referred to as simply Gambia), have seen recent results improve at international level and they narrowly missed out on qualification to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers. They have never qualified for a senior final tournament, but after winning the African Under-17 Championship, they participated in the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup and in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, qualifying for the knockout stage in the latter.
Recently, a North Riding Referee, Pete McKay, was on holiday in the Western African Country where he met a football mad waiter, James Mendy. After much football debate James invited Pete to visit his team, Daranka United, who play in a suburb of the city of Banjul, Gambia’s capital. It was this chance meeting and Pete’s enthusiasm which led to Daranka United being the first team in their league to own their own kit.
Most of the team don’t work, and those who do take home the equivalent of £1 a day and with kit hire costing £6 a match, their love for football apparently knows no boundaries. So when North Riding County FA donated a full playing kit they were naturally over the moon.
James Mendy is very grateful to Pete and the North Riding, “Now the boys can feel even more like a team and we are very thankful to the NRCFA for giving us our first full kit. We play football every day and now we can play our matches in style, hopefully with some successful performances too!”
Pete McKay, who arranged the kit from North Riding and supplied them with balls, also refereed a game in Gambia and he was full of praise for the respect shown by the Gambians. “They respected every single decision, played in extremely good spirit and they even applauded my pre-match speech. It was very refreshing for a referee to experience such behaviour, and players in the Wensleydale League could take a leaf or two out of their book! They just play for pure love of the game.”
Indeed, Daranka United train 6 times a week and now they can play with pride wearing the colours of North Riding County FA thanks to the a local referee and the county FA.