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This illustrated account of the journey of the Jamaican national football team, better known as the "Reggae Boyz", to the 1998 World Cup in France attempts to put something of a new slant on a tried-and-tested formula. Narrated in turn by Wimbledon star and Jamaican international Robbie Earle, and journalist Daniel Davies, the story consists of three main parts, dealing firstly with the football development programme which kicked off in Jamaica more than four years ago, and then subsequently the team's qualification for the World Cup Finals, and finally with the side's progress in the competition.
Whilst much of the tale is standard fare, a number of interesting points are raised. Noting the potential divide in the squad between the Jamaican-based players and the Premiership-based stars resident in England, both authors provoke thought on the Jamaican culture and national traits, and specifically the differences in lifestyle experienced by the two sets of players. The journey made by some of their ancestors may well have put more than the ocean between subsequent generations of Jamaicans. Indeed, this finally became a burden too heavy for the harmony of the squad to bear. Nonetheless, their underlying personalities shine through, from the near-megalomaniac federation chief Captain Burrell to the repentant enfant terrible of Jamaican football Walter Boyd, and the island's all-time rastafarian footballing great Alan "Skill" Cole. With characters like these, Jamaican football will always provide entertainment. --Trevor Crowe
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