Organised as part of the International Development Programme (IDP), which employs The FA's resources and expertise to help national associations around the world develop and improve their football infrastructure, the workshops aimed to enhance the administrative and strategic capabilities of the Botswana and Malawi football authorities. FA Training Officers Mark Ives and Peter Kay led the discussions and interactive modules, which focused on planning, finance, participation, competitions, discipline, refereeing, facilities and marketing.

The first leg of the trip, held in Gaborone, saw a total of 36 delegates from regions, clubs and leagues all over Botswana joined by two representatives of the Lesotho FA, England's third Meridian partner. Delegates' priorities centred on setting up effective youth development structures backed up by efficient football administration, and adopted the motto "to educate and develop a human being through the use of football from a tender age". Extra incentive came in the form of prizes supplied by England team sponsor Nationwide prizes.

"I was really impressed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm of the delegates", commented Peter Kay, "many of whom have travelled far and wide to learn about progressing their skills in the administration of the game of football". For their part, the participants felt that the workshop had been a challenging and stimulating experience, provided them with an excellent platform to develop and improve their planning skills.

Included in the programme was a visit to the local branch of SOS Children's Village, The F.A.'s international charity partner, which provides a home for some 200 abandoned or orphaned children, ranging from babies to teenagers. After distributing FA t-shirts and footballs, the FA training officers took on the Village's Under-12 team at football. "All you need is a ball and some kids and they all start speaking the international language of football", laughed Mark Ives, while Ray Kiddell, who took on the mantle of referee, was deeply moved by the experience: "It was worth travelling all this way just to see the enthusiasm on those children's faces".

Over the past year The FA has hosted Botswana coaches, referees and the national Under-20 team at courses and training camps at Lilleshall, and has provided the Botswana FA with a wide range of kit and equipment, including donations from FA suppliers Mitre and Umbro.

The second workshop was held in Lilongwe for 45 delegates from clubs, regions, and leagues as well as the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) and the Sports Council.

It focused on similar areas to the Gaborone workshop, and evoked the same positive enthusiasm. Participants identified their goals as using "football as a source for joy and a unifying factor for all in Malawi" and "implementing effective football structures and building a better Malawi through football".

As with Botswana and Lesotho, The FA has provided assistance to Malawi in a wide-range of areas, including coaching and refereeing courses, equipment donations, IT assistance, stadium consultancy and the donation of a mini-bus. The Hon. Moses Dossi, Minister for Sports and Culture, praised The FA as "the most organised federation in the world" and hoped that "Malawi and FAM in particular emulate this type of administration".

For the English party, the trip was a valuable opportunity to discover the stark challenges which face African football. When asked to list the factors threatening the development of the game in their region, delegates included HIV / AIDS, alcohol abuse, crime and chronic lack of financing. However, the partnership with The FA and the affiliation to FIFA and CAF were consistently identified as beacons of hope, and the workshops served the highlight the close bond between England and its Meridian partners. "Football has the power to unite nations and people and we feel we have made friends with each and every one of you," concluded Ray Kiddell as the group departed for England.

It was left to The FA's International Relations Co-ordinator Kim Fisher, who had put the trip together, to have the final word: "This trip has made us very aware of the major difficulties facing football administrators in Botswana and Malawi, and as a result we are better able to tailor our ongoing assistance programme to meet the needs of our Meridian partner countries. Next year will see The FA implement a new phase of initiatives covering the areas of administration, marketing, sports medicine, coaching and refereeing courses, whilst continuing to provide kit, equipment and IT assistance. We also hope to welcome African teams, coaches and referees to England for courses and training camps, and provide the same warmth and hospitality that we have enjoyed here over the last few days."

The Football Association's International Development Programme is active in all football confederations. It is managed by a dedicated International Relations section set up at The FA 12 months ago to create new partnerships and nurture existing relationships with the football family around the world. The final event in the IDP programme for 2001 will take place next month with a Strategic Planning Workshop for Technical Directors and Senior Coaches in Trinidad for CONCACAF member countries.