Nauru has tried to develop football previously, but it has never really taken off. The closest it has come to playing an international match was when representative teams faced a Solomon Islands expatriate team in 1994 and a refugee side in 2014.
Its complicated past goes some way to explaining why the world’s most popular sport has struggled for participation.
Located in the Pacific Ocean 2,500 miles north east of Australia, Nauru’s historical wealth was built on its vast deposits of phosphate from fossilised bird poo.
Nauru, which was a dependent territory of Australia until independence in 1968, was heavily mined in the late 20th Century. The minerals dried up, leaving the country once named Pleasant Island looking ragged, with large parts of its central areas uninhabitable and extremely challenging to farm.
This resulted in most of the 12,000-strong population clustering around the coastal edges with usable space at a premium on an island that measures only 21 square kilometres. And even that is shrinking, with climate change and rising sea levels threatening its very existence.
Its barren land has left the country importing more than 90% of its food – much of which is processed, contributing to 69% of the population being classed as obese and around 40% having type 2 diabetes.
One of its main sources of revenue now is from the Australian immigration detention centre it has housed for much of this century.
Everyday life on the island can be a struggle and sport has been a strong release for many, but the sport of choice is Aussie rules, which 30% of locals play. Also popular are athletics and weightlifting, which Nauru has competed in at the Olympics.
Nauru will host the Micronesian Games in 2028 – a multi-sport event that includes football and will showcase the island’s desire to grow its international reputation through sport.
“They are trying to change the image for the better and get involved in more sport,” says Pomroy, technical director for Nauru Soccer and one of eight volunteers aiming to develop football on the island.
“They [Nauru] want people to see the country in a more positive light rather than the punchline of a joke.
“So whether it’s football, whether it’s Aussie rules, whether it’s rugby, basketball, cricket, weightlifting… just to be part of building a healthier Nauru is enough.
“But being a football lover, the best way I know how to have an impact is through football.”
And the Briton, who is originally from Stevenage and worked at his hometown club when they were still in non-league, has a track history to prove it.
He previously set up a charity in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap which ended up turning into a professional academy that has so far produced 47 players who have progressed to play professionally in the Asian country, and is also running successful programmes in India bringing football to underserved communities.
All of his projects pose different challenges. One of the first challenges in Nauru is getting some footballs on to the island.
