Team: ‘Bears Armed (Mainland)’, alias "The Bear-Belles"..
Please note that for
this tournament, once again, this is a “unified” team that represents
all of ‘Bears Armed’ once again.
Yes, this is still an all-female team. As I’ve explained before, this is because the main ball-game that's traditionally been played in Bears Armed is actually a form of Rugby, but [for several reasons] the professional league for that sport is all-male and so some of the female players decided that switching to Soccer — and trying to establish a professional league for
that sport for themselves instead — might be a viable alternative: They were right, because that professional league was founded shortly after WC44 and so has now been in operation for almost forty years. Yes, we’re starting with a rather LARGE squad, but I’ll be reducing its size as events progress: The ‘core’ team is pretty much chosen already — or rather the core
teams are, because despite the “merger” we are essentially starting with a ‘Mainland’ squad & a ‘Northlands’ one so that the starting line-up for whichever matches get played at NorthPort will be different from the one used at Wimbley
(with line-ups for the ‘away’ games normally the same as for the ‘home’ ones against the same opponents) — but we hope to give most if not all of the substitutes & reserves at least a bit of playing time each during the various friendly matches and two other ‘Cups’ in which the Belles will be participating during the qualifiers so that we can see how well they do under those conditions.
According to the timeline for this nation, the qualifiers for WC52 are starting in 2047AD
([OOC] Yes, I do realise that that’s several years earlier than the date that I gave you in my roster post for the previous World Cup: I’ve just re-checked the Bears’ timeline, and this is definitely the correct date this time around…[/OOC]). The figures given here for people’s ages & lengths of experience should therefore be increased by 1 year for the second half of the qualifiers (i.e. the ‘Inter-Zonals’)
(If we get through to those…)) and then by another year for either the ‘World Cup itself
(iDitto…) or the ‘Cup of Harmony’…
People whose ages are marked with an asterisk in these notes are amongst those who were [mysteriously] “rejuvenated” back in 2042, while lost on the way to DBC15.
All of the players are actual
Ursines (i.e. anthropomorpic, bipedal Bears), except those whom I actually specify as being members of other ‘peoples’ instead. The
Harr'aynau people are physically human
(more-or-less, anyway, although inclined towards heavy builds & hairiness), but spiritually & culturally Ursine instead.
National football organisation: ‘Bears Armed Association for Soccer’ (= ‘BAAS’).
(Chairbear: Harroya ‘of the Rovers’ o Redwood [Chairbear of Merlchester Rovers S.C.; previously Captain of the Bear-Belles for some years.])National anthem: ‘Peace’.
StaffManager & Chief Coach: Marra SunDaughter
(female Ursine, a member of the ‘Sun Clan’; played in BoF31 & WC44, as the usual starter at ‘Left Forward’ and the team’s Captain, scoring a good proportion of the Belles’ goals’, and was also captain of her home team the 'Sun Valley Smashers’, but subsequently had to retire from active play due to a crippling injury to her right leg; involved in coaching her home team since then, and ‘Deputy Chief Coach for the national team during WC45; became Chief Coach for WC46, retaining that job when the ‘Bear-Belles’ became the “national” team of the ‘Mainland’ alone from WC47 onwards and became Manager as well after WC49; Soccer experience =10 years as a player, now in her 37th year as a full-time coach; official age = 67* but now looks & moves more as though she’s back in her 20s or early 30s instead, left-pawed, fur = golden-brown, good eyesight even by human [rather than Ursine] standards... She played in 2042’s Queen’s Cup and the following year’s Draggonnii Inviyatii, as well as managing the Belles during both of those contests, but then reverted to a purely off-the-field role once again…)First-Deputy Manager & Chief Coach: Sunnarra o Redwood
(female Ursine from Clan Redwood, formerly played for 'Heroes' Park Harlequins’ and for 28 years for the BearBelles too as a Defender/Midfielder [ usual position = ‘Lynchpin’], promoted to this job in between the qualifiers & Cup proper for WC53; age = 42, right-pawed, fur = light brown; quite fast; has a degree in Military Science. Sunnarra made her ‘international’ debut in Oxen Cup 11, although she wasn’t then selected for a World Cup
squad until WC48...) Deputy Manager & Chief Coach: Errmintrra o RedSun _ Clan = Red Sun
[Free Sept]; played as Striker or Winger [usual position = Right Forward] for ‘NorthPort Navigators’ for 26 years; she actually made her ‘international’ debut as a reserve in the “undivided”
‘Bears Armed’ team for the ‘WC46’ cycle, as its first ever recruit from within the
Northlands League’, and remained with them after that for both ‘Oxen Cup11’ & ‘WC47’ then became Captain of the
’NorthBears’ instead; doubled as that team’s
‘Attacking Coach’ for the ‘Cup of Harmony’ in the WC51 cycle, and retired from playing to take up the job of Deputy Manager for the reunified national team instead shortly after the decision to re-merge the two teams had been taken; played for the Bear-Belles in the
Draggonnii Inviyatii of 2043, player-manager of the NorthBears again for their revival during WC53; official age = 50* but now looks more as though she’s back in her 20s or early 30s, right-pawed, fur = light reddish-brown, above-average eyesight.
She will play (at Centre Forward, as #77, & Captain) in the “NorthPort” line-up.
Deputy Manager (Admin): Urradarra o SwanWater
(female Ursine, from Clan GreenWoods; formerly Deputy Manager of the Heroes’ Park Harlequins
, and more recently a staff member at BAMAS [as it then was], originally appointed to this job for ‘Oxen Cup 14’; age = 40, fur = medium-brown & quite long [but fashionably so…], left-pawed).Deputy Coaches _
Goalkeeping: Bella DeBruin _ Clan = WestWoods, Goalkeeper, had a lengthy & successful career as a goalkeeper for 'Wiston United'
(“What a pity their attack wasn’t as good…”), made her international debut for the Bear-Belles in the qualifiers for WC47 & remained in their active roster right through to the end of their participation in WC50 when she was selected for this job instead; playing experience = 31 years then, plus parts of 2042 & 2043; age = officially 49* but now looks & moves more as though she’s back in her 20s or early 30s, left-pawed, fur = dark brown.
Goalkeeping/Defence: Emma o RedSun _ Clan = RedSun
[‘Free Sept’]; plays for = ‘Snowspire’
(Sorthern Northland), category & usual position = Goalkeeper, experience = 24 years as player + 10 years as coach; age = officially 49* but now physically as if back in her mid-20s, right-pawed, fur = reddish-brown; of proven ability, actually made her ‘international’ debut as a reserve in the “undivided”
‘Bears Armed’ team for the ‘WC47’ cycle but was transferred to the
NorthBears as soon as those were established separately and played for them until the end of the Cup of Harmony following WC51; subsequently retired from playing, to help coach the nation’s “unified”U21 team, and was amongst the people who were mysteriously “rejuvenated” when they got lost on the way to DBC15 but has not returned to
playing at the national level since then.
Defending: Jerrane o Grey _ Clan = GreyBear; with 24 years of experience as a professional footballer for various Clubs
(most recently ‘Kabano Zepelin’ (‘Somewhereistonia’)) as a good all-round Defender & Midfielder, and having played as one of the ‘Bear-Belles’ from ‘Oxen Cup10’ until they were eliminated from WC50, she has now been spent 9 years as a [full-time] coach with one year during that period when she briefly returned to playing as well; age = officially 52* but now looks more as though she’s back in her 20s, right-pawed, fur = ash-blonde, good eyesight, used to be a bit hot-tempered at times but mellowed with age… and has not reverted fully to her earlier impulsiveness being rejuvenated.
Attacking: Elga ‘the Leopardess’ Lightning _ Clan = Gunnar, spent 29 years with ‘PassPort Athletic’ as a Midfielder/Forward ( preferred position = Midfield Centre or Midfield Right or Right Forward) and was a player with the Bear-Belles too from DBC9 to the end of WC50 after which she was selected for this coaching job — although she spent parts of 2042 & 2043 combining that with playing again — instead; age = officially 47* but now looks more as though she’s back in her early 20s, right-pawed, fur = light brown; very keen eyesight, not as heavily built as most other Ursines, very agile & quite fast on her feet.
Doctor: Mitzi von und zu Steiffen
(female Ursine, from Clan Kettar-Surra; age = officially 48*, left-pawed, fur = light brown.)Physio: Gerrthra o Barrdenn
(female Ursine, from Clan GreenWoods; age = officially 47*, left-pawed, fur = dark brown.) Routemaster: Lieutenant-Colonel Harron o Harrha
(male Ursine, from Clan BerryGlades and the Confederal Army’s General Staff Corps; age = officially 45*, left-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown & cut quite short: just appointed to the job, which involves handling all of the squad’s travelling arrangements.) Security Chief: Urrthra MoonShadow
(female Ursine, Silver-of-Night Clan; she is a ‘shabear’...), who doubles as the team’s ‘One Plus Seven’ chaplain.
“Mascot”: ‘The Wise
Grorrfinn’ (male ‘TrueBear’; age = undisclosed [but considering some of his appearances in old stories apparently somewhere over 1’500, at least...], ambidextrous, fur = medium-brown).Roster(#1) Karramarsar Darra _ Clan = Ostbora, home team = ‘Stonengarten UH’
(Andossa Se Mitrin Vega), category & usual position = Goalkeeper, 35 years experience of Soccer; age = 48, right-pawed, fur = light brown, has good eyesight, very nimble; had a very good record in ''League' play before moving abroad.
(She made her 'international' debut in Oxen Cup 12.) (#15) Urrathanna o BerryGlades _ Clan = BerryGlades; home team = Barrdenn Barbariennes, category & usual position = goalkeeper, experience = 15 years; age = 28, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown; promising as a youngster, when she still had some growing to do, she is now fully-grown at 7’1” tall and still has a definite knack for getting to shots that look as though they should be out of her reach.
(Oxen Cup 13 was her international debut: She played as the Belles’ starting goalkeeper during their first qualifying match of WC53, when she let in three goals before being replaced, but her League performance in the following years was good enough to win her another chance.)(#30) Rosa o SnowWhite _ Clan = SnowWhite
[‘Free Sept’], home team = ‘Stonengarten UH’
(‘Andossa Se Mitrin Vega’) (acquired by them from ‘NorthGate Nomads’, who are one of BA’s professional teams although perhaps not quite
of the first rank), experience = 17 years; age = 30, right-pawed, fur = ash-blonde, ancestry = ‘brown bear’.
(She played internationally as one of the ‘NorthBears’ before the latest merger.)(# 32): Goalkeeper _ Arrabarra o WehrthHwued _ Clan = Errhabarra; Home team = , usual position = Goalkeeper, experience = 9 years; age = 26 years, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown.
(She was supposed to be in B.A.’s “united” team for DBC15, last year as we reckon matters, but was on the plane that got lost on the way there so that WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut instead.)(#45) Theoderintha Urra Sighrehda’s-darthhrurr _ Clan = Marrl-Thuleann
(in the Northlands), home team = Karne Konquerors, category & usual position = Goalkeeper, experience = 5 years; age = 18, left-pawed, fur = white.
(Polar Bear ancestry), tall but not too heavily-built to be relatively fast…
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#2) Beorra Marra o Barrdenn _ Clan = GreenWoods; current team = ‘Lemanskigrad United’
(Albundania) (joined ‘Barrdenn Bruinettes’ [the Barbariennes’ [/i]Junior League
counterpart] at the age of 13 and transferred to the main team four years later, but wasn’t yet a regular member of its ‘starting’ roster when her transfer abroad occurred two years after that…), category = Defender, normal position = Left Back (but could also play well as a ‘Centre-Back’, or as a ‘Defensive Centre’…); age = 36, height = 7’2”, fur = dark-medium brown, left-pawed;
(She made her ‘international debut’ in ‘Eternal Flame 3’…).
She was named after a clan-mate & distant cousin, the ‘Beorra o Barrdenn’ who not only had a distinguished career with the Barbariennes but served as Centre Forward in the original line-up of the
‘Bear-Belles’ too. Fast on her feet, and now almost as big & strong as ‘The Locomotive’ was at her peak... but she’s not quite as
impulsive as her namesake was.
(#3) Urrsirha _ Clan = Chargh’ghrarr; home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Defender, usual position = Right Back, experience = 21 years; age = 35, left-pawed, fur = medium brown ; ‘CaveBear’ ancestry, so BIG…
(WWC12 was her ‘international’ debut.)(#16) Marra o Eastdale_ Clan = BerryGlades; home team = Kingly City, category = Defender, usual position = Left Back, experience = 22 years; age = 37, left-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown.
(She made her ‘international’ debut in ‘Eternal Flame 3’.)(#17) Arranarra o Harruorr _ Clan = Harruorr Erruur, home team = Heroes’ Park Harlequins, category =Defender, usual position = Right Back, Soccer experience = 13 years; age = 26, right-pawed, fur = medium brown.
(She made her ‘international’ debut in DBC 14.)(#33) Hergha Grimmr-o-DarkDale _ Clan = Thuleann; home team = Bhrorskerll Barbariennes, category = Defender, usual position = Right Back, experience = 10 years; age = 26, right-pawed, fur = dark brown; a very promising youngster.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#46) Beorra BigBear _ Clan = GreenWoods; Home team = Barrdenn Barbariennes, category = Defender, usual position = Right Back, experience = 8 years; age = 20 years, right-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown.
(She made her international debut as a member of the smaller-than-planned team that Bears Armed sent to DBC15.)(#47) Beorranna-Sarra o Daybreak _ Clan = Urrset, home team = Confederal Engineers, category = Defender, preferred position = Left Back, experience = 5 years; age = 11, left-pawed, fur = reddish-brown & trimmed quite short.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#50) Christina o Marrnen _ Clan = WestWoods, home team = Wiston Wanderers, category = Defender or Midfielder, preferred position = Right Back or Midfield Right, experience = 4 years; age = 20, right-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown & relatively (stylishly) long; shows great promise as a footballer, but sometimes loses concentration; ‘Roman Catholic [ Nova Assisi]’ Christian.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#4) Urra ‘Honey’ SunBlesséd _ Clan = Sun, home team = ‘Sun Valley Smashers’, category = Midfielder/Defender, usual position = Defensive Centre, Soccer experience = 44 years, and she has been in the national team since BoF31; age = 61
(but, although not amongst the people who were “rejuvenated” in 2042, she still seems quite ‘young’ both physically and mentally…), right-pawed, fur = ‘honey-brown’, very good eyesight even by human (rather than Ursine) standards. She is a very accurate kicker, and therefore one of the usual first choices for taking free kicks & penalties. Her nickname comes from her fur-colour, and her very sweet nature: Originally it was also because (as we must admit…) she was rather “thick”, but then she ‘grew-up’ mentally during WWC12 & the qualifiers for WC50 so that now she has a verrry good mind indeed… She acted as manager for the [“unified”] U21 teams that Bears Armed entered in DBC13 (=> runners-up) and DBC14 (=> quarter-finals).
(#5) Erra o MiddleMarch _ Clan = March; home team = WildFair Warrriors, category = Defender/Midfielder, usual position = Centre Back/Defensive Centre/Centre Half, experience = 18 years; age = 34, right-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown (& a bit longer than average, although probably not quite what most people would
call “long” rather than “average”…); not as much of a tactician as either of the team’s other two ‘Defensive Centres’, but skilled at her job and apparently tireless…
(Oxen Cup 13 was her international debut.)(#31) Arna-Maggra o Wirrenne _ Clan = Herrchaum; home team = Belgium FC
(The Babbage Islands), category = Defender or Midfielder
(or, at least when playing for the Belles, in the 'Lynchpin' [or 'Defensive Centre'] position that many Ursine teams employ...), Football experience = 5 years in ‘Junior League’ teams + 3 years as a full professional at Merlchester Rovers + however long she’s been at Belgium FC; age = 21 + however long she’s been at Belgium FC, fur = very light brown with some reddish hints, right-pawed, height = 6'4", build = quite light by Ursine standards, fast on her feet; languages spoken = Verrene, Ursine ('HeartWoods' dialect), and -- with an accent -- English; religion = converted from 'Wookha' to Greek Orthodox Christianity 2 years before moving abroad. She sometimes seems to have a sort of "sixth sense" about what's going to happen on the pitch during the next few moments, Off of the pitch, she favours loose skirts and draped scarves in bright (& often contrasting) colours, with more jewellery than is typical for Ursines (i.e. her people's equivalent of a 'Gypsy chic' look…).
(She made her international debut in DBC13, was a reserve player for the Belles during WC51, and joined them again after the qualifiers for WC53.)(#35) Sarra-Lirra o Weorthinch’hrurr _ Clan = Errhabarra; Home team = BarrKasthurh Rovers, usual position = Lynchpin, experience = 16 years; age = 34 years, right-pawed, fur = light-medium brown.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#36) Sammhra Fairbarrrhn _ Clan = Sun; Home team = NorthGate Nomads, usual position = Lynchpin, experience = 11 years; age = 29 years, ambidextrous, fur = blonde, eyesight = good even by Human standards; a very good tactician.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.) (#37) Marranna SalmonCatcher _ Clan = SeaBear; Home team = NorthPort Naviagtors, usual position = Lynchpin, experience = 14 years; age = 31 years, left-pawed, fur = medium brown.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.) (#51) Marra Charwin _ Clan = Harruorr Erruur, home team = Heroes’ Park Harlequins, category =Defender/Midfielder, usual position = Centre Back or ‘Lynchpin’
(i.e ‘Defensive Centre’), Soccer experience = 5 years; age = 21, ambidextrous, fur = light brown.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#52) Sophia Urra Borrodirh _ Clan = Ostbora, home team = Urrvan’s Avengers, category = Defender/Midfielder, usual position = ‘Lynchpin’
(i.e ‘Defensive Centre’) or Centre Half, Soccer experience = 6 years; age = 19, left-pawed, fur = medium brown; Greek Orthodox Christian.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#53) Urrthhra Aspen _
Harr'aynau; Clan = Redwood, home team = Mighty Redwoods, category =Defender/Midfielder, usual position = ‘Lynchpin’
(i.e ‘Defensive Centre’), Soccer experience = 5 years; age = 20, left-footed, hair =reddish-brown.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#6) Urrthra
‘White Lightning’ Lightning _ Clan = Gunnar, home team = Newton Arsenal, category = Midfielder, usual position = Midfield Left, experience = 14 years; age = 27, left-pawed, fur = verrry light brown; nimble & decidedly fast on her feet, she has good eyesight even by Human standards.
(DBC 14 was her international debut.)(#7) Renatha Virra’s-daughter _
Vokksurr (i.e. anthropomorphic Fox) female; Clan = WildWoods; home team = WildFair Warriors, category = Midfielder, usual position = Midfield Right, experience = 17 years; age = 32, right-pawed, fur = russet, only 5’6” tall; verry good at popping up where & when she’s not expected…
(DBC 14 was her international debut.)(#20) Cierra o Vorross _ Clan = GreenWoods, home team = River City, category = Midfielder, usual position = Midfield Left, experience = 5 years; age = 18, left-pawed, fur = light brown with paler reddish highlights.
(She made her international debut as a last member of the smaller-than-planned team that represented Bears Armed in DBC15, having travelled to that competition as a supporter but then been “drafted” to fill one of their vacant places due to her status as the ‘National Under-15 Keepy-Uppy Champion’…)(#21) Mearro o Georrangharh _ Clan = Errhabarra; Home team = BarrKasthurh Rovers, usual position = Midfield Right, experience = 14 years; age = 30 years, right-pawed, fur = medium brown.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#40) Marra Herrai’s-darthrurr vu Norrlantter _ Clan = Thuleann; home team = Karne Konquerors, category = Midfield, usual position = Midfield Left, experience = 13 years; age = 28, left-pawed, fur = ‘Polar white’, not as large as some of her people but very fast on her feet.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#54) Garria White _ Clan = WestWoods, home team = WestPort WildCats
[Junior League], category = Midfielder, preferred position = Midfield Right, experience = 4 years; age = 18, right-pawed, fur = very pale brown; Lowfurran Christian.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#55) Dorra o Starrhkan _ Clan = Seabear
(in the Northlands), home team = Harr Borran Heroines, category = Midfielder or Defender, preferred position = Midfield Left or Left Back, experience = 6 years; age = 20, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#10) Urrsa SunBlesséd _ Clan = Sun, home team = ‘Sun Valley Smashers’, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward (but also plays well at Right Forward), 29 years experience of Soccer; age = 39, right-pawed, fur = ‘wheaten’; very good eyesight, and accuracy at long ranges as well as shorter ones.
(‘Oxen Cup 12’ was her debut in international football.) She is the team’s Captain.
(#11) Irrarla SunDaughter _ Clan = Sun; home team = Sun Valley Smashers, category = Forward, usual position = Left Forward, experience = 22 years; age = 39, ambidextrous, fur = golden-brown, very good eyesight (even by Human standards), more agile – and less likely to rely on momentum – than many of her team-mates… She is a niece of Marra SunDaughter, but won this place on genuine merit.
(WWC12 was her ‘international’ debut.)(#12) Jhargeena Lightning _ Clan = Gunnar, home team = Newton Arsenal, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward or Right Forward, 13 years experience of Soccer; age = 27, right-pawed, fur = light brown, good eyesight even by Human standards, fast on her feet; identical twin of #13, with whom she shares a rapport that makes them especially effective when playing together.
(DBC 14 was her international debut.) (#23) Beorra-Marra-Charra o Redwood _ Clan = Redwood, home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward, 15 years experience of Soccer; age = 28, ambidextrous, fur = medium brown with hints of dark red.
(DBC 14 was her international debut.)(#24) Marvra WestFarer _ Clan = Westfarer
[‘free sept’], home team = Heroes’ Park Harlequins, category = Forward, preferred position = Right Forward, 10 years experience of Soccer;
Harr’aynau, age = 24, right-footed, hair = ginger.
(She made her international debut in DBC 14, but her first chance in the Belles’ main team didn’t come until the group stage of WC53.)(#25) Errsae Moonlight o Herrchaum _ Clan = Herchaum, home team = Heroes’ Park Harlequins, category = Forward, preferred position = Left Forward, 12 years experience of Soccer; age = 26, left-pawed, fur = silvery when in moonlight but otherwise light brown; sometimes seems to have some sort of ‘second sight’ about what’s going to happen in the next few seconds….
(DBC 14 was her international debut.)(#41) Lurraya o RedSun _ Clan = Clan = Red Sun
[Free Sept], home team = ‘Harr Borran Heroines, category = Striker or Winger, usual position = Right Forward, experience = 16 years; age = 33, right-pawed, fur = light reddish-brown, above-average eyesight; not closely related to either of the other ‘RedSun’ members who are currently involved with this team.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#42) Preth-Hierra of GoldenLake _ Clan = Five Lakes, home team = SilverWood Foresters, category = Striker, usual position = Left Forward, experience = 10 years; age = 26, ambidextrous, fur = dark-medium brown with silvery highlights (i.e. ‘grizzly’) & quite long; rather large even by Ursine standards but still [usually] manoeuvrable enough when it matters.
(WC53 — playing for the ‘NorthBears’ — was her international debut.)(#56) Urra um Karrai _ Clan = GhostBear; Home team = Barrdenn Barbariennes, category = Forward or Winger, usual position = Right Forward, experience = 8 years; age = 21 years, right-pawed, fur = light brown.
(She made her international debut as a member of the smaller-than-planned team that Bears Armed sent to DBC15.)(#57) Beorranna o Fizzbang _ Clan = Gunnar; Home team = Newton Arsenal, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward or Left Forward, experience = 9 years; age = 21 years, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown.
(She made her international debut as a member of the smaller-than-planned team that Bears Armed sent to DBC15.)(#60) Harroya o SarnDale _ Clan = Herrchaum, home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Forward, usual position = Left Forward, experience = 8 years; age = 21, left-pawed, fur = silver-brown.
(She made her international debut as a member of the smaller-than-planned team that Bears Armed sent to DBC15, when she was on the ‘long list’ for selection and then “drafted” from amongst the travelling fans to fill one of the vacant places.)(#61) Morrwan Rangh’harr _
Harr'aynau; Clan = Rangh’hrarr
[‘Free Sept’], home team = Mighty Marchers, category = Forward, preferred position = Left Forward, experience = 6 years; age = 20, right-footed, hair = crimson.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#62) Marrai Longday _ Clan = Sun
(Northlands branch), home team = NorthGate Nomads, category = Forward, preferred position = Centre Forward or Left Forward, experience = 5 years; age = 18, left -pawed, fur = blonde; a sometimes seems a bit ‘dizzy’ in personality.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#63) Bruennhildhrurr o Thuleann oDarkDale _ Clan = Thuleann
(in the Northlands), home team = AmmFarhr Adventuresses, category = Forward, preferred position = Right Forward, experience = 4 years; age = 18, right-pawed, fur = medium brown; likely to burst into [loud] song at the drop of a hat, but means well.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#64) Marra-Charra o Thunder _ Clan = Gunnar, home team = Newton Novices
[Junior League], category = Forward, preferred position = (any Forward), experience = 3 years; age = 17, ambidextrous, fur = dark brown.
(DBC16 was her international debut.)(#13) Darronthna Lightning _ Clan = Gunnar, home team = ‘Newton Arsenal’,, category = (Attacking) Midfielder/Winger
(preferably deployed on the right), usual position = Right Winger, experience = 13 years; age = 27, right-pawed, fur = light brown, good eyesight even by Human standards, fast on her feet; identical twin of #12, with whom she shares a rapport that makes them especially effective when playing together.
(DBC 14 was her international debut.) (#14) Karramrassar Ulgarra _ Clan = Ostbora; home team = OstPort United, category = Winger, usual position = Left Winger, experience = 19 years; age = 32, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown with blonde highlights; She has made a name for herself not only as a goal-scorer in her own right but also as a player who is rather good at setting up goal-scoring for her team-mates too.
(Oxen Cup 13 was her international debut.)(#26) Urra ‘the Leopardess’ OldWood _ Clan = Redwood; home team = Grambridge Town, category = Winger, usual position = Left Winger, experience = 9 years; age = 23, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown with silvery highlights, good eyesight; She has made a name for herself in the league as a goal-scorer, especially from ‘set pieces’.
(This is her international debut.)(#27) Karrtla Redwood _ Clan = Redwood, home team = ‘Mighty Redwoods’, category = Winger, usual position = Right Winger, 30 years experience of Soccer; age = 40, right-pawed, fur = golden-brown, has good eyesight.
(She entered international football in DBC9.)(#43) Buffie o ThornyDale _ Clan = Green River; home team = EastFort Eagles, category = Winger, usual position = Right Winger, experience = 12 years; age = 37, left-pawed, fur = light brown; seems ‘lucky’, and is better than most of her squad at team-work.
(WC53 was her international debut.)(#44) Aryssa ‘Willow’ Harraine _ Clan = Urrset, home team = EastFort Eagles, category = Winger, usual position = Right Winger, experience = 11 years; age = 36, right-pawed, fur = reddish-brown; is not only a professional footballer but a
Wookhan priestess too.
(WC53 was her international debut.)(#65) Beorra o Hrram _ Clan = March, home team = Wildfair Wildlings
[Junior League], category = Winger or Midfielder, preferred position = Right Winger or Midfield Right, experience = 3½ years;
Harr'aynau; age = 17, right-footed, hair = russet; twin sister of #66, with whom she shares a rapport that makes them especially effective when working together.
(#66) Samarra o Hramm _ Clan = March, home team = Wildfair Wildlings
[Junior League], category = Winger or Forward, preferred position = Left Winger or Left Forward, experience = 3½ years;
Harr'aynau; age = 17, left-footed, hair = russet; twin sister of #65, with whom she shares a rapport that makes them especially effective when working together.
(#67) Marra Wyldh _ Clan = Green River, home team = NorthPort Navigators, category = Winger (or Right Forward), usual position = Right Winger, experience = 5 years; age = 19, right-pawed, fur = medium-brown (‘grizzly’) & medium-long; her parents were 1st-generation ‘Awakened’, in the former [neighbouring] nation of Frontenax.
(This tournament is her international debut.)Normal squad at
Wimbley _
Starters: #1-4, 6-7, 10-14.
Substitutes: # 5
or 30, 15, 16
or 17, 20, 23, 24
or 25, 26
or 27.
Normal squad at
NorthPort _
Starters: #30, 33, 37, 35, 21, 40, 77
(Errmintrra o RedSun), 41-44.
Substitutes: # 32, 16
or 17, 36, 55, 62-63, 67.
Style: Offensive, modifier = +2.5…
("A good offence is the best defence"...)Their usual formation will include a front row of at least 5 (normally arranged as 3 strikers & 2 wingers), with 2 midfielders, 2 backs, and either a ‘Defensive Centre’
(whose starting position would be at the midpoint of an imaginary cross drawn between those other four non-forwards’ positions) or a third midfielder depending on the Manager’s decision before each match.
________________________________
Opponents may _ Choose my goalscorers: Y
(but the Forwards, and then the Wingers, are likeliest to fill this role...)Godmod Scoring Events: Y
RP injuries to my players / Godmod injuries to my players / Hand out Yellow cards to my players / Hand out Red cards to my players: Y to all, at least to start with, but remember what I've written here and keep it in limits accordingly... Any serious offences by my players would probably result in injuries to your players, and causing any serious injuries to my players would probably require such obviously-deliberate attacks that your players would get yellow or even red cards as a result too. Don’t
kill anybody, or inflict injuries that would be serious enough to end careers, without checking with me & getting my approval
(which is unlikely to be granted…) first.
Godmod Other Events: Y, I suppose, at least as long as you do so in an AMUSING way... but please remember that Ursines are fully sapient beings, as much as Humans are,
not instinct-driven animals. Oh, and
of course female Ursines are
not sexually interested in Humans (of either sex), and it's very unlikely that female Harr'ayanau would be either. Please
don't have them run amok or outright revert to animality, without checking by TG first, don't make assumptions about their views on politics or religion, and don't do anything that would make more than one of them incapable of playing in their next game...
______________________________________________________
Kit: This incarnation of the team will mainly wear the same set of designs (from
‘ediraf’) that the “unified” national squad did for WC52, with the ‘Association’ badges still staying ‘BAAS’ rather than the [now] more accurate ‘BAMAS’. See
"here" for details.
However when participating in the
‘Pink Cup’ they will switch to the
NorthBears’ former
violet strip instead.
Bears Armed has traditionally used base-8 arithmetic, for several reasons, and this has affected the set of numbers used for this team’s players: Also, the number “22” has deliberately been left unassigned out of respect for its first [& only] wearer who died a heroine’s death during the year immediately following WC444…
Home grounds
1/. Wimbley Stadium: Located a few miles to the north-north-west of Council Groves (our capital city), to which it is connected by rail as well as by road, this stadium was built from scratch — on part of a former Confederal Army base’s site —shortly before the qualifiers for WC52 began as a replacement for the
Bear-Belles former “home” at ‘Plumtrees Park’ which has now been demolished. Its current capacity is approximately 60'000 for
Ursines: Fitting about 40’000 humans into the visiting fans' half should be possible, and so that's as many as we'll let into the country. Accommodation for visiting teams & their staffs will be provided in a new hotel, less than a mile away, which has staff who are accustomed to dealing with Humans as well as with Ursines. The various other hotels in that complex and those at Council Groves can now provide about 10’600 rooms at a time, at varying prices, although of course some of those may already have been booked by people who have nothing to do with the Cup. Accommodation (at a fairly basic level) for up to 15’000 supporters will be available, at reasonable prices, in students' residences for the National University’s campus in that city: if any more than all of those facilities put together can house want to attend a match then they’ll have to borrow space in the area’s remaining Army camp instead...
There are still no direct inter-regional flights into Council Groves, so that visitors will have to travel by way of one of our neighbours and then continue onwards by one of the limited number of "local" air-flights or by rail.
(People planning to arrive by rail will still have to travel via the nation of Mikitivity, but extra services will be organised on that route...) This site will be used for the Belles’ home games against
Western Cuba,
Saugeais, and
Keilriagorth, and also for some of their friendlies & matches in other Cups during this period as specified separately.
2./ ‘NorthLands National Stadium’: Located at NorthPort, the most cosmopolitan city in
The Ursine Northlands, this facility was originally built for use by the
'Northbears' WC49’s qualifiers. Unfortunately the place has since seen rather less use than was originally hoped, but it is still in good condition and will hold about 43’000 Ursines or over 60’000 humans (or, of course, proportionate numbers of a mixture of the two species) as it was deliberately built to be rather larger than
'Plumtrees Park' which was then the Mainland's 'national' stadium…
This site will be used for the Belles’ home game against
Strapszor, and also for some of their friendlies & matches in other Cups during this period as specified separately.
NOTESUrsines may tend to be a bit less agile & slower to accelerate than humans on average, but this team's members were carefully selected so the gap between them & their opponents in this respect should be narrower than some people might expect. They do tend to have slightly poorer eyesight than humans, on the whole (although the members of both Clan Gunnar and the Sun Clan are generally an exception to this rule, and the eyesight of the latter group is actually often at better-than-human levels instead), so long-distance passes & shots at goal will tend to be rarer behaviour for them than they are for human teams... but their typical size & strength mean that when they're running with the ball it will probably take a very brave human -- as well as a very skilled one -- to tackle them successfully, which should balance that factor pretty well. They don’t jump very well, but then they’re generally rather taller than most Human players to start with.
They're physically robust, of course, which means that they're much less likely than humans to suffer injuries in falls or collisions. The females of this species are more even-tempered than the males, and the team's members will
try to stay on their best behaviour not only in order to do well in this contest but also to impress upon the watching humans that Ursines aren't just "dumb beasts". They will not 'dive', or feign injury in other ways, because suggesting that they could be harmed so easily goes strongly against the grain. ‘Northlanders’ are maybe not
quite as "civilised" as the 'Mainlanders'… or, at any rate, that’s the traditional stereotype..
Cold weather should pose no problem to them, even if there's snow or ice on the pitch, but tropical heat might prove awkward...
Unless our hosts at the match in question object, this team's members (including the designated substitutes for the match in question) will perform a [fairly short] ritual that's called the
'harrdiharr' on the pitch just before play begins... This is a traditional war-dance, meant to over-awe opponents, that has come to be a customary prelude for team games as well
(similar to the [RL] New Zealanders' 'haka'...). : )
As has now been seen during various tournaments, some of our fans like to take drums — and possibly cow-horns, or other "musical instruments", too — along to the matches...