Normally at this time of the year, preparations are well underway for the annual Isle of Man schools football trip to California.

Unfortunately the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put paid to what would have been the 24th edition of the trek to America as competitive sport remains very much on the backburner at the moment.

Regular football reporter and Manx Footy Podcast favourite Ruairi Poole has delved into the annals of the sporting pilgrimage to the United States and the first of this three-part series looks at how the extremely popular football trip came about in the 1990s.

The Isle of Man schools’ California football tour was en masse known to all prospering footballers throughout school.

It felt like it was the pinnacle of a school journey, the universal mark of respect among all attendees, something so desired.

A select number of young boys/men would ’up sticks’ for two weeks each summer and literally live the dream.

The stories you would hear of the beaches, the food, the sun and of course the purpose of it all, football, made it a dream to small islanders and perhaps made it really one of its kind. We are often told that the Isle of Man can act as a plateauing glass ceiling for many athletes, but here was an opportunity that was uniquely available to young Manx hopefuls and one that I can’t see would be presented to those living elsewhere.

With all this in mind, I thought I would dig into the history of the trip, pay homage to the responsible parties, find out what it has meant to the lucky ones who have gone, and see how it is fairing today.

Part one: The Inception

Nothing happens overnight and the very same is true for the California trip that would become a recognised annual tour.

Some bold individuals would have to pave the way for this to occur and it just so happened that this took place in the northwest of England in locations like Morecambe and Skegness, a slightly less glamorous setting than the west coast of America.

Perhaps not as glamorous but just as prestigious as the ultimate reward here - and is still true today - is the representation of our Isle of Man and the chance to fly the flag on any stage should be applauded.

From Isle of Man schools’ first competitive game in 1988 at Castle Rushen, to playing at Easter Festivals against strong schoolboy opposition in the UK up until the first California Trip in the summer of 1997.

The opportunities from these times should not be overlooked as this provided a platform for young Manx schoolboys at under-19s to play at a high standard and to potentially be scouted for a professional club.

A fine example of the standard the team faced was that of a match against Greater Manchester where a hat-trick from Ryan Giggs (then Wilson) still lives long in the memory of those involved.

All of these opportunities started with the same cohort of teachers who simply went that extra mile. Chris Starkey, Mike Thomas and Guy Smith together set up the Senior School Shield 1987 which today still runs and remains a highlight of any schoolboy career.

Chris, Mike and Guy set up the u19s IoM schools team in order to provide those opportunities further while giving up countless hours along the way.

After success with the team winning the Mitre Cup and highlight performances against Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire, paired with the dwindling county football scene in the UK, it was decided that in 1997 Chris, Guy and Mike would take the school squad to Laguna Beach in California.

At the time this was set to be a one-off, with the team going away and performing extremely well against sides from all nations including Brazil, Denmark and Mexico.

The experience the players received would become beneficial for when they returned to local football but also highlighted the potential of this trip if it was to be continued.

One thing that made the trip so unique was the living situation: each player would be paired up and would stay with a local family - no hotels, a real Californian home.

The bonds forged - as you will later find out - will remain and continue into adulthood for many of the boys, life-long friends and essentially family.

’The homestay was a great experience for us, we were treated very well by our hosts and it showed us what life was like there - and it was pretty good!’ said Jonathan Leece in 1997 upon his return from the trip.

The instrumental Mike Thomas subsequently relocated to Laguna Beach and became a vital contact along with his brother Andrew who was also coaching and living out in California.

The importance of having Mike in the United States mustn’t go unnoticed as it was the link between coaches and the families, and perhaps the foundation needed to keep this trip going into the future.

That first trip somewhat opened the eyes to the coaches: although it was only meant to be a ’one off’, it was decided that it had to continue and there are now hundreds of Manxmen that are wholly relieved that they did, because it would soon become a lasting memory and experience that they shall never forget!

Part 2: ’The California Trip throughout the years’ will

feature in a future edition over the coming weeks.