After a day of thunderstorms the sun emerges. The wet grass glistens as the teams run out. The bright blue terraces sparkle against an ominous dark sky. We’re at Kyiv’s exquisite Dynamo stadium, home of the legendary Dynamo Kyiv, for the first in a series of matches between a volunteer team from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and teams representing the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Defence; and Interior Ministry.
With Euro 2012 just a year away, the embassy has been promoting close working links between British institutions and Ukrainian partners. Our goal is to share UK and Ukrainian experience of inter-agency coordination, security and public order management and communications ahead of Euro 2012. This has included a series of projects ranging from hard-edged counter-terrorism to cutting edge diversity training. To mark the one-year deadline and to deepen our links with key Ukrainian Euro 2012-related bodies, including on the all-important consular side, we hold a reception at the residence for partners as diverse as the Interior Ministry, the SBU (Security Service), MOD, MFA, supporters’ groups, the Ukrainian Football Federation, UEFA, the police, and the Euro 2012 host cities. The visit of the FCO football team is timed to coincide with this.
In the event the opening match is a thrilling 0:0 draw. Subsequent games are equally competitive, with both UK and Ukrainian sides acquitting themselves honourably (despite some injuries: sympathy to all concerned). Our thanks go to the organisers; and we look forward to the real thing this time next year – with luck, including at least one team from the UK.