Bears Armed
‘The Bear-Belles’ National football organisation: ‘Bears Armed Association for Soccer’ (= ‘BAAS’). National anthem: ‘The Banner Green And Gold’. Official supporters' organisation: 'Arri's Furry Army'. Yes, it’s an all-female team again. As I’ve explained before, this is because the main ball-game that's traditionally been played in Bears Armed is actually closer to being a form of Rugby, but [for several reasons] that sport’s “proper” teams are all-male and so some females who wanted to make it as 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 over two eightSquareds of years. All of the players and support staff are actual Ursines (i.e. anthropomorpic, bipedal, "talking" Bears), except for any whom I actually specify as being members of other ‘peoples’. The Harr'aynau people are physically human (more-or-less, anyway, although inclined towards heavy builds & hairiness), but are spiritually & culturally Ursine instead. 'Ursomorphic' Humans vary a bit in how much they look like Bears, but are spiritually Human and culturally part of the nation's small Ashkenazic Jewish minority. The ages & lengths of experience currently given below are basically correct for the start of the qualifying process, although of course in some cases birthdays will take place during this ‘season’ rather than just (however much easier that would make keeping the records accurately…) only between ‘seasons’… _______________________________________________________ Staff Manager & First Chief Coach: Karra’harrna Thunder _ Clan = Gunnar; female Ursine; appointed 1 year ago, after 25 years as 'Chief Coach'; previously had been the Attacking Coach at ‘Newton Arsenal’ (another of the nation’s top teams),and had spent 5 years in that role after 8 years as a player (as Forward, Winger, and Midfielder). Age = 53, fur = dark brown, left-pawed; speaks English, Ursine, and Ruottsan. Chief Coach: Marra Urrth’hrra Norr-Vurra _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; appointed to this job 1 year ago, after 25 years as the Attacking Coach; previously the Attacking Coach at ‘Merlchester Rovers’ (another of the nation’s top teams), and had spent 5 years in such roles after 9 years as a player (as Forward and Winger) there. Age = 55, fur = medium-brown, left-pawed; speaks English, Ursine, Arttorranick, and German. Attacking Coach: Karra Brent _ Clan = Redwood, female Ursine; appointed to this job 2 years ago, but already had some previous coaching experience not only with her home team (from which she resigned when given this new job) but in one DBC as well; was a player for the Belles from DBC45 onwards, and remains on their roster as a reserve (#12); age = 39 years (but looks a bit younger), either-pawed, fur = golden-brown; quite large & very powerful for her age, fast & nimble, with very good eyesight even by human standards; apparently fearless, and has better control over her temper than might have been the case back around the time of DBC45; she is a cousin of the internationally famous journalist/broadcaster Bark Brent; attended Holy Ternian’s School. Defending Coach: Greenfinch o Barrdenn _ Clan = GreenWoods; female Ursine; formerly the Deputy Coach at ‘Lakeport Lionesses’ (another of the nation’s top teams), and had spent 9 years in such roles after 7 years as a player (as Lynchpin, Back, and [less frequently] Midfelder) there before she was appointed to this job 26 years ago. Age = 53, fur = dark brown & relatively long; speaks English and Ursine. Goalkeeping Coach: Freeda Urrlafh’s-dottir _ Clan = Thuleann; female Ursine [of ‘Polar Bear’ stock]; formerly the Defending Coach at ‘Ammfahr Adventuresses’ (who play in the Northlands’ league), and had spent4 years in such roles after 11years as a player (purely as Goalkeeper) there before she was appointed to this job 26 years ago. (Age = 56, fur = white & trimmed relatively short, right-pawed; speaks Norren, Ursine, English, and some Ruottsan. Set Pieces Coach: Karrh’hreena o Goodsword _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; appointed to this job, which was a newly-established one, 2 years ago; previously a player for the Belles from the WC84 qualifiers through to this change of role, and for Kingly City FC where she had 29 years’ experience; age = 45 years, left-pawed, fur = ‘golden’, height = 6’6”; good eyesight even by human standards, and quite fast on her feet (not the fastest, but definitely above average), and has good positional awareness; long passes, across the field as well as up it, are likely from her; speaks Ursine and English; religion = One Plus Seven; a keen member of the squad’s own Chess Club. Physical Conditioning Coach: Orriffharra _ Clan = Chargh'ghrarr; female Ursine (half-'Cave Bear'); was appointed to this job approximately nine years ago, after four years as her predececssor's assistant, and previously did this job for top-flight team Heroes' Park Heroines. Age = 43, fur = 'grizzly' dark-medium brown, left-pawed; speaks several forms of Ursine, as well as English; religion = Wookha. Deputy Manager (Admin): Judith Gold _ Free Sept = The Exodus; “ursomorphic” Human, female, follows a moderate form of Judaism; seconded from BAAS head office 26 years ago. Age = difficult for anybody unfamiliar with ‘ursomorphs’ to tell, but obviously a middle-aged adult, fur = black, right-handed; very good with languages, and already fluent in several Human ones — including English, Yiddish, German, French, and Greek — as well as in Ursine, Ouesttree, and Ruottsan. Assistant Deputy Manager (Admin): Nennu Rangh’harr _ Free Sept = Rangh’harr; female Harr’aynau [humanoid]; age = 41 years, either-footed, dark red hair; speaks Herr’-Harr’aynau, Harr’aynau-Ursine, Ursine, and English; was a player in the Belles’ regular line-up from DBC45 until she transferred into this job instead 2 years ago , and there had been speculation that she eventually might have become the [adult] Belles first non-[physically]-Ursine Captain.
BAAS Chairbear: Morra Dumble _ Clan= WestWoods; female Ursine; formerly manager of ‘Heroes' Park Heroines'’, one of the country’s leading teams, after being their chief coach and also playing for them in various roles for a number of years; appointed to this post approximately nine & a half years ago. Age = 46, fur = light-medium brown with reddish tints, left-pawed; reasonably fluent in a LOT of languages.
Routemaster: Helene Bosanquet _ Clan = Canton du Calvin; Human, female; on loan [again, for tournaments from DBC45 onwards] from the Bears Armed Tourism Agency. Her duties involve handling all of the team’s travelling & accommodation arrangements. Age = late forties, hair = dark brown, right-handed; speaks French, English, and Ursine.
Deputy Routemaster: Leona Wright _ Clan = Greybear; female Ursine; had been a player from the Belles from DBC through until appointment to this newly-established job 2 years ago (when she also retired from her home team, River City) home team = River City); age = 40 years, right-pawed, fur = light brown (but, unlike that of many of her clan-mates, without any greyish tints); speaks English, Ursine, German, Ouesttree, and several other languages; her father is a merchant who took her along on some trips into Human nations during school holidays from when she was 9 years old until when she was 18, and she probably understands humans better than any of her other non-human team-mates does.
Doctor: Wierra Forest-Heart _ Ursine, female; Clan = GreenWoods (Forest Septs); age = 32, qualifcations include not only 'M.D' but also a degree in Sports Medicine (from NewBoston University, which is in the nation of Old Ceorana); hired by BAAS for thisrole last year; fur = medium-brown, left-pawed; speaks Ursine, English, and German; religion = One Plus Seven.
Chief Physiotherapist: Krrystal Bruin _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; previously worked at hospitals in Wiston City, and helped with local amateur football league, but was appointed to this job shortly before DBC45 and has remained with the team since then; her job title was upgraded from just ‘Physiotherapist’ after DBC46. Age = looks mid=thirties, although actually in her late forties, fur = dark brown, left-pawed; speaks English, Ursine, and Ouesttree; mother of one child, a daughter, Steffannee Bruin, who is one of this team’s players.
Chaplain, ‘One Plus Seven’: Marra Moon _ Clan = Silver-of-Night; female Ursine; assigned to this duty by her superiors in the Great Medicine Society shortly before DBC45 and has been posted at Wimbley Stadium in between tournaments. Age = late forties [apparently], fur = light brown, left-pawed; is not only a Shabear but also a qualified psychiatrist; speaks Ursine, English, some German and Yiddish, and probably one or more other languages as well.
Chaplain, Ursion: Jharge “No Relation” Potter _ Clan = Artorran; male Ursine; assigned to this duty by his superiors approximately two years after the end of DBC45 . (Age = mid-forties, fur = light brown, right-pawed; like many other members of his clan, is slightly more “anthropomorphic” than is typical for Bears from this nation; speaks Ursine, Artorranick,English, French, some German, and some Greek; keen chess-player.
Security Chief: Major (Reserve) Merrfinh Blonk _ Clan = WestWoods; male; now a full-time employee of BAAS, after being on loan from serving as [REDACTED] in the Confederal Army as was the case for the previous tournaments from DBC45 to CoH88. Age = late forties, fur = medium-brown & relatively long, right-pawed [apparently]; speaks Ouesttree, French, Ursine, and English… at the least.
Deputy Security Chief: Hrrobin Drake _ Clan = WestWoods; male Ursine; formerly a policeBear from Wiston City, he had already been loaned-out to help with security for the Belles & for Wimbley Stadium during several cycles before his appointment to this newly-established role 2 years ago; he is in a long-term relationship with player Steffannee Bruin…
Caterers: Jordon Blue
Fandom Liaison Officer: Etta Halliday, who played in the DBC45 team and was given this job shortly after that but took most of the WC93 cycle off on maternity leave. Now has a son, named Darren, who is approximately 11½ years old and who probably will be travelling along with her.
Harrdiharr Arranger: Karra-Marra SunDaughter _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; age = 52 years; left-pawed, fur = ‘golden’; specialises in adapting the ‘harrdiharr’ for optimum effects depending on the performers, opposition, location, and possibly other factors; background not made public, but was hired by BAAS on a part-time basis for thir campaigns from the WC84 qualifiers onwards. Sspeaks Ursine, English, and quite a few other languages as well (She seems to have a natural — or maybeso even supernatural? — talent for learning languages, and might also help the team with translation duties as well…); interests include chess, swing music [& dance], and stage musicals.
Kit Supervisor: Missus Burrows _ Clan = Brock [which is actually a ‘Double Clan’…] & 'Demi-Clan' within this = WesterBrock; female Brock (i.e. anthropomorphic Badger); apparently middle-aged; has been with the team since before DBC46; responsible for ensuring that all players have suitable kit available, clean and intact, for every game, and also [following the coaches’ orders] for making sure that their boots have the appropriate studs fitted for dealing with local conditions; also, makes sure that balls and [if necessary] temporary nets are available for practice when the team is away from home.
'Special Advisor': Sermharn the Wanderer: appearing as a male Ursine (of 'brown bear' type), whose age cannot be pinned down any further than "adult" (He has been around Bears Armed, on & off, for over a thousand years!); he is a mystic of considerable power who doesn't quite fit into any of the "usual" categories known to the Bears... He helps the team & staff to travel safely, even when this involves crossing between Realities, and may help the chaplains to protect them against supernatual problems at other times as well.
'Special Advisor': Lurra Lovegood _ Clan = WhiteBear; female Ursine; no playing experience beyond amateur level, her background is in journalism and education instead; age = 52 years (but looks significantly younger), right-pawed, fur = cream, short and a bit lightly built for her age; graduated from Hogwings Academy, where she now teaches 'Management of Magickal Creatures' (wand = 13", white ash with a Snorkack-mane core, familiar = a leucistic [i.e. white, but not albino] Magpie); speaks English, Ursine, and probably at least one other Ursine or Human language, and apparently can understand the language[s] of birds as well; generally serene in mood, but sometimes seems to be talking about irrelevant or enigmatic topics. Mascot: Perrabohor ‘Bright-Eyes’ [i](one of the “blessed” [but non-sapient?] Puh-Barra, or ‘Little Bears’)
(OOC: Fans of Harry Potter might be able to identify the character ifrom that series -- and from its fanfiction -- whom I've adapted here...)
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Roster
(#1) Karramarrsar Ulgha _ Clan = Ostobora; female Ursine; home team = Krasny Kremmer Konquerors, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 41 years, right-pawed, fur = light brown, above-average eyesight & reflex speed; off the pitch, she is an enthusiastic & skilled dancer. [She was in the DBC45 & DBC46 squads before transfer to this senior team, where she has been a regular ever since.]
(#15) Serranna Orchards _ Clan = Ozt’sulh [free sept]; female Ursine; home team = LakePort Lionesses, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 37 years, left-pawed, fur = dark-medium brown; the tallest member of this team, at 7’2”, and built in proportion _ Reaching out to block high shots should be relatively easy for her, but she might find getting down into the right place to stop ones aimed into the net’s bottom corners instead a bit harder… [She was in the DBC46 squad before transfer to this senior team, where she has been a regular ever since.]
(#16) Marra o TrustyHand _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; home team = Sun Valley Smashers, category & usual position = Goalkeeper; age = 36 years, either-pawed; fur = ‘dark blonde’; good at fixing things, which befits her nameline’s origin as their clan’s smiths. [She was in the DBC46 squad before transfer to this senior team, where she has been a regular ever since.]
(#2) Urrsa Irrumerrhabarra _ Clan = Beorningas; female Ursine; home team = Kingly City, category = Defender, usual position = Left Back; age = 35 years, left-pawed, fur = medium brown; has lived up to her earlier description, at the time of DBC45, as “a very promising youngster”. [She played in DBC45 & DBC46, and then in the main team from WC84's qualifiers through to the present day.]
(#3) Urrth’hrra Mead _ Clan = Greybear; female Ursine; home team = River City, category = Defender, usual position = Right Back; age = 37 years, right-pawed, fur = light brown; noted for keeping calm & carrying on despite any problems. [International experience as for #2...]
(#17) Urrsarra Shipbear _ Clan = SeaBear; female Ursine; home team = Northport Navigators, category = Defender, usual position = Left Back (but can also play reasonably well at Right Back, too); age = 33 years, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown; speaks Ursine, English, and reasonably fluent Norren. Considered not brilliant, but reliable, and is unlikely to spend much [if any] time “too far” forwards. [She was in the DBC46, and then in the main team from WC84 qualifiers through to the present day.]
(#30) Surranna "Dark Eyes" O Barrdenn_ Ursine, female; Clan = GreenWoods (Forest Septs); home team = GreenWoods Roverss, ctegory = Defender or Midfielder, preferred position = Right Back, experience = 8 years; age = 21, right-pawed, fur = medium brown; speaks Ursine and English; religion = One PlusSeven. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#4) Errinth’hrra Russett _ Clan = Urrset; female Ursine; home team = Northgate Nomads, category = Defender/Midfielder, usual position = Lynchpin or Midfield Left or Midfield Right; age = 40 years, left-pawed, fur = reddish-brown; serious-minded, a good leader and a masterly tactician; her regular Chess matches against the chaplain Jharge Potter draw keen audiences from among the team’s other players & staff. She is the team’s Captain, speaks Ursine, English, and Norren; religion = One Plus Seven. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#20) Marra Marcher_ Ursine female; Clan = March, home team = WildFair Warriors, position = Lynchpin/Defender/[defensive] Midfielder (preferably Lynchpin), experience = 9 years; age = 25, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#32) Marra vahr-Laharrl _ Ursine, female; Clan = Jherran Laharrl; home team = LakePort Lionesses, position = Lynchpin or Midfielder (preferably Lynchpin), experience = 8 years; age = 25, left-pawed, fur = medium brown with reddish hints. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#33) Sarree Smith_ Ursine, female; Clan = Ironbear; home team = Hero's Park Heriones, position = Lynchpin/Left Back/Midfeld Left (preferably Lynchpin), experience = 7 years; age = 22, left-pawed, fur = greyish-brown. She is also a prize-winning ballroom & swing dancer, and had been known to include occasional dance moves in her playing. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#5) Harroya o Sarrndale _ Clan = Herrchaum; female Ursine; home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Midfielder or Winger — or, less frequently, Forward — on either side of the pitch, usual position = Midfield Left; age = 44 years, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown with grey hints; now in the job that she’d hoped for since early childhood, and doing very well for her home team as the latest “Harroya of the Rovers”; probably the least likely of this team’s players to get given a yellow cards, and has never earned a red one (DO NOT assign cards of either colour to her without obtaining my consent…). [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#6) Steffannee Bruin _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; home team = Wiston City, category = Midfielder or Winger, usual position = Midfield Right; age = 40 years (but looks a bit younger), right-pawed, fur = very light brown with hints of ‘gold’; slightly small for her age, but very resilient as well as nimble; has good eyesight by Ursine standards (and not bad by Human ones, neither); daughter, & only child, of the Belles’ current chief physiotherapist; married to a policebear named Hrrobin Drake, who is now pat of the team's Securrity staff, but with no cubs yet; favours ‘lilac’-coloured clothing when not in team kit. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#21) Arra O Hara_ Invisible Wabbit (anthropomorphic & human-sized "cartoon" rabbit, c.f. Bugs Bunny, invisble to norml vision but you can see her kit, too resilient to need taking off for injuries except perhaps if those were caused by extremely violent fouls), female; Clan = BerryGlades; home team = Kingly City, experience = 7 years; position = usually a Midfielder ["box-to-box"], on either side of the pitch, but effectively a utility outfielder; age = 21½, ambidextrous; fur (if you can see it) = light grey, might sometimes use her ears to hold the ball on top of her head while running ("no rule against it...". )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#34) Emerladina Sunbird _ Clan = Sun; female Ursine; home team = Northgate Nomads; category = Midfielder or Winger, usual position = Midfield Left; age = 42 years, left-pawed, fur = golden with reddish tints, extremely good eyesight, has quick reflexes and is very fast on her feet, lightly-built for a Bear of her height (6’5”) but this is usual in her family & doesn’t weaken her; speaks English, Ursine, & French (And might be able to understand the speech of birds….), religion = One Plus Seven; interests include Ornithology, and Martial Arts. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#35) Karra Bronze _ Clan = GreenWoods; female Ursine; home team = Barrdenn Barbariennes, category =Midfielder, usual position = Midfield Right; age = 43 years, left-pawed, fur = medium-brown with reddish tints, height = 6’4”; speaks Ursine and English, religion = One Plus Seven; interests include fashion, rock music, and home brewing. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#7) Marra o Redbank _ Ursine (‘black bear’ ancestry predominates), female; _ Clan = BlackBear [‘Between-the-Rivers’]; home team = Tsikago Aces, category = Forward or Winger,, usual position = Left Forward or Inside Left; Age = 39 years, left-pawed, fur = black; speaks English and Ursine; nicknamed “Little Storm” because, although relatively short for an Ursine (at only 5’9”), she is determined, fast, and very hard for opponents to predict; very good at manoeuvring through tight defences, has been willing to pass the ball to team-mates who are in better positions but has scored goals — including somel from “surprisingly” wide as well [. [International experience from DBC46 through to the present day, but only just promoted to be a regular starter.]
(#11) Urrma Kuthbearrh _ Clan = Errhabarra; female Ursine; home team = NorthPort Navigators, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward (but has also played well as Left Forward); age = 41 years, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown, relatively stocky but not particularly slow because of this; very determined even by Ursine standards. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#12) Karra Brent _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; home team =LakePort Lionesses, category = Forward or Winger, usual position = Right Forward; age = 39 years (but looks a bit younger), either-pawed, fur = golden-brown; quite large & very powerful for her age, fast & nimble, with very good eyesight even by human standards; apparently fearless, and has better control over her temper than might have been the case back around the time of DBC45; she is a cousin of the internationally famous journalist/broadcaster Bark Brent; attended Holy Ternian’s School. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.] She is now also the team's Attacking Coach.
(#22) Karra-Surey Norr-Vurra _ Ursine, female; Clan = Redwood; home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Forward, usual position = Right Forward or Inside Right, experience = 11 years; age = 25, left-pawed, fur = medium brown, tall (6'11") and strong but that doesn't slow her down (and you really don't want to try blocking one of her 'power shots at close range...), very good at taking 'set piece' shots. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
[#23) Herrarna Holmbrook _ Ursine, female; clan = Harruor Erruur; home team = Barrdenn Barbariennes, usual position = Forward or Winger (both preferably on Left, Inside or Outside, can play on Right as well to some extent, not as Centre Foward unless there's really no other choice), experience = 10 years; age = 25, left-pawed, fur = light-medium brown, fast on her feet. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#24) Urratharra SunDaughter_ Ursine, female; clan,=Sun; home team = Sun Valley Smashers, usual position = Forward (preferences = Right, Centre, then Left; can be 'Outside', as alternative to 'Inside', but not as Winger if that's avoidable), experience = 10 years; age = 25, left-pawed (so, usually playing "cross-footed"), fur = light brown, good eyesight even by human rather than ursine standards, good at sending & receiving long passes; religion = Ursionity; only a very distant cousin to the 'Marra SunDaughter' who was the [adult] Belles' first captain & second manager. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#25) Beorranna Norr-Vurra _ Clan = Redwood; female Ursine; home team = Merlchester Rovers, category = Forward, usual position = Centre Forward or Right Forward (also has some experience as Left Forward, and as Right Winger); age = 38 years, left-pawed (so normally plays “cross-pawed”), fur = dark-medium brown with [natural] chestnut highlights; speaks English, Ursine, some Arttorranick; not closely related to this team’s ‘Chief Coach’; rather a devout follower of ‘One Plus Seven’, but not fanatical about it and tolerates the differing beliefs of others perfectly well; friendly rivalry with Harroya o Sarrndale. . [International experience from DBC46 through to the present day.]
(#13) Sarranna White _ Clan = WestWoods; female Ursine; home team = Wiston City, category = Winger or Forward, usual position = Right Winger or Forward (‘Outside’) Right; age = 36 years, right-pawed, fur = ‘cream’; said to be better than most of her team-mates at understanding humans. [International experience from DBC45 through to the present day.]
(#14) Rebecca Gold _ 'Ursommorphic' (i.e. somewhat Bear-like) Human, female; Free Sept = The Exodus; home team = Newton Arsenal, category = Left Winger (but can play quite well as Winger or Midfielder on either side of the pitch), experience = 20 years; age = 38 years, left=pawed, hair/fur = black, eyes = green, decent eyesight by Human standards, faster on her feet (but not quite as strong) as most female Ursines of her age & build (height = 6'1", about halfway between "almost Human" and "almost Ursine" which means slightly "skinny" by Ursine standards but well-built by Human ones); speaks English, Ursine, and Yiddish; religion = Liberal Judaism. [International experience experience from DBC92 qualifiers through to the present day.]
(#26) Jirrehe varh-Joirrie_ Ursine, female; clan = Laharrlh Jherran; home team = Newton Arsenal, preferred postion = Right Winger or Outside Right (but also okay at Midfield Right, or maybe Inside Right), experience = 9 years; age = 22, right-pawed. fur = reddish-browm; also practices both Mixed Martial Arts and the Singlestick. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
(#27) Rusana_ Ursine, female; Free Sept = Barreh Bahrar; Victories of Vichr, ctegory = Winger or Midfielder, preferred postion = Left Winger (or Outside Left), expereince = 8 years; age = 23, left-pawed, fur = medium brown. )This is her international debut, but she would have played in the Di Bradini Cup before last if the Bears had sent a team to compete in that...)
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Usual starters = #1, #2 & #3, either #4 or #20, #5 & #6, #7 & #11 & #22, #13 & #14.
Usual substitutes #15 or #16 as Goalkeeper; #12 (Karra Brent); bench will also include a suitable selection to cover all of the other positions as well, varying from game to game so that [probably] everybody gets at least one chance to play, with both international experience and success so far during these qualifiers considered when deciding which players to use against the higher-ranked opponents rather than the lowest-ranked ones.
Style: Offensive, modifier = +3.5 ("A good offence is the best defence"...). This has actually been reduced slightly since DBC#45, when they used +4.0 instead, because team training since then has included a bit more emphasis on tightening up their defence.
They have also modified their planned formation slightly from the “traditional” Ursine one, which included a front row of at least 5 (normally arranged as 3 strikers & 2 wingers), with 2 midfielders, 2 backs, and a ‘Lynchpin’ (whose starting position was approximately be at the midpoint of an imaginary cross drawn between those other four non-forwards’ positions). Two of the strikers now drop back to a bit behind the line formed by the Centre Forward and the two wingers (who might move “in” by a little bit, as well), while the Lynchpin is now stationed noticeable closer to the backs than to the midfielders. “Joining the dots” would, looking at the pitch from above and placing the Bears’ goal-line at the bottom of the picture, give you [approximately] a stretched-sideways ‘W’ in front of a stretched-sideways ‘M’.
Penalties and direct free kicks are most commonly the responsibility of Karra Brent (#12) if she is on the field, or of Karra-Surey Norr-Vurra (#22), unless they are “last minute” ones (or within a few minutes of the game’s end, anyhows…) and the Bears really need another goal to turn a draw into a win or or even a loss into a draw: In the latter case this role is more likely to be assigned to Harroya o Sarrndale (#5) instead, because she is more likely to remain completely calm in such situations. Harroya is also the most likely player to take corners.
Alternatively, taking a free kick or penalty might sometimes be assigned to a different player instead if it was a foul on that player which led to us being awarded the right to that shot.
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Opponents who RP first may _
Choose my goal-scorers: Y, except that this will NOT be the goalkeeper.
RP 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 really 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. (#5) Harroya o Sarrndale should NOT be reported as being given any cards unless you can get my consent first. (#12) Karra Brent will NOT be injured by anything that ‘mundane’ players do during play, not even by the most open & violent physical attacks.
Godmod injuries to my players: N
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...
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Kit: This incarnation of the team will normally wear the usual set of designs (from ‘ediraf’) that the Belles have favoured in the past.
Bears Armed has traditionally used base-8 arithmetic, for several reasons, and the set of ‘shirt numbers’assigned to this team’s players has been determined on that basis. The nunber '10' (i.e. eight) has been "retired", however, to honour the memory of two earlier wearers who particularly distinguished themselves.
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Home grounds
1/. Wimbley Stadium:[/b] 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 original “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 12’000 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 ... which still exists IC as far as the Bears are concerned, even though OOC it unfortunately CTEd years ago, because not only are there some bits of jointly-agreed RP that I want to keep but also that nation — and its routes onwards into the outside world — are/were located on the Bears’ most “accessible” border.)
This site will be used for most, but not all, of the Belles' matches. (list to be added)
Chief groundkeeper: Birra’hrreua Lirrenbrock _ a female ‘Brock’ [i.e. anthropomorphic Badger][/i] from the Lirrenbrock sept within their clan [This sept has its territory not far from Wimbley]; she is in the third generation of her family to work here, but is the first of them to be in charge (although that role usually has been held by a Brock rather than by an Ursine).
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 those two species) because 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 some of the Belles’ home games (list to be added), and also for some of any friendlies or matches in other Cups during this period as specified separately.
Foreigners coming to this stadium may either travel to the ‘Mainland’ and then continue hence via a set of ancient [& probably magical] ‘Gates’ that link the country’s two sections — completing their journey by either rail or riverboat after that — or take ship directly to NorthPort.
Chief groundkeeper: Gyrth’hrra ShipBear _ Clan = Seabear; female Ursine; age = 59, fur = light-medium brown; starts these qualifiers in her fourtenth year as boss here, after five years as an assistant; formerly a first-team goalkeeper with ‘NorthPort Voyagers’, who are one of this city’s two professional clubs, she had already started to study grounds-keeping before her retirement from play.
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NOTES
Ursines, Ursomorphs, and Harr'aynau, generally retain their "youthful" vigour at least into their mid-thirties, which means that footballers can have longer playing careers than is the usual case for Humans: Those who are in their late twenties or early thirties -- as some members of this squad are -- are likely to be still [at least] as fit as they were in their early twenties.
Ursines may tend to be a bit less agile & slower to accelerate on average than humans of comparable ages, 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 [slightly] 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 (or, at least, one who has reasonable experience of playing against Ursines…), 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 so they shouldn’t need to jump as often in order to intercept [relatively] high shots...
Ursines are physically robust, of course, which means that they're much less likely than humans are 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..
They generally do not perform the sort of extravagant ‘goal celebrations’ that are seen in some RL football today. A brief hug from a team-mate, or just a pat on the shoulder, is usually all that happens…
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 also 'Urrs-horns' [which are similar to Alpenhorns), cow-horns, or other "musical instruments", too — along to the matches…
The team is accompanied by a number of sapient Ravens, who are there both to gather information about the rival sides and -- if & when visiting certain other nations -- to provide air cover in case of hostile waterfowl.
