As the World Cup begins this weekend the Catholic News and indeed the entire Archdiocese of Port of Spain joins with the national community in sending positive vibrations to our Soca Warriors in Germany. We are proud of you. We are with you. God bless you!

The front page story of the Catholic News of Sunday, November 12, 1989, prior to our football team's Nov 19, 1989 bid to qualify for the World Cup finals, was headlined "The National Football Team and Our Nation".

Written by the late Archbishop Pantin, it expressed then, as it does today in 2006, the power of the national football team to unify our country. We reproduce here a slightly edited version of the original article.

"During my recent visit to Ireland I was interviewed "live" on one of the local radio stations and when I gave a description of our rainbow country and rainbow people, the interviewer asked: "Well, Your Grace, if you live in such a diversified country, what unites you?" I replied without hesitation: "At this particular moment, World Cup Football."

That answer, at that time, was half-serious, half-joking but after attending last Sunday's friendly game between our National Team and a Russian XI and witnessing for myself the attitude, the mentality and behaviour of the 15,000 spectators, I realised that my answer is really to be taken very seriously.

There were people of every race, every creed, every colour, every walk of life and they all responded as one. The T&T National team, besides winning handsomely (4-2), gave a tremendous display of talented football and, what is even more important, first-class sportsmanship. But the most important thing in my eyes is that we all felt one, we were all behind our team.

Display at the National Library

Here were young people perhaps aged 8 or 9, there were the teenagers in abundance, there were the middle-aged ones like myself (if you can call 60+ middle aged!) and there were people considerably older than myself. There were young girls and young boys, men and women and my heart was bursting with legitimate national pride and thanksgiving to Almighty God for allowing me to witness this precious moment.

When I visited the national team after the match I was so impressed with the tremendous sense of commitment that these young men displayed and were displaying.

I want to salute our National Team, the manager, the captain, the coach, the psychologist, the TTFA officials, in fact all those who have had any part in building up of this outstanding co-operative venture.

National Team, I greet you, I pray for you, I thank you. I admire your extraordinary dedication, your football ability, your amazing team spirit, your trust in God. When I prayed with you in your dressing room, I sensed I was praying for our entire nation.

Of course, like everyone else, I would very much like to see you win... But whatever the result I thank you from the depths of my heart for having achieved, as no one else has been able to achieve before you, a sense of national unity.

We are with you - all for one and one for all. Together we aspire together we achieve. God bless you.”