Imminent Change I

On the 14th of December 2008, a bus painted in an orange hue made its mark with its arrival upon the Stade Océane. They came well-dressed, emitting an aura of vitality and spirit as they marched to their destined battleground. The FC Lorient crew made its way into the beating heart of the Le Havre club, its decade of history oozed its way through the various pictures depicted along its hallways.

Even before the Lorient team marked its presence within the stadium, they could feel the presence of the Le Havre supporters, or the lack of presence of the home fan. The visiting team was questioning if they even made their way to the correct venue, but their doubts were cast aside as they noticed the stadium which is filled to the brim, yet deftly silent. It seemed as though the fans weren't here to cheer on their beloved club but have instead shown up to the game just for the sake of it. The 25,000 Stade Océane was one of the smaller stadiums in Ligue 1, but it was undoubtedly filled to the brim, every nook and cranny in this blue stadium has a presence of a crowd, and every seat has been filled, no empty spaces, no section as an empty shell. But Lorient faithful haven't arrived merely for the event. They aren't here for a football match. They have arrived as a force to be reckoned with, a nuisance, a reminder, and a tangible reality of the oppression the Le Havre have been subjected to. Even if the Lorient fans are vastly outnumbered, their presence was sure to be felt.

Kai lived this moment to the fullest, trying to remember every single detail, more specifically the sounds as he closed his eyes, using his hearing to ingrain this moment in his memory. He questioned if football matches are always like this, a surreal silence that loomed overhead. For a moment he doubted if their stadium is just small, so the atmosphere is lacking compared to the other teams, or that their fans are just not passionate enough. Whatever the cause, the dull atmosphere wouldn't impede this special moment, his debut as a professional coach, albeit as just a small coach working under Marley.

The night was cold and damp, certainly a tale of winter, even though it was the beginning of spring. The rain came down heavily in the streets of Le Havre, and not only because of the less-than-perfect weather, but because people are scared of change. The town has changed, and at the same time hasn't. The days of the barbeque are long gone, for no one owns a barbeque anymore, and it doesn't matter to them as they're far too busy working at the cafe, the B & B, and any other form of local business. They're scared of the changes that have been forced upon them, of the gradual encroachment of the culture that has overtaken them, of the people who have usurped their role as community leaders and are doing their best to live in their own worlds. It's cold now, though not by choice, and the majority of the population is focused on keeping things the way they want them to be.

The arrivals of the Lorient fans were brief, but the fans were there, and that was all that mattered. Even the opposition fans respected the moment, as well as the name of the club they were in attendance for. The atmosphere in the stadium was strange, where Marley pointed to his players and then looked at the ground, perhaps deciding the best ways to approach their upcoming opponent. The atmosphere was silenced, the silence from the stands was intoxicating. The introduction of the Lorient manager did not add any noise to the stadium, it was all very quiet and the silence only reinforced the change that is imminent.

Kai thought he was ready, though the notice was brief and was only days before the match, he was mentally prepared as all the rumours and press speculations did more than enough to alert him to the possibility of working with the first team. But evidently, Kai has yet to take in the reality that has been presented. He had mentally prepared himself for this occasion, but when the occasion arise, he found himself hiding in the toilets.

The young man lost all strength as he rested himself against the bathroom sink. He turned the knob as he splashed several handfuls of water against his face hoping to clear his head and gain the strength needed to confront the demands placed upon him. He only just remembered who he was, a young man with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Something about this situation felt different, more important, perhaps it was because he was so young, so inexperienced. As the nerves left him he realised he had to address this, once more. He was a man of his word, and an idealist to boot. He would face this adventure head-on and fight for the freedom that is being denied to so many people throughout the world. He would do his best to make it a success.

Lanier looked up at Kai's figure through the pitch-black darkness. He waited patiently and said nothing. The two figures faced head-on, Lanier leaned on the wall just beside the entrance to a room, the home team locker room. Normally first team coaches like them two would be in the locker room, but this was a special moment for they had their own private moment away from the players. They weren't really needed in the locker room, Marley was already in there delivering his recited motivation speech that Kai was certain the chubby manager had prepared the night before.

"You nervous?" asked Lanier in a low voice.

"No..." Kai replied in a shaky manner, "Compared to the pressure of winning the youth cup last year, this is nothing."

Which is not true in the slightest. There were only a few hundred audiences at a time at the youth games. Compared to professional league matches, the pressure is at least tenfold.

Kai removed his jacket and his tie and began to shake off the nerves. He was nervous, there was no doubt about that, but if there was one thing he could rely on, it was his optimism and positivity.

"I am sure this will work out for us in the end," Kai said through gritted teeth.

"I'm confident of that too..." Lanier said with a grin, his face showing more enthusiasm than Kai felt he could muster.

And at that moment, the two managed to suppress their nerves, their apprehensions and their doubts. They decided to give their best. If the team were able to play to their full potential, no matter how much the odds were stacked against them, they would see it through.

~~~

The Le Havre anthem marked the welcoming of the home team as the sky and navy blue players marched their way onto the pitch. A familiar voice in the distance evoked familiarity as the talkative figure prepared himself.

"It's the 18th round in the 08-09 Ligue 1 season. Can you believe it? Only a few more matches until it is halfway through the campaign, yet the newly promoted Le Havre is at rock bottom at 20th place. On the other hand, this is a match that would be a crucial test against Le Havre as they face FC Lorient, a stable club that is always there and there about in the mid-table battle." Sébastien was talking animatedly from the commentator's booth with his constant enthusiasm.

"Indeed. Lorient finished 10th last season with a solid 52 points. The legendary orange supporters have everything in their favour as they are favourites to win, but fans of Le Havre are sure to be optimistic. They look forward to the challenge, but that is certainly not their only concern. Le Havre needs to focus on just getting points." Horace pointed out the miserable situation of the different clubs. One was a stable club that had a great past, and could possibly regain its former glory. The other was an even older historical club, but one that always lingered in the second division of French football.

" *sigh* Well, but the fans would feel relieved by the change in personnel. The club officially sacked Manager Jean-Marc Nobilo last night and has appointed temporary manager Marley as a replacement until a suitable candidate is identified by the board of directors. What do you think of this appointment?"

Sébastien realised his partner's intention. They are professional football pundits that attend every match of the Le Havre first team and Le Havre youth teams. They are the ones that are capable of introducing the new manager. The interweaving duo introduced the new manager to the audience.

"Well then... Welcome to Stade Océane! The new manager of the Ligue 1 club, Mr Marley. The bloke has had several years under his belt working in the youth teams from the ground up."

"He's a local boy?"

"Born and raised in Le Havre, in fact. He knows the working of the club in and out. He's only managed from the youth team though, and the reason for this is because he has never made it to the pro scene as a footballer."

"It's a shame really, you guys would have loved to see him as a footballer. Not many can say that."

"Indeed."

Sébastien finally finished announcing the new manager. He looked up at the large display monitor on the monitor that displayed the location of the game and noticed a moving map of the rest of the match, as well as highlights of the last few games of the season.

"We have the pleasure of commentating Manager Marley's first game as Le Havre manager, at home to FC Lorient. Let's hope that Marley can raise our club to new heights."

Both of the new football pundits began talking with themselves in a contest to create the best commentary. They were using their instant message for select comments to go into the commentary. Finally, both of them agreed on what they should say to get their point across and the viewers' attention.

"Well then. The absence of Lionel Cappone will be thoroughly missed by the Lorient faithful as we can officially confirm the away team's main keeper is not selected in the starting lineup."

"Indeed! The bloke is nearing his 30s, but there has been speculation that the player suffered a knock during the buildup to the match. FC Lorient will instead have the presence of Fabien Audard in goal today."

"Let's hope Le Havre can make the best use of this sporadic weakness."