THERE can't be many international head coaches who would marvel at the training ground of a League One side.

But Adie Shaw is one. The former York City assistant manager stood in awe of the training pitches at Doncaster Rovers watching a training game against Oldham recently.

"I'm just admiring the facilities," he sighed. "I would love to have just one half pitch as nice as they've got their three.

"We've still got the problem over there in that every bit of green grass has got a cricket pitch in the middle of it."

Over there is St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean island chain with a smaller population than York and a football team that has been out of action for three years.

But things are on the up. Since taking over, Shaw has seen the side rocket from 169th in the FIFA World Rankings to 153rd and they have earned a competitive shot at big-timers Mexico, ranked sixth, Trinidad and Tobago, ranked 63rd and St Kitts and Nevis in the next qualifying round of the World Cup 2006 after knocking out Nicaragua.

He said: "The talent's there, it's just making sure they are organised.

"The ability of the players is fantastic, it's just that in the Caribbean, they don't think in terms of a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 or whatever, they are a lot like little school kids, running round all over the field.

"But their ability is shining through and we managed to get through that first stage even without the likes of Rodney Jack and Julian Joachim."

The fact that it came without their two leading stars, both sorting out transfers back home, makes it all the more impressive and the alarm bells will no doubt be ringing if not in the Mexico camp then certainly in St Kitts and Trinidad.

"We have played seven games now and we have only lost one, and that one we played with a reserve side. For a country that hadn't played football for three-and-a-half years it's going well."

That one game they lost was to St Kitts, now ranked nearly 50 places higher at 108.

The important two-legged win over Nicaragua did more than secure passage to the next round of the qualifying tree.

It was also an affirmation that this little team is back after three years in the footballing wilderness.

And with it the glint of a golden ticket to a full-time job back in the UK, when the time is right.

Shaw said: "When I decided to come here, I knew there was a chance we could progress and that's what we have done. I'm quite happy here.

"If there was anything that came up in England I would look at it, and the experience I have gained - even in nine months - would give me an advantage, which was always the point."

Despite the obvious distractions of the Caribbean sunshine, Shaw does spare the odd thought for York City.

He said: "I wish Chris Brass and Lee Nogan and all the fans the very best for the coming season and I hope they get straight back up into the Football League at the first opportunity because it's the only place to be."

Shaw's future hopes include getting the team back in the top 100, but for now he will be looking to the games at home to Trinidad on August 18, followed by Mexico away in front of a potential 100,000 crowd on September 4.

He added: "I was speaking to an English journalist a couple of weeks ago just after Greece had won the European Championships. He asked me what I thought.

"I told him that at the end of the day, Greece have gone into a championships where they have never won a game before and they have gone and won the damn thing.

"I'm not nave enough to say we are going to go and win the World Cup but we will shock a few people in the next few months.

"We are in a group of four and two go through to the finals of the Concacaf group.

"I watched Mexico in the Copa America the other night and I thought my God, we're playing them in a few weeks' time.

"But it all boils down to the group of three Caribbean sides and we know that if we finish top of that mini-group we go through."

Updated: 11:05 Friday, July 23, 2004