Oglethorpian Association of Football

The Oglethorpian Association of Football (OAF) is the supreme footballing authority in the Bureaucratic States of Oglethorpia. It is responsible for forming the national squad to participate in the World Cup, coordinating international player trades, as well as overseeing domestic play within the Bureaucratic States 1st Division. Further, it makes the conduct of clubs and individuals associated with clubs its business in the interest of putting forth the best image of football possible.

History

Perhaps most notably, the Oglethorpian Association of Football is responsible for coordination with Bedistani officials, and later Kingsforder officials in securing hosting rights to World Cups 8 and 14, respectively.

The OAF entered into existance prior to the beginning of World Cup 4, but fell into ambiguity after the conclusion of World Cup 17, precipitating the Oglethorpian football drought that saw them fail to participate in four World Cups (18-21). World Cup 22 will mark the participation of an Oglethorpian squad in nearly two decades.

World Cups 4-8

Under the leadership of OAF President Clifton Miffton, Oglethorpia would field an unnamed squad that would begin a streak of qualifying for every World Cup up until the squad's World Cup 18-21 absence. During Miffton's tenure, football became the pride of the country. The end of the World Cup 4-8 era was marked by the semi-successful completion of the Bedistani/Oglethorpian hosted World Cup 8.

During these years, Kuruma Auto of Oglethorpia sponsored the national squad and subsequently, the home side's arena carried the name Kuruma Stadium. This later changed when the company was bought out.

World Cups 9-13

Filling in the void left by Miffton would be Marvin Thomas. Marvin Thomas' administration of the Oglethorpian Association of Football would witness the first time an Oglethorpian national squad carried a nickname. First in World Cup 9 it was the Superteam, and from World Cup 10-13 played the finest in all Oglethorpian football history as the Wonderteam. This nickname was soon retired in respect for that squad's achievement, despite comparative mediocrity compared to other nations's expoits in the World Cup.

While Clifton Miffton's era was marked by his precedent setting, Marvin Thomas' work in the OAF would lead to the peak of Oglethorpian football.

World Cups 14-17

In World Cup 14 the OAF had a new President in Melvin "Mel" Green. For the Kingsford-Oglethorpia hosted World Cup 14 the OAF adopted the face of the Bureaucratic States Football Association. While it hosted the far more successful of the two Cups to come to Oglethorpia, under the BSFA the popularity and quality of the national football program would degrade until finally Oglethorpia failed to enter World Cup 18. The World Cup 17 preformance was so mundane in comparison to the past preformance of the side, that it earned official recognition by the BSFA as the Oglethorpian Mediocrity-Languishers.

In addition to Oglethorpia's great fall from grace, Amalgamated Industries, a close sponsor of the national side since its inception in World Cup 4 pulled out leaving Amalgamated Stadium to fall into disrepair. Further, the BSFA was disbanded and BS 1st Div play stopped. In these 19+ years of absense from World Cups 18-21, Oglethorpia would go from an 18th rank in World Cup 17 to a 150th rank entering World Cup 22.

World Cup 22

With the coming of World Cup 22 came the re-emergence of the Oglethorpian Association of Football under Joe Staplin (see current leadership). Harking back to the World Cup 4 days, the side remains unnamed. Amalgamated Industries has once again picked up the sponsorship role, but the current deal is provisional and only for a year. Staplin's leadership of the OAF in these reformative years hold the possibility of him earning great acclaim in the eyes of avid football fans, but if the path back to a premier football program is a long one it is not likely it will be under Staplin that Oglethorpia is once again a major footballing country.

Organization

The Oglethorpian Association of Football is directed by a single president, with other officials acting as his "cabinet."

Current leadership

Currently, the OAF President is Stanigramistan immigrant Joe Staplin. Staplin has communist ties, notably to the Stanigramistan Comfintern, but sought political asylum in Oglethorpia. He was later hired to the OAF under the pretense that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," in response to Comfintern leader Leon Brautsky calling for a socialist football revolution regionwide. This, in contrast to Staplin's own view of socialist football in one country.

"Baby steps"

Staplin's OAF Presidency was first marked by a reiteration of the term "baby steps," referring to the need for patience in the reemergence of Oglethorpian football at the international level. Predicting a poor showing at World Cup 22, Staplin cited that things would improve and that it was simply a necessary step in the right direction.

Four Year Plan

Recently, the "baby steps" Staplin model for football redevelopment was superceded by the OAF Four Year Plan, the first one designed not to foster football within Oglethorpia, but claim other nation's players to fill positions on the national squad. The first Four Year Plan was enacted in this fashion to provide immediate results, opting for a shorter route than that of slowly building back up the nation's youth and domestic football programs.

It is not known if the short term benefits of the policy will be detrimental to the future of Oglethorpian football, with such emphasis put on the here and now. It is expected future Four Year Plans will address this issue.