Meet the former King’s Lynn coach putting Samoa on the world footballing map

He’s had coffee with Robbie Fowler, watched David Beckham strut his stuff in training and his side has managed to shackle Premier League striker Chris Wood longer than the defences of Everton and Brighton this season.If you want a career in the beautiful game, Samoa is perhaps not the obvious place to go – so meet the man tasked with lifting football out of the sporting shadows of rugby on the tiny South Pacific Ocean island.Former King’s Lynn coach Jess Ibrom took charge of Samoa’s national team in April last year and is now guiding the country, which has a population of just over 250,000 people, in qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.Ibrom saw Samoa through FIFA World Cup 26 Oceania Qualifying qualification games against Tonga and American Samoa to earn a place in the group stages, although they are unable to play matches on their island.It first all started for Ibrom when he moved to Hunstanton at the age of five and became involved with Heacham Minors a couple of years later.After playing for Wells Town, his coaching journey began at the age of 21 when he went to coach in the United States of America between 2000 and 2005.He returned home to become involved with the King’s Lynn Community Football (KLCF) scheme. “I was really lucky to start with KLCF under the tutelage of Paul Hunt at the College of West Anglia in 2006,” he recalled. “I started as an area manager for the Hunstanton region before taking over from Hunty (Paul Hunt) and heading up the scheme. Hunty was immense to me as a mentor and I have a lot to thank him for and still do today.”The scheme was incredible and it rapidly developed in the time I was there with several full-time and part-time coaches.”We delivered player development centres, after-school clubs, festivals, holiday soccer schools, football tours in the UK and Europe and school sponsorship days for close to 1,000 children throughout the region. “Alongside this, the KLCF advanced football program was well respected by semi and professional football clubs.”To have the experience for our players to play the likes of Norwich City, Ipswich Town and Luton Town regularly was so important to their development.” Ibrom’s final couple of years in Norfolk was spent as head coach of the King’s Lynn Town women’s side.”The KLCF girls’ program initially started with Dan Hammond (ex-Linnets player) at KES (King Edward VII) school,” he said. “Over 30 girls showed up for a development centre and from then on other girls’ teams were formed and it was an exciting time for women’s development in the UK.”A group of players came through this pathway and we had some very good success with promotions and cup victories.”Alice Coyne went through this pathway and on to Chelsea FC so that was special for the club as a whole at the time.”A new part of the world came calling in 2011 as Ibrom opted for pastures new in New Zealand and Oceania. “After working in the US in the early 2000s, I wanted the opportunity to work abroad again,” he said.”I felt I had taken the KLCF as far as I could at the time and so wanted to challenge myself abroad again.”At senior level, the 47-year-old has been head coach of top-flight New Zealand side Tasman United and the Cook Islands national team.Ibrom’s incredible CV also includes two years as Samoa’s technical director between 2020 and 2022. His new life is a far cry from his days back in West Norfolk.”Travel can be an issue as with international tournaments in this part of the world sometimes there aren’t direct routes so you have to go from one country to the next,” he explained.”In 2024 alone, I took more than 70 flights. Football in this part of the world is underdeveloped but on the flip side, you can have quick success provided you gain the buy-in from everyone.”In New Zealand, there are only two professional football clubs for example. I was academy director for the Wellington Phoenix who played in the Australian A-League for two years and we had success in moving players onto the professional ranks, which I feel is related to my work at the KLCF and the pathways we put in place there.”Football has provided many memorable moments in the dugout – but the one game that stands out was leading Tasman United to victory over New Zealand giants Auckland City. “I would say defeating Auckland City who were unbeaten in 49 national league games over two years was pretty special,” he said.”We were very under-resourced in terms of player budget, staffing etc and so it was massive for me and the club at the time. “Auckland City is the biggest club in the region, regularly winning the national title and going to the FIFA Club World Cup so it was a big scalp.”I qualified the Samoa national team to Phase Two of World Cup Qualifying and we played Vanuatu, Tahiti and regional powerhouse New Zealand.”This hadn’t happened before and we achieved this by overcoming American Samoa and then Tonga in extra-time. This was massive for the country and its credibility on the regional and world stage. “In both instances, I place it down to the experiences I had at KLCF. We regularly came up against more established elite professional clubs and so this has held me in great stead going forward.”I’ve been fortunate to travel to a lot of countries and professional clubs since I left the UK and this has been great for my own personal development.”More so it’s the people I’ve managed to meet along the way. I’ve seen Beckham train close up, been into Chelsea FC on several occasions to see the teams work and once had a coffee with Robbie Fowler in Bangkok.”Perhaps the biggest test of Ibrom’s coaching prowess came last November when they lost 8-0 to New Zealand in a World Cup Qualifier, where Nottingham Forest frontman Wood helped himself to a hat-trick.”We managed to keep Chris and New Zealand quiet until the 23rd minute,” he said. “He’s obviously a massive player and is flying in the Premier League currently and loves coming back to New Zealand.”We had to play a back five against Chris and New Zealand due to it being professionals against amateurs and the next day most of my players had to work or fly back to work so there was an obvious big gulf.”Ibrom is committed to developing a cohesive group of players with an eye on future tournaments, including the 2030 World Cup.He aims to keep the current group together to ensure they are in a prime position for upcoming challenges and believes that integrating cultural elements into the team’s ethos is vital for building unity and achieving success on the international stage.“Each day has been a blessing,” he said.”Samoa has an amazing culture and amazing people. They’re very friendly, open and respectful. I feel very, very lucky that I get to live out this experience.”But his early days in West Norfolk will always remain close to his heart.Ibrom said: “I keep in touch with Hunty regularly and love following his journey in football and now at my old club Heacham.”I am also in touch with many guys who have gone abroad with most still working in football like Mark Heath-Preston, Tom White and Dan Hammond, who went on to play professionally in Singapore.”It was a very strong generation of players and coaches in those early days at KLCF like Dom Dwyer who has gone on to have an amazing career in the USA.”The scheme certainly aided a lot of people in their development, not just as players but also as professional coaches and that’s pleasing to see.”I still keep up to date on the results of King’s Lynn and all the other clubs in the region.”The KLCF scheme will always hold a special place for me and gave me the foundation to go on in the game so I will always be grateful for this.”