It has been a very long time since England, the UK, or indeed all of Great Britain had any form of World Champion in videogaming. In fact, it's rare it happens in any sport -- most people who game now are too young to remember the last time England won a World Cup in football (although England did manage to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003).

Now, however, England and begrudgingly Europe (as I will explain later in this column) has its first ever CGS World Champion, the Birmingham Salvo. Although I could be wrong, this may be the first time a sports team from Birmingham has ever won a World Championship - in anything.

General Manager Michael "ODEE" O'Dell has won many tournaments in the past as a player and as a manager of his former team, dignitas, but never before has he led a team to victory in a truly global World Final with over $1 million up for grabs in a single tournament.

Could ODEE's own family be as proud of him as he is of his Birmingham team?

The enormity of what he and his players have achieved may not be really understood for many years. Then again, if anyone saw them lugging the rather heavy Dew Trophy through Heathrow, people have already taken notice back home. I doubt the players are being given the red carpet on arrival and it's unlikely that ODEE will be mentioned in the Queen's New Year honours list, but it's still a mighty achievement by a set of players who were written off before the tournament started.

I have known Michael (and count myself lucky to call him a friend) for many years and we share some remarkable similarities in our lives (we are both 36, both have 3 children, all of which are the same age and all girls), but the one thing I have always admired Michael for is his uncanny ability to get the best out of players that have talent but lack direction. In many ways he has done this with Birmingham Salvo -- in particular players from the Counter-Strike team who many believed to be "washed up" and "over the hill" at the ripe old age of 23.

Michael would, of course, have you believe differently. He credits simple management, hard work, and lots of practice as a regime that managed to gel a team together in a few short weeks. But those are really just some of the reasons behind the remarkable achievement of Birmingham Salvo.

A deeper look at the talent in the team uncovers some strong players retained from year one, and that experience counts for an awful lot when it comes to close matches on the big stage in front of millions of live TV viewers. ODEE added two new faces to the CS team who both delivered, quietly in their own way, and contributed hugely over the summer to the overall success of the team. Built on a solid foundation, the retention of Bazza for FIFA seemed questionable and his early results looked at best, mediocre. Even his manager conceded that if he could at least keep it close, it wouldn't be a problem, but then even he came up huge in the final against Stermy.

Another key area was Dead or Alive 4, and in both divisions. Whilst Messy returned for another season, he looked less than comfortable in the arena and flopped in some of the tough matches. When he was held up as a hero for winning one round in the semi final to clutch the entire match, it helped him enormously and he played with more confidence than anyone has ever seen when it came to the final game. Sarah Lou made a huge impact on the CGS in 2008, winning every match until facing Mystik, which she lost narrowly. As a newcomer to the league, Sarah Lou impressed everyone by taking rounds from Vanessa.

The rumors about the Salvo Forza squad proved to be true.

I cannot go without mentioning the MVP(s) of the World Final. According to ODEE, Picaso and Daveyskills are the best duo in Forza worldwide. I had heard this phrase a lot around the player village and in the arena, but it took longer than expected for it to show through. When it did, it came in three consecutive matches in the World Final, helping their team claim the title and gaining them the prestigious player award won last year by BlackMamba.

Birmingham Salvo had ridiculously close games throughout 2008, but yet somehow, despite having had no regular season to speak of and limited practice time leading up to the finals, the team overcame the adversity with victory after victory, claiming not one, but THREE titles along the way -- UK, European and World Champions 2008. It doesn't get much better than that.

It is rare that I find myself feeling patriotic. I am one of those people who loves international competition. Yet I somehow found myself feeling immensely proud of the achievement that these 10 players and one general manager have accomplished. I am still not entirely convinced that it is nationalistic pride, but I do feel some sort of gratification.

It also surprised me how much the Europeans got behind the team, considering that the UK and Europe are separated by more than just a channel of water. But there was true support, encouragement, and celebration of the Salvo victory from all corners of Europe. Would it have been the same if Berlin had also made it to the final? I wouldn't have thought so, but the outpouring of support was nice all the same.

A world-class team from a top-drawer nation.

I would also like to spare a thought for the San Francisco OPTX. They have given us some amazing memories in the 2008 season with some incredible comeback games and huge plays by various players throughout the year. When it mattered most though, it was simply one game too many. There is a lot to be said for Birmingham not having had a proper regular season, but likewise it is hard to imagine that playing as many games as San Francisco had to didn't make them a little burnt out by the time the final match-up came along.

In the end, Birmingham Salvo showed great desire, hunger, talent, and spirit to claim their first ever World title. If you are going to i34 next week, don't be surprised to find them in a booth with a huge British flag displayed behind them. Salvo may well be continuing their celebration as World Champions. Rule Britannia and all that. Three cheers for the home team.