Island football presents many challenges, particularly for remoter islands. The Isles of Scilly league has just two teams which play each other every week in league and cup competitions. The Isle of Man has staged a tournament involving mainland football clubs before the start of the season. The Isle of Wight has good enough connections with the mainland to have teams competing in the non-league system.
Island football presents many challenges, particularly for remoter islands. The Isles of Scilly league has just two teams which play each other every week in league and cup competitions. The Isle of Man has staged a tournament involving mainland football clubs before the start of the season. The Isle of Wight has good enough connections with the mainland to have teams competing in the non-league system.
The Channel Islands present special challenges. They are densely populated islands with many wealthy residents but getting to England in a reasonable time involves a plane journey. There has been something of an historic affinity with Southampton: Matt Le Tissier came from the islands (although my islands football correspondent supports Leeds). In the Isles of Scilly quite a few people follow Plymouth Argyle although actually getting to a Saturday match would involve being away for 48 hours.
On the Channel Islands the focus has been on leagues on the two main islands of Jersey and Guernesey, but above all the annual Muratti Vase cup competition between the two islands which sparks a fierce rivalry. Alderney also take part, but have only won it once in 1920.
Guernsey has come up with a unique solution to the limits of island competitive football. They have entered an island team in the national non-league system called Guernsey FC. With the help of a rumoured £750,000 sponsorship from Sportingbet they are flying opposition teams to the islands and providing them with accommodation, something you don’t normally get in Step 6 of the non-league system.
What is more they have taken their Combined Counties League division by storm and look certain to get promoted. Attendances have generally been well over 1,000 with a record of 1,752. However, some tensions have now developed between the island team and the individual teams. The best players naturally prefer to play in the island team which draws on all the local teams but now they have been accused of asset stripping.
As far as the local teams are concerned, my Guernsey correspondent explains, ‘Most of them are geographically located. The teams were always geographically based. Vale Rec (the dominant team when I was growing up, are based in the Vale parish). Centrals (the worst team by a mile when I was growing up (I recall a 0-20 reverse against Vale Rec) – though oddly the dominant force in local softball) were my local team from St Andrews in the middle of the island. Belgrave Wanderers (Bels) are situated near to Belgrave Bay. The current champions St Martins hail from the parish of St Martins in the south east. The team from St Pierre du Bois are – for etymological reasons – known as Sylvans’
He continues, ‘Naturally the clubs recruit from all over the island. Rangers and Rovers might be a bit more peripatetic – though Rovers have played at Port Soif on the west coast for as long as I can remember.’
The island of Jersey is not considering following the Guernsey formula.
Don’t forget to listen to my regular slot on the Radio Scilly sports show at www.radioscilly.com shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturdays.