THE Guernsey Football Association are going to pressurise the Rhodes Island Games organisers to allow ‘rolling subs’ during the Games’ football tournament. At the same time, and a shade surprisingly, the GFA are also claiming that their men’s side will be the best-prepared Guernsey team out of all the sports going to the baking Greek island next summer.
The rolling sub is one of a number of changes that the GFA want to combat the effects of the predicted 30C-plus heat that their team could play in.
A rolling sub system allows players to be replaced an unlimited number of times, instead of just once as the rules state. These latest demands follow a list of 14 conditions for participation which their players must adhere to, if they want to go.
More than six island men’s footballers have now said that they will not take part mainly because of having to take a two-week holiday for the tournament and of the reported maximum £1,000 cost.
The latest GFA announcement was made after Giga agreed to the GFA’s request to have their football teams travel separately from the rest of the Guernsey team, to acclimatise a week before the Games.
‘At last evening’s Giga meeting full support from the Giga membership was given to our plans to travel to Rhodes one week in advance,’ said GFA director Mark Vidamour.
‘We will now be doing all that we can to ensure that both men’s and women’s teams are given every opportunity to travel especially as football will have the best and most appropriate preparation of any of the sports, which will include the recommended amount of days acclimatisation.
‘We will obviously now be looking, since we have been given that endorsement, to reduce the costs as much as possible, by firming up on our travel and accommodation plans.
‘We will also, with the help and encouragement of the Giga executive, be lobbying the IIGA and the football technical committee to reduce the burden on our players by reducing the number of games, allowing rolling substitutes, playing in the evening etc.’
One of the island’s top triathletes, Gail Merrien, was surprised that the GFA claimed the footballers would be the best prepared of the various Guernsey teams taking part in the Games.
In the run-up to Rhodes, Merrien will train between nine to 11 hours a week.
‘The trouble with the footballers is that they need to put their words into action,’ she said. ‘Just doing sprints across a football field won’t work. They need to work on their aerobic work - to go to the gym and go for longer runs.
‘They need to be able to run for 45 minutes to an hour. They need to put down what they’ve put on paper into action.
‘I think it’s down to the players themselves to do the work. You can’t expect to play well and win things if all of the team are not fit.
‘It will be the fit players who will get the results for them.’
Article posted on 27th September, 2006 - 12.00am
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