ISLAND boss Steve Ogier has thrown his weight in principle behind the idea of creating a ‘Guernsey United’ football team to compete in a UK national league. But he believes market research needs to be undertaken initially to gauge public feeling.
‘It’s something myself and Tony Vance [assistant senior island coach] have spoken about for a while. Where are we going with the local game as far as Guernsey is concerned with representative football?’ said Ogier yesterday.
‘It would be great if we could do it, but I’m not sure about the mechanics. Funding is the big issue with any local sport, but in principle it’s a good idea.
‘It’s getting people to buy into it - I think they need to do some kind of poll or survey to get the feeling of the football fraternity and outside that a general consensus of feeling among people. We need the support of the footballing public, but first of all you have to have your market research.
‘Unless we find a Jack Walker, it will be a non-starter unless people invest,’ said Ogier.
He believed it would be a good move for the progression of the island’s best young players to perform regularly on a national stage.
‘If you are in a position where these local guys are exposed week-in week-out to this level of football and there are scouts looking, they have more chance of being picked up than at this moment in time,’ he said.
‘What are the other options?’
But he would be opposed to repeating the funding route idea devised for Ebbsfleet United of the Blue Square Premier Division, who are now run by shareholding fans after agreeing a deal with fans’ website MyFootballClub.
He does not believe giving shareholders the opportunity to have a say in team selection, transfers and major decisions would necessarily work.
‘You should appoint someone and let them get on with the job - I don’t think it would work [people having a say in team selection]. There are far too many opinions and it would just become confused,’ said Ogier.
‘If someone invested their money in this, what qualifications would they have to select players? I think it would be a bit messy.’
He said Guernsey had never won the South-West Counties league but know they can compete at that level - but was unsure what league level standard in the UK that would equate to.
‘I’m sure we could find a level we could compete at, which would not be where we get hammered all the time. I’m sure there is a league we can compete in in the south [of England].’
Guernsey captain Matt Warren believes maybe now it is time to look at the wider picture for Guernsey football and consider going for entry into a national league rather than waiting for a Channel Islands League to get off the ground, which may never happen.
Warren backs a ‘Team Guernsey’ concept.
‘It’s a good idea and I think it would be good. It’s the next step for us as players to be involved in a league like that.
‘It’s all about the funding and how it would work and the sponsorship,’ said the Sylvans midfielder.
He acknowledged there has been talk about a CI League incorporating the top clubs in Guernsey and Jersey.
‘Why don’t we just look at going to England now and getting this up and running within a couple of seasons?’
Warren pointed at the Guernsey Rugby Club as an example of what is possible for local football.
‘All the other sports have evolved - it needs something to change it,’ he said.
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