This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mollet

THE Guernsey Football Association is urging feedback from all interested parties on the future structure of their leagues after a call for the Jackson reserves division to be re-assessed. ‘We are re-examining all the leagues at the moment,’ confirmed Jeff Vidamour, the GFA director responsible for cups, leagues and grounds the day after North became the latest club to scratch from a second-team fixture.

While some club officials complain there are not enough players to go around, Vidamour said that the GFA have done their bit by not enforcing a registration system and that clubs could use any senior players in any senior fixture.

‘That is as flexible as we can be,’ he said.

‘We are looking at the whole set-up at the moment.’

He insisted GFA would be only too pleased to hear any comments on the future set-up of clubs and the leagues in the GFA LBG’s consultation questionnaire named the FA National Game Strategy 2008-12.

‘We are open-minded on the basis of looking at any opportunity which is suggested to go forward,’ said Vidamour.

‘We organise leagues for teams to participate and it’s regrettable we just cannot re-arrange games going forward. The [GFA] secretary has enough problems setting games without clubs crying off,’ he said.

Northerners president Dave Finn admitted he was disappointed that the club could not field a side, but cited several reasons which contributed to having to forfeit the game.

‘We did not have enough players in the club, because the Jackson is made up of youth and Railway players and that was the problem,’ he said.

‘For the club to have four games in four days, one had to go.’

North primarily use the Jackson League as a feeder for the Priaulx squad, with the club’s top under-18s playing in it to gain senior experience.

Finn said with a top-of-the-table Youth One clash with Bels scheduled for last night, coach Ross Cameron did not want any junior players playing for the reserves on Sunday.

North also have a Jeremie Cup semi-final match earmarked against Bels tonight.

‘It is an important game for the club,’ said Finn.

‘The first-team coach [Mick Le Prevost] did not want any of his squad to pick up any injuries.’

The club also had a Railway game on Saturday, in which they beat leaders Sylvans.

‘We picked up some injuries and a lot of the boys play Sunday League,’ said Finn.

‘I’m very disappointed. We did have a team out then had these injuries and a few dropped out and we were down to eight players.’

He insisted it was time for the Jackson League to be re-assessed.

‘The Jackson is a problem at the moment for a lot of clubs. It’s not a problem when we can use the Youth One players, but it’s a problem when they have a top-of-the-table match the next day,’ said Finn.

‘There are not enough players to have a Jackson team in our club on its own. We use it as a feeder for the first team squad.

‘We always have a problem in the Jackson when there is a Youth One game the next day. It’s very rare to have the three teams playing within a day or two of a Jackson game,’ he insisted.

‘I think it has to be re-assessed - I know the GFA are looking at the Jackson League.’

He believes North will be able to fulfil the rest of their Jackson fixtures this season.

* What are your views on the future structure of the leagues? Should the Jackson League be scrapped in future? Write to Sports Desk with your views or e-mail sport@guernsey-press.com