THE Guernsey Football Association have finalised a five-year plan that will radically change the sport on the island.
They will now submit this to the English FA and it will become part of the National Game Strategy 2008-2012.
It will be put to the clubs at the GFA annual meeting, which is proposed to take place mid-June, which will vote whether to accept it or not. ‘As an overall package, I think it is excellent,’ said Mark Le Tissier (pictured), the GFA director in charge of representative football.’
‘We’ve put together a good way to go forward. Nothing is set in stone and some are two-year plans.
‘We’ll just have to see how it goes.’
The headline-grabbing proposal in the plan is the 16-to-23-year-old league that would replace the Youth One and Jackson leagues.
Each team would be allowed to select five over-aged players as well.
The idea received a thumbs down when the GFA presented their plan to the clubs at the beginning of last month and is expected to be a stumbling block.
However, it is understood that the GFA executive committee could step down en masse if the clubs at the AGM do not ratify the plan that is due to come into affect from next season.
Other proposals include:
Creating a two-tier Priaulx League with Railway, Business House and Sunday Soccer League teams making up Priaulx Division Two with promotion and relegation between the two leagues.
A player can only be registered to one club.
Reducing the number of Priaulx matches from 24 to 18 per season.
Introducing five rolling subs in all leagues apart from the Priaulx.
The women’s league will run from September to December.
Women to play nine-a-side on three-quarter-size pitches.
Youth Three also to play nine-a-side on three-quarter-size pitches.
Increase the number of Youth Three and Youth Two games a season from 12 to 18.
Establishing a central GFA/schools league structure for girls, a development-based soccer school, a centre of excellence and a formal futsal programme.
The plan can be viewed at www.guernseyfa.com
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2 Article Comments
I am fully supportive of all these ideas. Guernsey football needs regeneration and I believe that these proposals are a good way forward. I never expected promotion and relegation to feature - good on the GFA for being so radical.
Some of the ideas are very good others im a bit unsure about!
Firstly what about the 16-18 year olds who are not yet stong enough or good enough to compete with 22 year olds? They will drop out! Where will they play football? Surely we are trying to keep youngsters in the game not force them to quit? Sone of the lads moving into youth 1 this year are no where near physically developed enough to play in A 16-23 year old league.