This Is Guernsey

By Rob Batiste

EASTER would be the best time to play the under-21 Muratti, not November, said Jersey’s Scottish coach Dave Kennedy (pictured), who is calling for the Inter-Insular Football Committee to change the date for the annual Ambassadeur Bowl match.

He wants it to be played when both islands’ university students are at home in the build-up to the game.

‘We asked Guernsey to move the fixture, but they were having none of it,’ said Kennedy.

‘This is a Muratti and I believe it’s only fair that we have more preparation time with the boys. It would be more realistic to play the game pre-season before the university students go away or at Easter when they have returned. We know we have to get on with it this time, but I really feel it should be looked at again and moved to a more realistic time.

‘If it is moved, I believe it will add value to the game as well. Easter would be good because there are few fixtures around and it would work with both sides probably fielding full strength sides including the students.’

Guernsey see the situation altogether differently to Kennedy’s claim that they would not move. Mark Le Tissier, the GFA chairman, seemed unimpressed by the suggestion of the game being played in late summer. ‘I’d rather not comment on that one,’ he said.

Le Tissier said that an Easter date had been discussed by the islands’ respective fixtures secretaries who were agreed that that period was simply too busy and ‘too difficult to accommodate’.

The GFA chairman also revealed that the GFA had helped out once already with regard to this year’s game.

‘The facts are that the game was scheduled for 8 November and Jersey requested it to be moved because of their triangular [international] tournament.

‘We were only too pleased to accommodate that.’

As for moving away from a November date to accommodate students, Le Tissier was sceptical as to the need as it would be a little unfair on those who had been playing and performing all season.

Jersey’s under-21s completed their preparations with a 2-1 defeat by a Coca-Cola Combination Select at Les Quennevais, which he partly blamed on the unavailability of students.

‘The first half last night highlighted the issues we have because it was the first chance to look at the new players in the squad because it’s the first time we’ve all been together,’ said Jersey boss Kennedy.

‘We are going into Saturday’s match with one full training session behind us and last night’s game. We did have a game at St Ouen several weeks ago but we had six of the squad missing because Jersey Wanderers had a game and we had another couple missing because of injuries.

Yet Kennedy left out several of his more ‘senior’ under-21 players in the first half this week to have a closer look at the younger players and one who caught the eye was St Clement’s Matt Rawlings.

Kennedy said: ‘We all know Matt has a good record of scoring goals in the lower divisions and last night he impressed me with his work rate.’

Kennedy thanked Joe Morley for taking the Combination Select team, adding that it had been an excellent exercise for the Jersey squad and the game had answered some questions he had.

Richard Russell and Jay Thompson netted for the Combination Select.

Jersey play Guernsey at Springfield on Saturday, kick-off at 2pm.

Article posted on 20th November, 2008 - 2.30pm