This Is Guernsey

THE clubs are not happy about it, but the Boxing Day fixtures appear to be going ahead.

All the Division One teams are playing next Saturday and according to North boss Mick Le Prevost (pictured), all the coaches want the fixtures called off.

‘We had a chat about it and ourselves and also the clubs want the games off,’ he said.

‘Their players want to spend Christmas with their families and kids. If they do go ahead, there will be a few players missing from each team.

‘We’ve asked [for them to be called off], but we don’t know if it will be done or not. I know most of the clubs would prefer to have the games called off.’

North are due to take on St Martin’s at Northfield.

Saints boss Colin Falliaze said that he will be without a number of his players as they will be on holiday.

He would like to see the Boxing Day matches scrapped.

‘I don’t particularly see that they are serving a purpose,’ he said.

‘If there was one big match like a cup final [then yes], but there is a full list so there will only be one man and his dog at each game.

‘We’re not professionals. The Premiership players are entertainers and they are scheduled to entertain.

‘There’s a lot of different opinions but I’d prefer not, so would my family and the top of that list is my wife.’

The subject apparently came up at a recent meeting between the eight managers, the island coach Tony Vance and the chairman of the GFA, Mark Le Tissier.

However, Le Tissier said that the clubs have not approached the GFA to have the games called off.

‘As far as we know the fixtures are in there and no one has come back to us about it,’ he said.

But the GFA’s fixtures secretary, Garry Cortez, is not a happy man about the situation.

He said no one had complained about playing on Boxing Day when he released the fixtures list to the clubs before the season started.

‘I’m really shocked that they are moaning about it now and they were written in July,’ he said.

‘A lot of people said they were a good idea and they were happy with it.

‘In all honesty, I can’t see why not. It’s a Saturday.’

Cortez has had a nightmare time of late with the rain causing havoc with fixtures.

A total of 81mm of rain has fallen so far in December (40% up on average) while November only saw two dry days all month.

Football coaches and their players have been struggling with the lack of matches.

Cortez said he needs all the available time he can get to stage the great number of rearrangements.

‘I have got to use all the Saturdays available to me,’ he said.

‘I’ve not put anything else on during the Christmas week. They’ve got Sunday and Monday off.’

Cortez also said that he is coming to the end of his tether.

‘It just seems that you can’t do anything right,’ he said.

‘I’m quite annoyed with it. I’m fed up with it all.

‘They all want more football and I put it on and they don’t want it.’

Article posted on 19th December, 2009 - 2.30pm