GFA president-elect Dave Dorey wants to see a Guernsey FA Cup introduced and a reduction in Priaulx League matches to accommodate it. Dorey, who will be formally elected at next Thursday’s EGM at the Corbet Field, says a reduced league programme of 18 matches per side in preference to the 24 of last season would have two major benefits.

It would satisfy island coach Steve Ogier’s wish for fewer club matches and at the same time make room for the proposed cup competition.

‘There’s a general appreciation in the game that to fit in something like this [the FA Cup], something will have to go.

‘The best way of achieving it as I see it, is to reduce to 18 and I know Steve Ogier feels such a move would be a great advantage to him, in terms of preparation time for island squads.’

Dorey says by tackling the fixture problem this way, the sport gets a fresh, vibrant, new

competition with big prizemoney, but it will also enable the smaller Le Vallee and Rawlinson Cup competitions to remain in place.

‘I can understand that many people may have concerns about voting in favour of such an ambitious proposal, having had a relatively short time to consider the issues.

‘But I very much hope that all clubs will look at the bigger picture and recognise the enormous benefits they would derive from the Guernsey FA Cup – both fiscal and in terms of promoting much-needed interest in our sport for players and spectators.

‘We have an ideal opportunity to launch a new competition, the likes of which the island has not seen before, which will hopefully become a blue riband cup competition for teams at all levels of the local game.

‘To miss such an opportunity would be a great shame in my judgment. If we can all work together, I am in no doubt that any potential problems can – and will – be resolved.’