COSMOS, who have given 33 years of loyal service to the Sunday Soccer League, have become victims of its de-affiliation from the Guernsey Football Association.

Belgraves vice-president Keith Robins symbolically throws away the Cosmos shirt at the Track yesterday. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0623110)

When the two leagues split Keith Robins, who ran the club, chose to leave as well as giving up his post as president of the SSL in favour of continuing his long association with Bels.
And Robins believes that the GFA’s major new plans, most notably the ‘one player one club’ rule, will result in people being forced out of local football.
‘I fear that this radical change that has been forced upon Guernsey football by the GFA will affect so many people who may be forced to change what sport they will be involved with in the future, or indeed if they are involved in anything at all,’ he said.
Robins also feels that youngsters will be heavily affected, especially those near the lower age limit of the new under-21 development league and feels that it is something from which local football may never recover.
‘I am already hearing about a lot of 16-year-olds who aren’t training or who haven’t signed for a GFA club.
‘I think that this is a wound that may take a long time to heal, if indeed it does heal at all.
‘We are going to lose so many people to the game because of this.’
He is also unconvinced that the GFA has looked thoroughly at the issue and indeed feels that it may be losing out because of it.
‘I would challenge the GFA to see what they have gained from this and what they have lost, including revenue gained from the social leagues, such as the bookings and affiliation.
It would also be about the players, the cups and the competitions that have been around for a long time that have been tossed to one side,’ he said.
Despite his feeling that local football will suffer, Robins is hopeful that the GFA’s new board can right the wrongs.
‘I do hope that now we have people in the top positions who have played the game, they will listen to the clubs and take on board their wealth of knowledge and start to heal this gaping wound,’ he said.