NOBODY in football’s authorities will confirm it, but Inside Track has learned that Colin ‘Big Fal’ Fallaize (pictured) was being lined up to replace Steve Ogier as senior island boss.

Paul Ockleford would have been his technical assistant and, in theory, everything would have been rosy in the garden.

Well, no actually.

Although a Fallaize-Ockleford axis would have been absolutely terrific as a combination – in fact I can scarcely think of a better one from the island coaching fraternity – it could not happen for two very good reasons.

One, Fallaize is head coach at St Martin’s and two, Ockleford is joint head coach at Rangers.

And if Ogier could not be permitted to be linked to a club that didn’t even exist, how could the GFA seriously expect to have its island team run by two men who were running two-sevenths of the Senior County Division One teams?

It couldn’t – without being accused of double standards.

It could only have been the right choice were the duo to stand down from their existing clubs and, as Mark Le Tissier was quick to come out and state, he has no wish to steal talent from clubs which need all the help and expertise they can get.

I still consider that there is no rush to find a replacement for Ogier and Tony Vance, his classy assistant.

Although there is the question of who goes to the NatWest Island Games in Aland, Ogier had already identified a shortlist of players who should be questioned on their availability.

And then there is the thorny question of financing the trip to Scandinavia.

Word has it that while the island women’s squad is committed to travelling and has everything in hand with regards to fund-raising, the men tend to like to have things on a plate, proof of that being the fuss relating to the Rhodes tournament which they never reached.

And in virtually every case, for the better.

It was interesting to hear Francis Quin talk this week on what he believes was the catalyst for the remarkable raising of standards across most local sport – the Natwest Island Games.

For those of you too young to remember the St Martin’s deputy as one of the island’s foremost sportsmen, in his younger days he was good enough to represent the island in clay target shooting at three Commonwealth Games.

‘We’ve made unbelievable progress in sport,’ said the former president of the defunct Sports Council and now a commissioner with its replacement, the Sports Commission.

‘The Island Games is the most important thing that ever happened to Guernsey sport.

‘The biggest influence. It has lifted standards and focused minds.’

And nobody did more than Guernseyman Owen Le Vallee to ensure the biennial inter-island sporting spectacle took off. He must be feeling a touch sad this week as the island’s Commonwealth Youth Games squad take on new challenges in Pune and he is not there to see it.

A Commonwealth Games with Owen not around does not seem right.

But after 10, stretching back to 1970, one of the most important and influential men in the history of island sport is taking a back seat.

So let’s hope our 10 young stars in Pune give him something to smile about.

Perhaps even a medal.