WITH more than 100 years of history you would expect the Town’s own team to boast no end of quality footballers.

But it is not until you sit down and analyse the names that have pulled on those blue-and-white stripes that you fully realise the sheer skill the Track faithful have witnessed since the day the Belgrave Wanderers quit their Les Banques pitch to join forces with Rangers, North and Athletics and form the Amalgamated at Victoria Avenue.

One by one the Amalgamated clique, for that is what it was in the first half-century of the Guernsey Football Association, has dissipated to the extent that Bels – with that marvellous enthusiast and backer Hilary Sarre driving them on – became the now proud, sole owners of the venue most islanders still consider the number one ground and the only place to play a Muratti final.

And there have been stars aplenty, from the legendary Tom Waterman, to today’s potential Division One champions

Waterman, was the first in a long line of the footballing family. He clocked up 10 Muratti appearances between 1905 and 1912, before heading off to the battlefields of France where he was killed four years later.

There have been many trophies, too, and it seems that there is nothing like a cup competition to get the best out of the lads from down Viccie Avenue.

Eight Jeremies, eight Martinez, nine Strangers and the memorable Wheway win at Springfield in 1973 show Bels to be consistently dangerous in one-off competition. And when, on the five occasions they have been consistently excellent enough to land the Priaulx, they have gone on to topple the Jersey champions four times.

That’s some record.

Belgrave stalwart Keith Parkyn, one of the Best XI selection panel, positively revelled in picking this team.

He was joined by fellow panellists, former GFA  president Alec Le Noury and two men who have both coached Guernsey Muratti sides, Harold Allen and Alan Le Prevost.