NEXT month’s Burton Trophy inter-insular athletics match could be the last of its kind.

Discussions are advanced for the annual end-of-season track and field clashes to become part of a new Channel Islands Open Championships.

The idea is the brainchild of Dale Garland (pictured), the local development officer, and his opposite number in Jersey, Andrew Winnie.

‘The open championships side of it really interests me. It is long overdue,’ said Winnie, who doubles up as the coach and driving force of the successful Sportingbet Channel Islands Club.

Garland, who has yet to take the plan to the GIAAC committee, said this year’s match at Foote’s Lane on Saturday 11 September would go ahead as normal, albeit with a few UK guests to test the Commonwealth Games bound athletes such as himself, but from next year the traditional inter-island clash would disappear.

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