STARVED of action, football’s diehard fans have been almost daily visitors to the Track this week to see four Rawlinson Cup ties.

In truth, the Rawlinson is seen as nothing more than a useful warm-up for the serious league action, but this year’s event has more relevance than normal. And why?

Because without the presence of any of the island’s Uefa Regions Cup squad it gives us all an indication of what ultimately lies ahead if, as expected, Guernsey FC gets off the ground fully next season.

While Tony Vance has voiced his support for a Division One programme that must feature the very top players, he must know that while his diplomatic stance may be fine in the early days of an island team playing week in, week out, on the UK league ladder, in time the players can only be expected to commit to so much – after all they are amateur – and the island is going to win the day, as it is now.

That is not to say the top players won’t ever feature for their clubs, because there will still be times when it makes sense they do, but the workload in terms of preparation and games will be such that teams such as we have seen this week will be the norm. And that won’t be a disaster for club football, or spectators, although I am sure many will not like such a prospect.

One thing that the run in the FA National League System Cup and now the forthcoming Uefa Regions Cup has done, is to lift our premier footballers to a level of fitness never previously seen in the history of our game.

Whether the 2010 team is better than, say, the 1991 side which included the likes of Grant Chalmers, Carl Le Tissier, Lee Luscombe and Tony Vance and tore Jersey apart 3-0, the 1979 squad that thrashed Jersey 5-0, the ’72 team that won 3-0 at Springfield, or even perhaps the ’57 side that triumphed 6-4 at the Track, is open to conjecture.

But I am certain the 2010 squad is, by some way, the best physically prepared and that, finally, football is fully embracing sports science to get the best out of the players. It has come out of the dark ages.

The past two years has seen a significant improvement in the leading players’ approach to their sport and, with it, we are witnessing more competitive domestic football. The speed of the game has upped markedly and it is a better product than five years ago. The Jeremie Cup results prove it.

Guernsey, I am certain, is ready for the challenge of a UK league and the top players yearn for it. Whenever the Uefa Regions Cup run ends the players it won’t be enough just to return to domestic trudgery.

And what will that leave the clubs with?

On the evidence of this week, Division One will go down a notch in quality but with players itching to get a slice of the ‘Guernsey’ action, there will be a group of hungry young players knocking on the door.

On the Rawlinson Cup evidence St Martin’s and North certainly have the talent to fill spots vacated by the elite.

Scott Bougourd leads the charge of young Northerners who will be vying to break through into Vance’s squad and, by all accounts, his opening goal against Bels was spectacularly good. He will, I expect, strongly contend for a Muratti spot come May.

From St Martin’s, Luke Winch will, I expect come into the equation and that will be a challenge for both himself and the management team.

Marc McGrath is also too talented a player to be over-looked for a wider squad and I understand Ciaran Mahon is well thought of by the island management.

Elsewhere, Athletics’ Angus Mackay is sure to contend for a starting place in an ‘open’ island team and at Rangers it will be interesting to see how Piers Ockleford compares with his many rivals for a midfield slot.

Certainly, competition for Muratti and Island Games spots promises to be hot and that can only be encouraging.

Youth football, for a whole host of reasons may have its problems, but at least the senior game is on the up and will stay so as the carrots such as the Regions Cup and UK competition remain dangling.