
Jersey uncertainty not affecting Guernsey says boss
Guernsey manager Dave Merris says his side are taking "no notice" of the uncertainty over Jersey Bulls' season ahead of the Muratti Vase final.The Jersey club side still do not know when their Combined Counties Premier South play-off matches will take place.Bulls have been docked three points for fielding a suspended player, while rivals Redhill are currently going through the disciplinary process for a similar offence.Until all appeals are finished Bulls players do not know when or who they will play.Although it is unlikely the play-offs will clash with the annual inter-island fixture on Saturday, the uncertainty has not helped Jersey's preparations. "We've not really taken any notice of what has been going off," Merris told BBC Radio Guernsey."We just focus on a Jersey team that is going to come over, it's going to be competitive, it's going to be hard to beat."We've not really paid attention to what's going to happen. we're just focused on what we need to do in preparation for Saturday."
While Jersey topped their league before their points deduction - losing just three matches all season - Guernsey's leading players have had a difficult season.After a 12-year stay in the eighth tier of English football they were relegated from Isthmian League South Central last month and will drop to the same tier that the Bulls hope to get promoted from. But Merris says he will take heart from the way Guernsey have performed towards the end of the season - the Green Lions lost just one of their last seven matches as they moved to their new Victoria Park ground. "You can still use that momentum," said Merris."Obviously the end result wasn't what GFC wanted, but the momentum was there and the performances in the last six games has been outstanding."Yes, it's a one-off game, but you still use that momentum and that confidence that they've built over the last six games."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Bulls boss set to give youngsters a chance in new league
Jersey Bulls manager Elliot Powell says his side's promotion to the Isthmian League will give him the chance to develop the island's best young beat Cobham 1-0 in the Combined Counties Premier South play-off final to earn promotion to Isthmian League South up to the fourth tier of non-league football is the highest the club has been since it was founded in 2019. "We've got a great pool of local talent - I think we used 38 players last season and 36 were based on the island at the start of the season," said Powell, who brought in former professionals Kurtis Guthrie and Paul McKay in February after they moved to Jersey."We know there's another generation of talented youngsters coming through and they're going to be really important for us in the next couple of years, and also probably in this first season as well where we'll need some fresh energy to kick-start us again after a short turnaround."There's a good five, six, maybe seven lads that will be knocking on the door for a place who will probably be playing at the Island Games for the Jersey FA side and get their opportunity to impress and maybe force their way in at the start of the season." Powell is realistic about the Bulls' chances of promotion next club does not pay its players, whereas many of the other sides in their league - which forms part of the eighth tier of the English football pyramid - will have substantial financial resources to put towards their squads."There's some big sides with some big budgets," Powell told BBC Radio Jersey."Whyteleafe will come up with us and we know they'll strengthen and they'll be looking for back-to-back promotions, and if not even higher than that."We know there'll be teams with huge financial power in our league, there's going to be teams that are physically a lot bigger than us."But we've shown that we can mix it up in various different ways, whether it's a physical game like Redhill or Fleet Town, we've shown we can compete, and when it's more of a footballing game like Cobham in the final, we came out on the right side of that as well."So we're really looking forward to it, it's going to test us in a number of different ways."But these are the opportunities that the club has been gearing up for and trying to provide for local players, and it's one we're really relishing and looking forward to taking come August."


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Renewed concerns over Jersey netball facilities
A former England netball player has renewed her concerns over the future of the sport in Jersey due to what she claims is a lack of facilities on the island. Jersey Netball Association (JNA) coach Serena Kersten said the sport was in "serious trouble" due to a drop in available court JNA was offered less than a quarter of its current court time at the island's new Oakfield facilities which is due to open later this year. Constable Andy Jehan, the minister with responsibility for sport, said he wanted to "make sure that we can find a schedule that supports the sport". The island's new Oakfield sports facilities are scheduled to be completed in August and open to the public in October. Concerns have been raised over how time at the facility will be shared between different JNA was offered 27 hours per month compared to the 120 it currently has at Les Ormes. The association's current base is set to turn the netball facilities into padel courts. Ms Kersten, who played for England for 15 years, said the Oakfield site was not designed with netball in mind."For years all I've heard is that Oakfield is the home of netball," she said."It supports some of our programmes but unfortunately because of the offering we are in serious trouble as to the future of netball." 'Seriously worrying' Ms Kersten said the drop in hours and revenue for the sport will mean the JNA will not be able to fund a netball development officer. "We will no longer have anyone who can go into the community and develop netball on the island," she said. She said the future for the sport was "worrying me, it's seriously worrying me". "The time has come for the government to have to truly listen to what people are telling them." Constable Andy Jehan, the minister with responsibility for sport said JNA questioning the suitability of Oakfield was "disappointing"."Jersey netball were involved in the actual design of that facility," he said."We have many netball courts around the island in schools and at sports centres and we want to make sure that we can find a schedule that supports the sport. "What I'm trying to do with the education minister is to identify what capacity we've got and try and utilise that as much as we can."


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Chalmers targets World final after new personal best
Alastair Chalmers says he is targeting the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships in Tokyo after running a personal reigning British champion, 25, clocked 48.30 secs in Germany on Sunday, breaking his previous best by 0.24 seconds. Chalmers narrowly missed out on the finals at the European Championships last summer before falling in the semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Chalmers finish in the top two at the forthcoming British Championships, he will be guaranteed a place in Tokyo, having achieved the qualifying standard."So much can happen between now and then, I've just got to stay healthy," he told BBC Radio Guernsey. "I think on the day in Tokyo if I can execute a really good race and I'm healthy and in good shape then there is a good chance I could make that final."It's going to be hard, but that's the whole point of competition, you've got to turn up on the day and give if your all and not mess up."Chalmers has won the last five British titles and is in the form of his life, having improved his best time year on year."Running the fastest time of your life is always a lovely feeling," he added."When I crossed the line I was just very happy that I'd run that world qualifier, personal best, I think it was a meet record as well."I'm just in a great place physically and mentally and it just allows me to go out and run quick on the track against some really high quality athletes."The World Championships in Japan will take place from 13-21 September.