Latest news with #GreenLions
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
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 Jersey club side still do not know when their Combined Counties Premier South play-off matches will take have been docked three points for fielding a suspended player, while rivals Redhill are currently going through the disciplinary process for a similar all appeals are finished Bulls players do not know when or who they will 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 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."
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Guernsey FC star Allen targets another season
Guernsey FC's record goalscorer Ross Allen says he will return to the club next 38-year-old has scored 311 goals in 356 games and has been part of the Green Lions side since they were founded in 2011. Allen, who played in the Fifa Club World Cup for New Zealand side Team Wellington in 2018, is widely regarded as the best player ever to wear the Guernsey side's colours. He says the lure of Guernsey's new home at Victoria Park will keep him playing, even after the Green Lions suffered their first-ever relegation on Saturday. "I think for me the new stadium is a real draw and I would like to get at least one season there, especially now to help the help the group through a different league," he told BBC Radio Guernsey."It's just really exciting, I think with my coach's hat on as well with all the work we're doing behind the scenes with the Guernsey FA, we had Jersey Bulls youth teams over at Victoria Park to play some of our academy teams and that really excites me."It just shows that we've got some good kids coming through and I want to help some of them get to the stage where they're phasing straight into Guernsey FC and it's a nice transition for them to come into senior football."If I can still lace up boots and get the odd game here and there then that's really important for me while I can still do it and the body still allows me to do it." Allen scored 16 goals in 31 appearances this season, including a run of scoring in eight consecutive appearances from the start of February through to April. It was his best goalscoring season since he claimed 19 goals in the 2021-22 campaign - although some way off Allen's pomp in Guernsey's first season in the eighth tier back in 2013-14 when he found the net an incredible 54 says relegation out of the Isthmian League after 12 seasons is a chance to reflect, but also a chance to build for the future."Ultimately we are in a football pyramid. Getting relegated doesn't mean you stop existing as a club, it's just another chapter, it's just a time to reset," he added."We are a very unique club. If this was a club in the UK probably half or all of the players would leave, the coach would leave, it would be a total reshuffle."We've got that really unique situation where nothing really changes."We've got the same personnel and we could just roll into the next one and maybe blood a few younger players, get a few more players out there that maybe in certain games we just didn't quite give the minutes to this season because we needed a bit more experience out there."
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vance proud of Guernsey FC squad despite relegation
Tony Vance says he is proud of his Guernsey FC players despite the club's first-ever relegation. The Green Lions finished the season a point from safety in Isthmian League South Central as they dropped out of the eighth tier of English football after 12 years. Vance has blooded a number of teenage players in his squad as he looks to build the foundations for a sustainable homegrown future for the islanders, who have just moved to their new Victoria Park ground. "It's been an unbelievable effort. I think on 1 February we had 21 points, we finished with 42, so we doubled our tally," he told BBC Radio Guernsey. "We nearly pulled off a miracle, so the players deserve all the plaudits, they've been magnificent. We took it to the last game and lost by a point. "To go down on 42 points is very harsh, because that's actually our biggest points haul in seven years, and yet we've still gone down, so I'm very proud of the effort of the young lads and it puts us in good stead for whatever happens next season." Since Guernsey won promotion to the Isthmian League in 2013 they have often struggled against relegation. Since 2017 they have always finished in the bottom third and were two places off the drop in the previous two campaigns. "You've got significant levels of players playing in this league for a lot of money," explained Vance, whose players are all amateur. "It's a tough, unforgiving league, and we've enjoyed the challenges. "What we've had to do for, certainly the last six or seven years, is survive, and every year we've done that. "We were stagnating for six or seven years, always fighting relegation, let's try and play a different brand of football and bring the youngsters through. "We took a risk and need nearly did it, but what it means is we drop down a level obviously. "We know it's not going to be easy because Jersey Bulls had been in there four years and haven't got out. "So it's going to be tough, but what it does mean is we can perhaps play more front-foot football and that's what we're destined to do and what we're trying to do." Vance has been the only man to manage Guernsey FC since the club was formed in 2011. He led the club to back-to-back promotions from the Combined Counties League in his first two seasons in charge - as well as making the semi-finals of the FA Vase in 2013. It is a competition that he hopes the club can enter once again next season. "We have to be better than what we were because we got relegated, but what it does is it gives us is new opportunities," Vance said. "We're going to look to go into the FA Cup and FA Vase, so it provides more excitement for the fans." And he says he feels he is the right man to lead Guernsey FC forward, even after their recent struggles in the eighth tier. "There's a few people that don't really understand it and they don't really get it," he said. "They might want someone else to do it, but I'm here until someone else can do the job. "It's not easy and it's a full-time job that isn't a job, if that makes sense. "I've got a few more years I can do. I need to find somebody else had to who wants to step up and take us on and I'll walk them through the door. "But I'm all in and I think pretty much everyone is, and that's the best thing about it." Guernsey FC
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Vance proud of Guernsey FC squad despite relegation
Tony Vance says he is proud of his Guernsey FC players despite the club's first-ever Green Lions finished the season a point from safety in Isthmian League South Central as they dropped out of the eighth tier of English football after 12 has blooded a number of teenage players in his squad as he looks to build the foundations for a sustainable homegrown future for the islanders, who have just moved to their new Victoria Park ground."It's been an unbelievable effort. I think on 1 February we had 21 points, we finished with 42, so we doubled our tally," he told BBC Radio Guernsey."We nearly pulled off a miracle, so the players deserve all the plaudits, they've been magnificent. We took it to the last game and lost by a point."To go down on 42 points is very harsh, because that's actually our biggest points haul in seven years, and yet we've still gone down, so I'm very proud of the effort of the young lads and it puts us in good stead for whatever happens next season." 'We took a risk' Since Guernsey won promotion to the Isthmian League in 2013 they have often struggled against 2017 they have always finished in the bottom third and were two places off the drop in the previous two campaigns. "You've got significant levels of players playing in this league for a lot of money," explained Vance, whose players are all amateur."It's a tough, unforgiving league, and we've enjoyed the challenges."What we've had to do for, certainly the last six or seven years, is survive, and every year we've done that."We were stagnating for six or seven years, always fighting relegation, let's try and play a different brand of football and bring the youngsters through."We took a risk and need nearly did it, but what it means is we drop down a level obviously."We know it's not going to be easy because Jersey Bulls had been in there four years and haven't got out."So it's going to be tough, but what it does mean is we can perhaps play more front-foot football and that's what we're destined to do and what we're trying to do." Vance 'all in' to stay as manager Vance has been the only man to manage Guernsey FC since the club was formed in led the club to back-to-back promotions from the Combined Counties League in his first two seasons in charge - as well as making the semi-finals of the FA Vase in 2013. It is a competition that he hopes the club can enter once again next season. "We have to be better than what we were because we got relegated, but what it does is it gives us is new opportunities," Vance said."We're going to look to go into the FA Cup and FA Vase, so it provides more excitement for the fans."And he says he feels he is the right man to lead Guernsey FC forward, even after their recent struggles in the eighth tier."There's a few people that don't really understand it and they don't really get it," he said. "They might want someone else to do it, but I'm here until someone else can do the job."It's not easy and it's a full-time job that isn't a job, if that makes sense."I've got a few more years I can do. I need to find somebody else had to who wants to step up and take us on and I'll walk them through the door."But I'm all in and I think pretty much everyone is, and that's the best thing about it."
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Guernsey FC are relegated despite victory in final match
Guernsey FC have been relegated from Isthmian League South Central despite a 3-0 win at Harrow islanders finished a point from safety in the last of the four relegation places after Metropolitan Police - the only side they could catch - won 2-0 at already-relegated Sutton Common relegation is the first in Guernsey's history and ends a 12-year stay in the eighth tier of English football. Tom Vaudin and Fin Du Port went close in the opening exchanges before Jacob Fallaize put the islanders in front as he headed in Charlton Gauvain's corner at the near almost went 2-0 up after 28 minutes, but Sam Murray had a goal ruled out for offside. Gauvain saw a goal-bound 33rd-minute header hit Murray before the Green Lions doubled their lead a minute before half time as Du Port fired in from distance as Harrow failed to clear a Brandon Wallace did get a headed goal two minutes after the break as Wallace found him unmarked in the two goals in the final 10 minutes for Metropolitan Police ensured they send the Green Lions down.
