Latest news with #Southern Combination Premier Division
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Vance pleased with Guernsey FC after FA Cup opener
Guernsey FC boss Tony Vance hopes his side's performance in their 1-1 FA Cup draw with Bedfont Sports bodes well for the Green Lions - who were relegated to the fifth tier of non-league football in April - held their own against a side a division above them. They are set to travel to the UK later this week to replay their extra preliminary-round tie after Ross Allen's equaliser earned them a draw. Guernsey will open their first-ever campaign in the Southern Combination Premier Division on Saturday when they host Wick at Victoria Park."They're step four, they're the league above us, and we managed to match them," said Vance, whose side has had limited pre-season fixtures."I think it shows that the teams that have just come out of step five going into step four, and the teams like us coming down from step four to step five, there's not much in them."So if we're to do well in step five, these are the games that are going to be close and it showed that we're capable of challenging them."The good news for us is we're not up to speed yet, and we won't be for about a month, so I'm looking forward to it and seeing how we can go."
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Guernsey FC ready for 'new start' after relegation
Tony Vance says his Guernsey FC side are ready for a 'new start' as they prepare for life after Green Lions have dropped down to the ninth tier Southern Combination Premier Division after spending the past 12 years in the bottom tier of the Isthmian Vance hopes his side - who begin the new season with a return to the FA Cup - can put last season behind them. "Getting relegated was obviously a disappointment, but what it's done is it's given us almost like a new challenge, a new lease of life, a new start," Vance told BBC Guernsey."There's new teams to go and play against because we're in a brand new league so there's some excitement around."We haven't really got a clue who we're playing against, but one thing I'm hopeful of is that we can play more on the front foot because over the last six or seven years it's been a real effort."You're hanging on, you're trying to nick a win or nick a draw here and there, so hopefully we can actually play on the front foot a little bit more." Guernsey return to the FA Cup after nine years and host Bedfont Sports at Victoria Park in Saturday's extra preliminary round. The club's record goalscorer Ross Allen is the only player with prior FA Cup experience likely to feature on Saturday, with team-mate Matt Loaring 38-year-old was part of the side that reached the second qualifying round in 2013 - a club best in the competition - when they were knocked out by Dover Athletic."Its been a long time since we've been in this competition. Long overdue I think, it's so exciting to be back involved in the FA Cup," Allen said."We had some great games, I remember we had a good run, I got a memorable hat-trick away at Hastings."I never played in a home game in the FA Cup so it'll be really enjoyable to do it, especially down here at the new ground."Spurred on by the opening of Victoria Park in late March Guernsey ended last season side won four and drew two of their final seven matches before many of the squad helped the island beat Jersey to win the Muratti Vase for the first time in eight years."Ultimately I just want to see us carry on from where we were last year in terms of the last four or five games and then the players continued that in the Muratti," says Vance."That sort of performance and that style that we played, that's exactly what we were looking for and the finish came unfortunately too early for us."If we can replicate that that'll be brilliant."
