Guernsey FC Flawed?

[SRNP]

When Guernsey FC started, I followed them on twitter to see how they were doing. I forgot about them for a while and in boredom I Googled them again and noticed they had stagnated.
Then I realised the club is probably flawed. To attract players to their club, the players would have to relocate to Guernsey which at that level the players wont have enough money to do so. Also Travel costs? Every away game would be a flight and they would have to pay for hotels for all the players and at non league its too much. Is there any chance they could make it further up the leagues or not? An away game at Guernsey would be interesting!

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

The team exists to give local players the chance to play competitively. To that end, they are not flawed.

 

[Mark kavanagh]

Would the french leagues be a cheaper option?

 

[Paddy]

It's an interesting project. They destroyed the CCL division one in their first season & got lucky by being promoted from 2nd place in the CCL premier in their second season but it looks like they've found their natural level now in the Isthmian division one south. Shame, one more promotion & I'd have a great away day there

 

[Jemfy]

If it's flawed or not will depend on what happens to the income over the years as the stagnation continues.

You have to look at what the aim of the club is. If it is to become a large club and compete at the top of non-league football, then yes it is flawed, but if it is to give local players who would have to move away the opportunity to play a higher standard of the game, then it isn't necessarily.

If the income reduces to the point at which they are unable to live up to the financial commitments they have to agree to in order to be part of the Isthmian league, then they will have to fold, and it will be over. If the fact that it's a very affluent area and there is a lot of money residing there can generate enough interest or income, then it'll continue.

All that said, footballers have moved to far worse locations for a paycheck.

 

[Greenacres]

Interesting comments above about the real aims of the club. It is hard to think of many players who have come from the Channel Islands and gone on to represent a team at a reasonably high level of the game in England, or indeed elsewhere. In recent memory there have been Matt Le Tissier and Graeme Le Saux, we also have Kurtis Guthrie playing at the fifth level of the game, but that isn't very many. If the intention is to raise the profile of local players then that has to be a good thing, although there must be a counter argument that anyone who is half decent will probably be scouted and snapped up by someone anyway. I don't doubt that the club is reasonably well financed, and in that respect fairly sustainable, but the financial implications for their opponents will probably make them a less than attractive away game.

 

[SomeMightShay]

Trust an FGR fan to view well financed and sustainable as the same thing.

 

[Jemfy]

Interesting comments above about the real aims of the club. It is hard to think of many players who have come from the Channel Islands and gone on to represent a team at a reasonably high level of the game in England, or indeed elsewhere. In recent memory there have been Matt Le Tissier and Graeme Le Saux, we also have Kurtis Guthrie playing at the fifth level of the game, but that isn't very many. If the intention is to raise the profile of local players then that has to be a good thing, although there must be a counter argument that anyone who is half decent will probably be scouted and snapped up by someone anyway. I don't doubt that the club is reasonably well financed, and in that respect fairly sustainable, but the financial implications for their opponents will probably make them a less than attractive away game.

What an odd response...

Neither I nor anyone else above you said that it was to give the players a shop window or raise the profile of the local players, to give them a good standard of competitive football is a different thing, though the two can go together.

The point is also made before I came back here that being well financed and being sustainable are not the same, thing, far from it. If the finance comes from commercial income then it may be sustainable (so long as the sources of income are in and of themselves sustainable), but I don't know enough of the individual case to really comment too much here.

 

[Greenacres]

Trust an FGR fan to view well financed and sustainable as the same thing.

Perhaps a bit of a poor choice of words on my behalf, or a slight misinterpretation of what others had posted. What I was trying to suggest was that the club is well supported in respect of attendances for the level they currently play at, and in that regard they must surely be regarded as capable of sustaining it. Clearly the situation would likely change should they achieve further promotions, but my comments were in relation to their present situation as I see it.

 

[John Martin]

Do Guersey have to pay the travel costs for the match offocials or do they use local officials for home games?

 

[Mark kavanagh]

Thats a great question mate

 

[Paddy]

Not 100% but I think for all league fixtures Guernsey pay for the travelling squad & match officials to get to the island.

Doubt they would use local officials for the same reason refs of neutral nationality are selected for international fixtures.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Not 100% but I think for all league fixtures Guernsey pay for the travelling squad & match officials to get to the island.

Doubt they would use local officials for the same reason refs of neutral nationality are selected for international fixtures.

Surely they could get officials from Jersey to even it up, or maybe they would be biased against Guernsey!
Brett Pittman is another successful footballer from the Channel Islands.

 

[LeWhites]

I remember when we played them in the FA Cup there was a load of issues with them sharing their pitch with the rugby team and both having fixtures on the same day. They expected us to agree to move the fixture to a Friday night, despite most of the squad having other jobs during the week. They then expected us to play the match in Guernsey, in the evening, straight after a rugby match on the same pitch (!!). Ended up playing at Lancing FC's ground.

I understand why they want/need a team but they're the ones with the problems, they need to find the solution and not expect other clubs to go out of their way to work around the ridiculousness of it.

 

[Jemfy]

Do Guersey have to pay the travel costs for the match offocials or do they use local officials for home games?

Every home club have to pay travel costs for officials.

Above step 5 all clubs are not allowed to use referees from their local FA. Step 5 and below and they normally come from the local FA or the neighboring ones. Guernsey are currently step 4. (n.b. over the last 3 season when we were at step 5 & 6 we had officials that were known to be Kettering fans on multiple occasions. Most of them were pretty terrible at giving decisions in our direction... though there were a few exceptions IIRC).

 

[rudebwoyben]

Every home club have to pay travel costs for officials.

Above step 5 all clubs are not allowed to use referees from their local FA. Step 5 and below and they normally come from the local FA or the neighboring ones. Guernsey are currently step 4. (n.b. over the last 3 season when we were at step 5 & 6 we had officials that were known to be Kettering fans on multiple occasions. Most of them were pretty terrible at giving decisions in our direction... though there were a few exceptions IIRC).

Well yeah, being Kettering fans their individual IQs were probably on a par with someone with learning disabilities!

 

[Jemfy]

Well yeah, being Kettering fans their individual IQs were probably on a par with someone with learning disabilities!

Well that's not very nice, I had the good grace to both only imply that they were bad at their jobs and suggest it was purposeful.

Also as a dyslexic (which technically counts as a learning disability), I take umbrage with the comparison.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Well that's not very nice, I had the good grace to both only imply that they were bad at their jobs and suggest it was purposeful.

Also as a dyslexic (which technically counts as a learning disability), I take umbrage with the comparison.

Apologies, it was thoughtless of me.
Kettering Town FC aren't much loved outside of Kettering!

 

[Paddy]

Kettering fans have the IQ of a cornflake. There's an apt analogy for you. Although I'd worry I'm offending corn flakes everywhere by comparing them to those messed up people.

Still can vividly picture the oversized bare derriere of a Kettering fan saying goodbye to us as we left Wembley in 2000 after beating them in the trophy final. On hindsight, it may have been his face. It's an easy mistake to make.

 

[DontBringBertie]

I see Guernsey's attendances have steadily fallen from getting 1000+ every game to an average of 730 this season. Maybe the novelty factor has worn off now?

I would be surprised if they're still playing in the English leagues in 10 years to be honest - surely the money from sponsors etc will run out some point soon.

 

[GFC Manelander]

Do Guersey have to pay the travel costs for the match offocials or do they use local officials for home games?

Yes, Guernsey have to pay for the travel (and hotel if required) for the match officials that go to Guernsey for matches. They also have to pay the the flight and trasnfer costs (and hotel if required) for the travelling team, which i believe is up to 20 for a league match and 25 for a cup match. No mean task at this level of football, especially when fligths to/from Guernsey are not exactly as cheap as Easyjet/Ryanair fares

 

[Aber gas]

The club should buy a boat and employ some sailors as their transport. It could be paid for by doing pleasure trips and whatnot when not needed.

 

[Jemfy]

There are a couple of mysteries about this thread:

1. How it's popped back up when the issues involved have not changed and were well covered at the time
2. How I missed this obvious set up:

Apologies, it was thoughtless of me.
Kettering Town FC aren't much loved outside of Kettering!

Kettering Town FC aren't much loved inside Kettering either

 

[DontBringBertie]

Yes, Guernsey have to pay for the travel (and hotel if required) for the match officials that go to Guernsey for matches. They also have to pay the the flight and trasnfer costs (and hotel if required) for the travelling team, which i believe is up to 20 for a league match and 25 for a cup match. No mean task at this level of football, especially when fligths to/from Guernsey are not exactly as cheap as Easyjet/Ryanair fares

So with Guernsey now bottom of the league after 9 games - will the club still be around in 5/10years time? Surely not much point of them paying £1,000s each season through sponsors to ship teams over to stay in the county leagues.

 

[djs]

Guernsey FC/Guernsey FA/Isthmian Lge all have no say at all in the match officials, who are appointed in the same way that all match officials at that level are appointed. They are treated in the same way that opposition clubs are treated, with the option of an overnight stay if necessary/wanted. Officials have therefore been appointed from as far away as the north midlands (I know one of them), if not further. Truro have a similar situation - officials have been appointed from all over and can claim an overnight stay if travelling over a certain distance. No doubt other far flung clubs have the same story.
As for opposition clubs, they pay for travel to Gatwick, Guernsey pick up the tab for the rest of the journey. For match officials, Guernsey pay the lot!