Red tape bars Neves' way

GUERNSEY'S prospects of retaining top spot at next summer's NatWest Island Games have surely taken an unnecessary blow with swimming having turned its back on the possibility of selecting star performer Kristina Neves, the winner of nine individual golds at the last Games.

The Guernsey Amateur Swimming Association has rejected an appeal from the GB international to reconsider her wish for a place in the team, on the point of principle.

As one observer put it, Gasa say 'rules are rules'.

Neves' 'crime' was not to fill out an 'intent to swim form' when the question of competing in Bermuda was first raised by the umbrella body.

A source says that Neves, 16, and the outstanding Sarnian performer across all sports in the Isle of Wight, chose not to return the form because she did not want to commit when Great Britain might come calling, as they tend to do now her career has progressed so much.

Neves has, we understand, since written to Gasa asking to be considered, but that request was declined on the basis that it would be unfair on others.

Gasa yesterday isued a short matter-of-fact statement and no more but, on the face of things, the stand-off appears totally ludicrous and plainly damaging to the island's chances of defending the mantle of overall top team next summer.

While Inside Track understands the complexities of both choosing teams with staggered payments over an extended period being wholly necessary, to this observer such black-and-white bureaucracy seems simply biting your nose off to spite your face.

I cannot imagine the wider Guernsey sports fan feeling very enamoured at this news. I know I'm not.

Surely, we all deserve to be represented by our best performers and be bending over backwards to get them to represent us, not placing hurdles in the way. It strikes me as Gasa having demonstrated a worrying shortage of savvy.

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ELSEWHERE in today's sports pages Kevin Graham has expertly given a realistic assessment of the Green Lions' chances in the FA Vase.

Next up for Tony Vance's side on the Road to Wembley is Erith and Belvedere a fortnight tomorrow and you can reasonably expect a crowd in the region of 1,200 popping along to 'The Lane', given fair weather.

A quarter-of-a-century ago when the last local team made real distance on the same FA Vase pathway to the final, I was staggered to learn how few watched Vale Rec win two home games in their 77-78 campaign.

Just 303 paid to see Peter Blondel and co beat Westbury United of the Great Mills Western League 4-3, and then, wrote Rex Bennet, 'a

gratifyingly large attendance of 234' went to see the Yellows beat Sholing Sports 3-1.

Those attendances were well down on the estimated 800 which, nine years earlier, watched St Martin's edge past First Tower United by a solitary Laurence Graham goal in the second round of the Vase at Blanche Pierre Lane.

The old memory recalls a fantastic edge for those Vase games down at the Corbet, which has always been a tight and atmospheric arena like no other in Guernsey, given a decent number in.

But only 284? That is a surprise.

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TONY VANCE has known from a long time out that November would see him lose a key midfielder.

Ben Coulter's travel plans were

factored for, but not the remarkably unlucky loss of Ryan-Zico Black, Angus Mackay, Scott Bougourd and Rhys Jordan, all to injury and in the space of a few weeks.

These will be a very testing few weeks for the Green Lions, and by the turn of the New Year we will know a little more about the extent of the depth of the Guernsey game.

As soon as I heard of Black's injury, the name of one player instantly came to mind as a possible like-for-like replacement and Muratti boss Kevin Graham happened to agree.

Simon Marley is the player, although I'm sure he would admit he did not have the best of games against title rivals North last week.

Marley is a clever little player with the ability to play within a fast-moving passing side like GFC. Sure, he would need protection from a couple of workhorses, but the natural talent is there.

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THE smile on Martyn de Garis's face told the story. Guernsey's Academy head coach had heard the same whispers as yours truly as to the extent of the revolution that is about to hit Guernsey youth football, although the man driving it prefers to drop the 'R' and conservatively talks more of evolution.

'At last,' de Garis mumbled quietly as we watched Elizabeth College take on traditional rivals Victoria College at the College Field.

Steve Sharman, the GFA's new high performance youth director, has yet to publicly outline the full extent of the grand plans that he hopes will end factionalism in island football and make the very best use of the young footballing talent at our disposal, as well as the coaching expertise, and provide a pathway into senior football for all levels of footballer.

That structure is likely to include the involvement of the highly-rated Aztec Academy which currenly specialises in schools Years 2 to 6 and an invitation to GFC coach Tony Vance to be involved within the overall coaching pyramid.

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THEY play at the same ground, are similarly ambitious but when it comes to improving the side, the Green Lions and the Guernsey Rugby Club are like chalk and cheese.

Tony Vance works with the best of what the island development system produces, Jordan Reynolds has no worries about turning a blind eye to the pool of local talent because he considers them not good enough to survive in a more rarefied atmosphere.

Little more than a month ago Reynolds was faced with an injury crisis every bit as deep as the one now afflicting GFC. Perhaps worse.

In no time, a wealth of new talent arrived, the victories are flowing again and they are climbing the table.

It will be too late to catch the title chasers but, at least, the club look safe and snug in National Three for another season and more recruiting could be done in the summer.

GRC don't have to play sports politics anywhere like GFC do though.

Were Tony Vance to adopt a similar recruitment campaign there would be uproar within the domestic game at a time when, apart from the diminishing number of forum dissenters, football folk are getting accustomed to the new ways of an elite side sitting at the top of the local pyramid.

Vance knows my views on the subject and does not need me to tell him what is and what is not acceptable without causing uproar locally.

But as this now silly injury crisis centred almost solely on the Green Lions' midfield sector, deepens, it strengthens my view that GFC would do well to somehow entice a new outside player into the fold.

I have long said that for every promotion GFC win ONE new player from outside is required and, you could make an argument for doubling that number because I imagine that every step up the ladder will be wider.

Vance knows the options but also is acutely aware of the limits imposed upon him.

GFC is not a cash cow and cannot buy in players with the promise of decent boot money, in the way rival teams can and obviously do.

To do that would risk damaging the fantastic spirit within the GFC camp and their limited funds are better utilised elsewhere – i.e. paying travel costs and for ground improvements.

Any newcomer has to be someone who wants, more than anything, to experience the Guernsey way, live the island life and that of an islander, not simply play the role of a minor sporting mercenary.

Island football struck lucky when it attracted Angus Mackay via the

But so long as GFC work within these selection parameters it will not be easy to progress too far on the national ladder, and that's why Steve Sharman's grand plan is so vital and needs to work.

Guernsey football needs to, and fairly quickly, put in place the pathway which is both realistic and serves everyone's interests – that means first and foremost every player, including those whose dream it is to get to the very top, those who regard GFC as the ceiling to their sporting ambitions, all the GFA senior clubs and the social league teams too.