Does anybody want island job?

THERE have been no nominations for the post of island manager - and the deadline is just one day away. But, in a surprise move, Richard Packman could yet depart St Peter's and take the island job.

Candidates must be proposed by a Priaulx League club by midnight tomorrow to be eligible for election at the Guernsey Football Association's annual meeting on 17 July.

Not once since the manager became the sole selector of the island team in 1982 has the post failed to attract even a single nomination, but that now looks a likely prospect.

When Phil Corbet quit suddenly in April, his assistant Colin Fallaize was promoted until the annual meeting by the GFA's ruling council, but Fallaize has repeatedly stated that he does not want the job in the long term.

An unnamed club wanted to propose former Muratti hero Dave Lesbirel, but he has rejected their offer.

And former island boss Colin Fallaize - the other one - yesterday joined the list of those ruling themselves out of the top job.

Northerners offered to propose him and he admitted that he was tempted to return to the position he held between 1993 and 97, but he has now decided against standing.

GFA chief executive Dave Dorey refused to panic despite the deadline for nominations closing in.

'I'm not disappointed by the situation at the moment because my experience of these things is that nominations tend to come in at the last minute,' said Dorey.

Should no candidates be proposed, council would be forced to make a one-year appointment until the 2004 annual meeting.

Senior GFA officials were lining up junior island coach Tony Vance as an interim appointment, but Vance is desperate to continue working with the under-18s.

Dorey admitted that he did not know what council would do in the event of tomorrow's deadline passing without a nomination being received and he refused to comment on rumours that Vance had rejected an offer to hand him the senior island post for one year only.

The confusion surrounding the island job intensified yesterday when Sylvans manager Richard Packman re-emerged as a potential candidate.

Packman conceded several weeks ago that he was interested in the island job, but he has since unexpectedly agreed to stay out west.

However, in this summer's most sensational football saga thus far, Sylvans are reportedly preparing to dump Packman and appoint as player-coach Guernsey's player of the year, Tristram Morgan, who is currently at champions Vale Rec.

One possible option for the westerners would be to soften Packman's potential sacking by nominating him for the island manager's job. And it is understood that Packman would consider such an offer.

The Londoner would not comment on the issue yesterday except to reveal that he had not yet had a chance to discuss his shaky position with Sylvans secretary Mick Bachelet.

Packman leaves for a short break in the UK today with his future far from certain.

Meanwhile, on another transfer front, St Martin's president Henry Davey said that he would feel 'slightly let down' should striker Neil Clegg move to Sylvans.

Packman is confident of making Clegg his biggest signing of the summer, but Davey said that he was unaware of the player's intentions.

'To be honest, if he does go, I'll feel disappointed and slightly let down. When he came to us, he hadn't played for two years and we've perhaps been a bit over-tolerant with him.

'We know he struggles to get off his work commitments and we've been quite understanding. He's a very talented player, but he's not the greatest of trainers and we've tried to tolerate that.

'I don't like to lose class players and Neil is undoubtedly a class player, but if he doesn't want to play for us, I suppose it's better that he goes.'