Morgan confirms Sylvans switch

TRISTRAM MORGAN has accepted the role as player-coach at Sylvans. The GFA players' player-of-the-year confirmed yesterday that he was leaving Vale Rec, the club that he helped win the Priaulx League last season, to take charge at St Peter's.

'It is a great opportunity for me to step into coaching with a big club. They have some great players up there and it will be nice to work with them and hopefully improve them.'

In an ironic twist, the man who did so much to take the Priaulx trophy away from St Peter's is now concentrating on trying to take it back there.

'That is our main aim - the league title. But we have got a squad of players who should be challenging for several honours if they are focused on their game.'

Morgan admitted that the decision to leave Vale was a hard one for him to make after only one season, but the lure of a coaching role was too great for him to resist.

'I thought it over, spoke to Ray Blondel and Rob King and the parting has been amicable - they wished me all the best.'

'I did a full season there and enjoyed it. I will miss all the guys there but it is a small island so I will see them a lot next season anyway,' he added.

Many of the Sylvans players have already built up a good rapport with Morgan from being involved with the island squad together, but their new coach emphasised that no-one is certain of a place.

'This will be a fresh start for everybody at the club and people will get their chance to impress,' he said, before adding that he hopes to be playing an active role on the field himself.

'As long as I am fit and confident in my own ability, I will continue playing but we will see how it works. If coaching is affecting my game then I will stay on the sidelines.'