CI squad face biggest test yet

NINE of Guernsey's victorious inter-insular men's 1st XI have been selected in the CI squad for this year's county championships. And two of the best hockey players the island has produced will join them in the combined side - Andy Whalley and Ben Lanoe.

But the CI faces a tough task on 22 May, having been drawn in a group with last year's losing finalists, Kent, Essex, Sussex and Bedfordshire.

'This is the hardest group that the CI side have ever been drawn in and will be a very good test for them,' said Andy Graham, Guernsey manager and one of the two CI coaches.

The Channel Islands men's side has been in existence for 10 years.

The first one played as an invited team in Woking, Surrey, in 1994, and finished fourth out of five teams. But for a hotly-disputed goal in a 5-5 thriller with Essex, it would have been third. The talent and standard of CI hockey were a surprise to their opposition.

In that first year, eight players were selected from each island - the only time that there has been an equal number from each island.

This is not surprising, with Jersey dominating inter-insulars for 14 years and quite rightly getting more players into the CI side.

Only one has appeared in all of the County Championship sides, Jersey goalkeeper Jason Weber and he has made it into the team again.

The past few years have seen Guernsey in the ascendancy in the inter-insular battles and Guernsey players now outnumber their Jersey counterparts in the CI side.

'What has not changed is that the CI side still surprises its opposition with its quality. For the past seven years the CI has been the only county in the western region in Division A,' said Graham.

'However, this year Somerset and Gloucestershire are also in the A division, and as they are in the same pool, one at least will survive for next year.'

Last year the CI missed going to the finals of the county championship A Division only on goal difference. They finished second in their pool behind Derbyshire, the best position they have ever had.

This year the CI side have gained a new sponsor, Bank Julius Baer.

'With the Guernsey players having had such a good season in the Harrod's UK Trophy, sponsorship and fund-raising have been key. BJB have sponsored both the men's and the women's side and also donated a sum to aid with youth development,' said Graham.

'The cost that our guys have to cover to enter the UK competitions has been well-documented; it doesn't help that the price is the same home or away, but those are the rules of us entering the competition.

'So to get a sponsor for the CI side is great. This competition is the culmination of the best players in the Channel Islands' season.

'Unfortunately, it falls at the time when they a facing the cost of a successful local season.'

There could have been more Sarnians in the 18-strong squad, but Matt Elston, Andy Bell, TJ Ozanne and Dave Enevoldsen were not available to travel.

Whalley is still playing at Guildford and is vice-captain there; Lanoe is now at Coventry and North Warwick. They will both be key to the success of the side.

Earning their first CI caps are Damian Wallen and Adam Kitching.

'It's a tough draw,' said Nick Mahy, co-coach, 'but with the players we have, I see no reason why we won't surprise some of these bigger teams.

'It's always the first game that causes us the biggest problem: that's Kent this year. We will just have to start a bit quicker than we usually do, and take some of the chances we create.'

The bad news is this could possibly be the last county championships. The England Hockey Association has recently carried out a review of the competition structure of the sport and its recommendation in a consultation paper is to scrap the event.

Graham said: 'This is something the Channel Islands will oppose, as will many other counties and hopefully clubs and individuals.

'The county championships is the longest-running competition in the hockey calendar and it has a big place in the development of our players.

'We are making this point, but without the support of the other counties, we are a small voice.

'It's not all doom and gloom; we have made a lot of friends over the years and we will try to use these to raise the volume of our voice.'