Reading first up for the Priaulx XI

THE island's premier senior footballers will have to wait until next season to play in the FA National League Systems Cup. Under the guise of the Cable & Wireless Priaulx League Guernsey received a first round bye in the draw for the 2005 to 2007 cup competition and have been paired at home to the Reading League in the second round.

The match will be played on 30 September.

'After the Island Games it should fit in nicely to have an early season game,' said GFA secretary Matt Fallaize, who at the same time announced that this season's proposed Carlsberg Victory Cup fixture may not happen.

'The Army have had to pull out of the Victory Cup game due to military commitments elsewhere.

'We are now considering an offer to play an alternative fixture, but no decision has been made,' added the association secretary.

The game was due to be played on Easter Monday and is the last scheduled warm-up game ahead of the Cherry Godfrey Centenary Muratti.

Steve Ogier, the island manager, said that he would be disappointed if the game was lost altogether.

Meanwhile, the GFA hopes to finally make an announcement on a development officer to succeed Phil Corbet in the next fortnight.

Interviews are planned for next Friday and Fallaize reports that there have been some good candidates for the £24-27k per-annum job.

'All of the candidates are fairly strong. We've had a much stronger batch of applicants than last time.

'We are interviewing several applicants - more than three - all of whom have full local housing qualifications.'

The interview panel comprises GFA president Dave Dorey, youth football committee chairman Colin Fallaize, Graham Chester from the Sports Development Unit and a representative of the Football Association.

'We are fairly confident that we will be able to make an appointment after this round of interviews,' said Fallaize.

'It has been a frustrating time for us and it must have been frustrating for all those who want to do coaches courses.

'But I think we've coped reasonably well for the last five months,' said Fallaize, referring to the time since Corbet left the job.

'Only time will tell,' said Fallaize in answer to the question whether he thought the absence of a development officer for most of an entire season, would prove damaging to the sport.

'We will be able to find out that one only in two to three years time.'