Changes will rid the game of backbiting

BACKBITING between clubs is one of the main reasons why the Guernsey Football Association propose to stop the monthly council meetings. The executive board has put forward eight amendments to their memorandum and articles of association.

The stand-out proposal was scrapping the traditional council meeting that is made up of all the member clubs and affiliates.

According to the GFA chairman, Dave Nussbaumer, a small number of the clubs were using the meetings as a platform to launch attacks on rival clubs.

'I think they're bigger issues to be dealt with at meetings than point scoring between clubs,' said Nussbaumer.

'That's only the minority of clubs and not the majority.'

The proposals were put forward to the clubs in a presentation by the board at Cobo Bay Hotel on Monday night. The clubs now have until 24 April to make suggestions and if the feedback is generally positive, they will be voted on at the AGM in May.

'I think there was a good response from the clubs at the meeting,' said Nussbaumer yesterday.

'They understand what we are trying to achieve and that we're all signing from the same hymn sheet. We're very grateful for the support we received.

'There is now a month of consultation to give us feedback and we'll absorb it and if necessary we will have another meeting. We'll wait to see what the feed back is before taking these to the AGM.'

The proposals were created with the idea of modernising the GFA and making it more in line with most other county FAs which meet with their councils only two or three times a year. They met support from a number of different quarters, which included Rovers chairman Drew Pollock and his St Martin's counterpart Henry Davey.

'In all fairness a lot of things can be sorted out without the council,' said Davey.

'At the last meeting we spent 30 minutes on an issue that was already sorted out. That's the problem.

'The two things that concern the clubs are finances and the fixtures.'

Davey believes the new executive board need the clubs' support.

'We've put these people in,' he said.

'They've put their necks on the line and they've sorted out the mess we were in. They aren't getting paid and they're doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

'I think they are doing a good job. In the end, football is what matters, not different individuals and personally I think they are moving in the right direction.'

Another backer of the proposals is Sylvans president Pete Roberts. He is hopeful that his club will vote in favour of them at the AGM.

'I don't mind how it's run as long as it's done efficiently,' he said.

'We've got other things to do and if they're prepared to put their heads on the block then good. I would like to think we will vote for it. Most of our committee will fall in line.'