Bels boss rages against perceived unfairness

MICKY OGIER has slammed the Guernsey Football Association for not rearranging Bels' FA Cup quarterfinal clash with Sylvans today. The Priaulx champions have been hit by injuries and absences, so much so that their boss, Ogier, claimed he had only nine fit players for when the match kicks off at 1.30pm at St Peter's this afternoon.

Bels sent a letter to the GFA on Thursday requesting the match be moved to a later date, but it fell on deaf ears much to the annoyance of Ogier, who pointed out that they had rearranged cup matches in the earlier rounds.

Kelvin Seeds, the GFA director in charge of fixtures, decided that it would go ahead.

'I'm not happy about it because they have a set precedent for other teams who got games called off,' he said.

'One bloke says we've got to play it, so we've got to play it. We've been good enough to move matches for the GFA this year and last year, but nothing gets done for us.

'We're so cheesed off and fed up with the way we've been treated by the GFA. It's not on.'

Seeds defended the GFA by insisting Bels now had enough players.

'What we've done is allowed them to do is to replace their unavailable or injured players with fresh players, which they've done.

'Bels have got enough players to play the game.'

The league champions had requested that the match be moved to Sunday in time for Chris King and Brent Marquand to return from the UK and be able to play.

Because of the situation, Ogier states that his captain, Leighton Chainey, and island striker Neil Clegg, who both hobbled off the pitch with ankle injuries during their Priaulx match with Rovers earlier in the week, will have to play.

Jamie Toussaint, Danny Marquand and Shaun Baker have all been added to Bels' 20-man FA Cup squad.

Last season's player of the year, Dave Parrott, is waiting on results of an MRI scan on his long term groin problem to see if he can play again this season.

The Rangers captain picked up the injury in his team's opening game of the season in the Stranger Cup against Vale Rec.

The midfielder then aggravated it a couple of weeks later against St Martin's and has not featured for the St Andrew's side since. In his absence Rangers have had an abysmal season to date, currently sitting in bottom place in the league.

Parrott travelled to Guildford in Surrey to see a specialist and the outcome of his scan will determine if he will play again this campaign. 'It's one of those niggling injuries,' he said.

'It would have been quicker if I broke my leg. I'm quite keen to get going again.

'It's the longest I've ever been out.'

St Martin's star Dom Heaume is set to return to the island in the next two weeks.

The 23-year-old island midfielder has been travelling around the globe since last June. After seeing in the new year in Mexico, Heaume is now expected to be back before Monday 15 January.

In his absence, Saints had experienced a strong start to the season but since the beginning of December, they have not won a match.