Not so jolly . . .

LOCAL hockey is in crisis after the Guernsey Hockey Association's president, treasurer and secretary all resigned after seeing their radical proposals to shake up the leagues blocked by the Guernsey Hockey Club. In a bid to expand and make more competitive the Investec Men's First Division, that has at most five teams during a season, GHA president Jason Robilliard put forward a plan to combine it with the second division to create a league of 12 to 14.

In response the GHC that represents all of the hockey clubs on the island apart from Unwantables and Independents, near enough vetoed the idea and suggested creating their own league.

This in turn has made Robilliard along with the GHA secretary Emma Atkinson and treasurer Nathan Hodder all look to step down.

'I suppose it's because the way our plans were put forward to the clubs we asked them to stick with us for a year and certain clubs had problems with that,' said Robilliard.

'The GHC said that they would pull their teams after having agreed to the proposals originally. I think the best thing for hockey was for me to step down, but I think the proposals were the best way to go forward.

'The three clubs now will have to decide and vote in new members.'

With the way the sport is structured, Robilliard believes that the GHC has too much say in what goes on.

'The GHC has pulled the rug from under our feet. They have rendered us powerless by their actions.

'It was obvious to us on the committee that we couldn't put forward our plans. My position became untenable.'

What has become clear is that certain GHC member clubs such as Colombians and Yobbos were keen to support the venture, but reportedly a couple of second division members wanted no part of it.

'People were willing to back us,' said Robilliard.

'It's a minority that has caused a problem but I think the majority were willing to go with it. I'm very disappointed because there lots happening with the association and we believed what we were doing was in the best interests of hockey and we'll live and die by that.'

The GHC president Jan Collins was out of the island yesterday and was unavailable to comment but the club's secretary and Yobbos' first team captain Steve Ward, said the whole issue was a great shame.

'I'm very disappointed because with proper communication it would have been sorted,' he said.

'I just think there's been a breakdown in communication and hopefully when the EGM is called we can all sit down and come up with a serious solution for the benefit of hockey going forward.'