Non-league expert backs going the national route

THE creation of a Guernsey United team to play in a national league is workable, insists non-league football expert and writer Tony Williams. He sees no reason why football cannot follow rugby's lead and compete at a national level and find its own level in the leagues.

'It's an exciting and sensible idea - it would be great providing the players are prepared to dedicate themselves to playing once a week, possibly twice. It would be really good for the players to get into senior national leagues. It's workable and a most exciting idea and I would be willing to help if needed,' he said.

'It's well worthwhile looking into. If the rugby boys can do it I'm sure the football team can - where there is a will there's a way, but don't think it's going to be easy.'

Williams, the author of the Non-League Football Directory for the past 30 years, who has an in-depth knowledge of the non-league game, believes if Guernsey were to go down this route, they might have to start playing in the Hampshire League.

That could entail midweek games.

And if a Guernsey United team were good enough, they could look at progressing to the Wessex League and possibly the Southern after that if successful.

'If you get on to the system and pyramid you have a chance to progress and enjoy playing at new grounds.

'But unless you sit around a table and have some prolonged discussions you will never know,' he suggested.

'You have to have ideas and speak to people who have experienced it and know about different options. You have to be open-minded.'

Even players living in the UK could perhaps play for a Guernsey United side.

'It's definitely worth pursuing - it's all conjecture and ifs and buts at this time.'

He cites the example of Truro City from Cornwall to demonstrate what could be achieved by rising up the non-league ladder.

'If you are an outstanding side like Truro you will enjoy making progress and the thrill of going to Wembley,' he said.

But he warned there would be a lot of work ahead if a Guernsey United team wanted to move on to a national level.

He works closely with the FA's competition committee and believes the FA would probably mirror his thoughts that Guernsey would have to negotiate with the nearest counties in England first about the feasibility of competing in a league.

'Guernsey people will have to realise getting in won't be particularly easy. They may be depending on the attitude of the league they are applying to get in. You will have to sit around a table with the FA and league people and listen to advice,' he said.

'Whoever is organising it in Guernsey would have to think about how much time they could put into it and how far they want to go up the ladder and how ambitious they are.

'There would have to be a lot of negotiations before it happened,' said Williams.

He stressed that the financial aspects would have to be covered and it would be an expensive venture because of the high cost of getting off and on the island.

He said that the crowds are poor and facilities are perhaps not as good in the Hampshire League as in Guernsey. But he said the Wessex and Southern leagues' grounds are excellent.

Williams said that from an island perspective, the Priaulx representative team had fared well in the FA National System Cup and he had been impressed by their general play and set-piece routines when he had watched them play over the past two seasons.

'The best players in the island would be a formidable side,' he said. 'But they would have to be dedicated and fully committed to the team over a long season. You have to really care and really want to do it.'

He insists a Guernsey United side could work if the finances were in place and it did not ruin the clubs in the island and they were happy with the idea.

Those who played both club football and Guernsey United would probably get tired, he believed.

'I don't see how they could play and train at the same time as the clubs.'

He believes it is correct to be ambitious and look to the future.

'Players competing in the Priaulx games year after year must lose their spark, but playing in a national league, this would not apply.'

Williams lived in the island in the 1960s and played for St Martin's for a season before transforming Vale Rec.

He played for the island and in an Upton.

Williams is visiting the island at the weekend to watch the FA National System Cup quarter-final tie between the Priaulx League and the Amateur Football Combination.

'I hope you win that game,' he said.