GFA leader placed in unenviable position

POOR Mark Le Tissier.

No sooner has he taken his place in the top chair at the GFA and another hot potato comes flying his way in the form of Guernsey United.

I use the word 'poor' in the sense that I don't envy him one bit. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.

The GFA chairman is on record – albeit nearly a year ago – as being warm to the idea.

'I don't see why it can't work,' he said.

But in local football terms he has been around the block many times and knows the pitfalls, the personnel and how resistant the clubs are to any change.

That said, it was, shall we say, unusual for the GFA board to alert the senior clubs to the affiliation request of Guernsey United, but no doubt Le Tissier came to the conclusion that such is the potential of the new club – and it is no more than that at this embryonic stage – that the clubs had better know about it otherwise he would be lynched.

He will also have known that the clubs would be hostile to a project I feel pretty sure he broadly agrees with.

My totally biased viewpoint is that Guernsey United should happen because it would lift the entire sport locally, enthusing players and public alike. Already top players are quietly making it known they want it to happen. They are bored with what is in place.

Take the egos out of the equation and Guernsey United should be seen as crucially important for the long-term health of the game and the aspirations of all those kids who come through the system.

It's a community project and should be treated that way.

SO much for the new RESPECT campaign in football.

First time out for me this season and what do I walk into? A storm at the Corbet Field and awful abuse thrown at the match officials.

Vale Rec v. First Tower United was a mouth-watering prospect 20 years ago. Sadly, not so now.

Tower, it has to be said, are in bad shape having been relegated to the Second Division and they looked every inch one.

But Vale Rec, with the hugely under-rated Neil Sarahs at the back and still wholly dependable Jody Bisson in goal, clearly have more to work with and several show promise. They include new midfield recruit Rob Wakeham, who had a fine game and the effervescent Lee Ogier on the right.

Mark Ramsden, too, is a handy little footballer but seems a very strange choice as captain when you have players as distinguished as Sarahs and Bisson in the side.

But spoiling what was an entertaining enough game, was Tower's ugly response to what they clearly saw as biased refereeing and a straight red for one of their players.

And with it out went any thought of their part in the new RESPECT campaign in football.

In their eyes the ref Geoff Greening allegedly was crooked or incompetent or both – and didn't they let everyone in earshot know it. The language emanating from at least one of their dugout crew was appalling. I was 10 metres away and I guess that the only reason why linesman Ian Drillot did not react to it was that he sensibly thought it best not to inflame an already tricky situation.

Still, Tower players went after the referee beyond the final whistle seriously enough for one of them to be shown a red card and Graham Skuse to have to block their way to the dressing rooms.

I hope Tower have the grace to admit to being out of order but somehow doubt they will.