Charles, don't be a right Charlie

NO DOUBTING the man of the week.

Lee Merrien continues to amaze with his determined progression through the national athletics meritocracy and, not for the first time, he had us Guerns gulping with pride as he stormed up The Mall last Sunday as the first Brit in the Virgin London Marathon.

This is one fearsomely ambitious man and he will do everything, and more, to be striding around the Olympic Stadium next summer as part of the Great Britain team.

It would be terribly cruel to leave him out now, although like his fellow GB marathon rivals he has not achieved the 'A' standard time set by the country's hard-nosed head coach.

But as far as the IAAF are concerned, the man who turns 32 this Tuesday, is more than qualified to run at the biggest event in world sport.

His latest London effort of 2-14 is within their own A standard and if it is good enough for them that should be that. After all, there is always plenty of room on the road for marathon runners and it would be a ridiculously small start line and look stupid if it contained only those who were capable of winning a medal.

I cannot imagine for one minute UK Athletics would allow a situation whereby a marathon is staged around the capital's roads without the presence of at least one GB vest to cheer.

Charles van Commenee, the head coach, only likes winners or potential challengers, and that may yet be that, as ridiculous as it may seem.

But only he knows what he is really thinking when it comes to British marathon men.

Van Commenee is a shrewd guy, of that there is no doubt, and because of that I am encouraged to think that he must have already seen enough in the boy from Torteval to know that the Guernseyman does not let anyone down when it comes to marathons.

He's got the 'donkey' spirit

THE curtain has come down on the final Priaulx League as we know it or, to give it its new bland title, FirstRand Senior County Division One.

From next season the old trophy will still be played for and cherished, but it will no longer be the focus for the island's elite.

The first Guernsey FC campaign promises to engross the island's top players and with all the cooperation in the world between Tony Vance and the top clubs, it is inevitable that many of the island's top players will be putting country before club – on occasion.

That said, for those who choose to think the Priaulx League, as I still

prefer to call it, will not be worth

winning or following on a weekly basis, I say 'nonsense'.

Does cricket's County Championship mean less to its followers just because the centrally contracted England players appear once in a blue moon? No, it does not.

It survives perfectly well and the absence of the international men for long periods provides opportunities for others.

Our league football will be no

different to the county cricket scene.

It may even be more competitive than before and there is strong evidence to suggest the championship will be appealingly wide open.

COLIN FALLAIZE takes his St Martin's team to Jersey today and I fully expect the Saints to extend their brilliant Upton record.

If it is his final season in charge at Blanche Pierre – and all the indications are that it will be – he departs as surely GFA's coach of the year.

There will be those who consider that, given the strength of the St Martin's squad, the tea-lady in the BPL canteen could have guided them to their 13th title, but those detractors miss the point.

Had 'Fal' not been there in the first place, the squad to win the championship would not have been assembled. He commands so much respect that island players have been queuing up to play for him.

Were there a runner-up as coach-of-the-year, then you would have to hand it to Glyn Smith.

The former island defender has transformed Bels in half a season and the Track men end the season comfortably in second spot.

Life is once again sweet among the Belgrave Wanderers camp, Smith's measured approach to coaching having proved the ideal tonic for a squad that was feverishly ailing a few months ago.

He is tough, he is cool, he has Belgrave blood in him and he has a very sound understanding of the game.

He does not try to be too clever. It's about doing the simple things right.

But where are winners there have to be losers and my booby prize for this season has to go to Rangers and their likeable and highly-qualified coach, Paul Ockleford.

A fifth-place finish and not a sniff of a cup cannot be seen as anything but a failure given the strength of their squad, the best assembled at St Andrew's in many a long year.

Sylvans may have finished bottom but, from this vantage point, there was more commitment to the cause from Dave Gilman's boys at St Peter's than Ockleford's disappointing red-and-blacks who failed to kick on after last season's Clydesdale Bank Guernsey FA Cup triumph.

Sure, Rangers have had injuries, but they have by and large failed and, before heading up to a new life at Les Vauxbelets they should take a hard look at what and why it has gone wrong this campaign when, on paper at least, they were capable of challenging for a top two spot.

THE word is that the senior GFA clubs are to be given added time to get the proposed League Management Committee up and running.

It had been intended that the LMC would run much of the senior side of things from next season, but progress has been slow and, given the importance of a proper transfer of power, that should not be seen as a bad thing.

Inside Track learns that a four-man sub-committee has been set up to pave the way for a smooth transfer, but while Garry Cortez is very likely to take over responsibility for next season's fixtures, the GFA will still maintain ultimate responsibility for league and competitions beyond the start of next season.

Much has to be decided, not least who will be the next GFA chairman.

I see a few good candidates, but a couple of them are wrapped up in running their own clubs.

As usual, the voluntary force is severely stretched.

AND talking of being stretched, I tell you who wasn't last weekend – the security people at the second Clydesdale Bank International Tournament at Foote's Lane.

There was, I'm very sad to say, next to nobody there for them to monitor.

I can understand that fans of North, Vale Rec etc not having any interest in seeing Rovers and Jersey Scottish play, but to pass up a free

opportunity of seeing high-quality professional stars of tomorrow in action, is bewildering.

Hearts, especially, were worth close examination.

They were a good side but, like

Motherwell and Hamilton Academical in the corresponding 2010 event and the likes of Boca Juniors, Paris St Germain, Glasgow Rangers and the Japanese Under-21 side who played in a summer tournament several years back, they played in front of very empty stands.

I cannot understand it.

Charlie Adam, one of the stars of the English Premiership this season, played for Rangers over here that summer, as did Fernando Gago, who plies his trade for Real Madrid no less.

If Clydesdale pull the plug I would not be at all surprised. And that would be a shame.