Fallaize exit ‘a big blow’
THE Sports Commission has been dealt a blow with the election fall of Matt Fallaize, president of Education, Sport & Culture.
Jon Ravenscroft, chairman of the commission, said yesterday that he was ‘very grateful to Matt for the huge wall of support he had given them’.
‘We could not have achieved half of what we’ve achieved without that support. I hope the new group are equally supportive.’
GSC operations director Graham Chester described Fallaize’s exit as ‘a big loss for sport’.
‘He understood it [sport] and was very much on our side. A big blow,’ Chester added, describing him as the best president for sport ESC had had yet.
Chester said Fallaize had been prepared to get deeply involved in issues not brought to light.
One example was Fallaize’s intervention in the issues relating to Aurigny flights and Alderney’s football team being able to continue to play in the FNB Priaulx League this season.
‘He made sure they were able to compete,’ said Chester.
‘He has been an active president for sport. It would be difficult to find someone quite similar. He recognised that it was Education, Sport & Culture, not just Education.’
The commission said it was encouraging that of the 24 candidates who promised a vote for sport if they were elected, 21 of them had succeeded.
‘It is not all doom and gloom by any means,’ said Chester.
Guernsey Football League chairman Phil Corbet was also saddened by the Fallaize vote.
‘He had been very, very helpful and supportive to local football in the last 18 months in respect of use of school facilities and the problems with Alderney.’
