State of play criticised by users of Footes Lane

Football and rugby players had limited or no access to hot water after numerous matches last year, dressing rooms were out of action, and lack of maintenance contributed to the grass pitch being left in its poorest condition for years.

A source from one of the teams which uses the stadium regularly told the Guernsey Press that they had experienced ‘a general lack of care and communication’ in recent months.

Education Sport & Culture, which runs the stadium on behalf of the States, admitted it was facing staffing shortages, but insisted that maintaining Footes Lane was one of its priorities.

‘As with the rest of Guernsey, sport and recreation and the States property unit have been struggling to recruit and are currently working with very limited staff,' said a spokesman.

‘These roles have been advertised recently.

‘To try to maintain Footes Lane, staffing has been reallocated from other areas to support Footes Lane users, and their requirements have always been a priority for sport and recreation and the States property unit.

‘Sport and recreation will always do their utmost to provide Footes Lane to the best possible standard with the current limited staffing and financial resources.’

There have been occasions when officials from Guernsey FC and Guernsey Raiders – both of whom play national league fixtures at Footes Lane – have been left disappointed by the experience of visiting teams they were hosting at the stadium.

Some teams were forced to return to their hotel to shower when they found no hot water in their dressing room, which also reduced income generated by post-match sales of food and drink.

It is understood that only one dressing room out of four at the stadium had hot water after one match played there late last year.

Spectators have also been affected by drainage problems in car parks at the ground.

Football and rugby teams are understood to pay upwards of £600 to use Footes Lane for home matches.

A well-respected groundsman who looked after the Footes Lane pitch for many years left the role last summer. And a senior member of the team which looks after grounds has been off work awaiting an operation.

ESC declined to provide any details when asked whether there had been changes to personnel, working practices or resources used to maintain and prepare the venue which could have been responsible for the concerns raised by users.

Football and rugby officials have raised the issues with the States and meetings are understood to have taken place recently.

‘Sport and recreation and the States property unit meet regularly with the user groups and always try to address any concerns or issues raised by the users,' said the spokesman.

Due to the nature of the bookings at Footes Lane, the requirements of rugby, athletics and football can be quite different,’ said the spokesman for ESC.

Guernsey FC were left disappointed in December when the condition of the pitch forced the referee to postpone an Isthmian League match against English side Raynes Park Vale little more than an hour before kick off. The club said it had been given the impression the surface would be playable and estimated that rearranging the postponed fixture could cost it up to £15,000.

The spokesman for ESC said the pitch was considered unplayable by the referee after 24 hours’ worth of rain on top of a high water table.

The States said that officers had met with the club and would work with them to make an earlier call on pitch conditions in the future. Last weekend a game was called off 24 hours before the scheduled kick off and the opposition did not travel. The postponements were the first since pitch drainage was substantially improved eight years ago.

Foote’s Lane stadium in its current form was opened ahead of Guernsey hosting the Island Games in 2003. It was refurbished ahead of the Games returning to Guernsey in 2023 and a new eight-lane athletics track installed.