Commitment of Herm FC comes shining through

HERM FC is celebrating a good end to the summer after beating Old Government United 6-0.

Mermaid Tavern assistant manager Craig Chappel was on a roll and scored a hat-trick. One goal was scored by White House Hotel porter Hans Peter (HP) Oosterhof, one by hotel kitchen porter Joszef Fabian and one by Travel Trident crew member Nick Ozier.

Formed a year ago, the football club has had a hard slog against formidable opponents such as Bels and St Martin's, but the team is going strong and is on the up.

Ask any island resident and they will tell you that just because we are a small island, that doesn't mean we have to be restricted in our achievements.

With the help of the GFA, Herm FC is proving itself as a real football team with true commitment.

The dedicated players haven't let the busy summer season slow them down. Many have been getting together on Shell Beach at 6am most days to train out of the way of the guests.

Now that winter hours are fast approaching, there is more time to get together and train and more time to spend in Guernsey.

'We have a summer squad and a winter squad,' said Brett Moore. 'The summer squad contains more seasonal staff, so is younger and maybe fitter to some extent. The winter squad is older, but is made up of residents who work together year round, so we know each other better and are already a team.'

Not that the winter squad isn't fit. A lot of the team work in the hospitality or service industries, so have physical, often outdoor jobs. Lugging 100 suitcases a week up Rosaire Steps can be a great workout. Likewise, walking miles around the Mermaid courtyard on a busy Saturday can feel like you've run a marathon.

They may be about to lose team members once the seasonal staff leave, but Herm FC is looking forward to a full and successful winter season.