Plucky duo need ref to play ball

But given that the green light to inter-island clashes, both at representative and club level with Uptons, depends on our CCA moving significantly on the air-bridge question – and quickly – I would not get too excited about getting out your green-and-white bobble hats and scarves.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall of this week’s Inter-Insular Committee Zoom call.

How much did Jersey have to push and did they and Alderney gang up on the GFA? Did they at all?

It’s clear that the Caesareans and Ridunians wanted a 2020-21 competition badly. Guernsey less so, but perhaps only because they are more appreciative of how cautious the Guernsey health authorities and CCA are over here.

Jersey have had some dynamic strikers over the last century but they would have all been beaten off by Dr Brink – a one-woman defence. Top 100 material for sure.

Coupled with the Football Association edict that 2020-21 football can only be played up until midnight on 30 June, one day short of when Guernsey is due to open its borders, Dr Brink is Captain Fantastic here and Messrs Vowden and Atkins merely combative triers.

Whether the Inter-Insular Committee is able to force a positive result in the next five weeks remains very doubtful, but they deserve our thanks for trying their best and realising that to play a Muratti in August/September is not a goer.

n THE new Guernsey Press head of multi-media, Tony Curr, is going to have an added burden in the coming weeks as he takes his camera to a selection of senior league and cup games.

If the floodlights were not enough of an issue, far more worrying is to edit a highlights show which does not require beeps every 10 seconds or apologies for foul language.

This week’s two Jeremie Cup semi-finals again highlighted the extent of the problem which has been allowed to blot the game and is only getting worse.

This is not about dissent – Guernsey players are angels in that respect – this is about casual, thoughtless, brainless foul language used alongside a bad or mis-placed pass, of which there were very many over two nights of otherwise enjoyable football.

I’m told time and again it ‘is the language of today’, but it is downright offensive. One high-profile Sylvans player should be cringing with embarrassment for his outburst at Northfield on Tuesday.

Yet, to a certain extent, he got away with it. Nothing more will happen.

Our referees are soft on the issue and GFA are oblivious to the problem because they simply don’t go to football or, if they do, they are not very visible. Watching games is not a necessary FA box-ticker. It is not about compliance.

Yet we have had this respect message shoved down our throats, which is incredibly hypocritical given the way offensive behaviour at all levels of senior football is allowed to blight the sport. As you might have guessed, I’m fed up with it and officially offended.