GFA boss critical of Public Health edict

It was soon after the GFA had written to all clubs and Guernsey Football League Management with updated guidance and advice that GFLM put a stop to today’s Le Vallee Cup U14 festival at Blanche Pierre Lane and tomorrow’s Duquemin Cup at Northfield.

The GFA had warned clubs that the guidance issued by Public Health was not good news for local youth football and those participating after it was confirmed that any child who has been identified as a contact of a positive Covid case in an educational setting, which is being done on either a class or entire year group basis, must enter Covid-19 protocols that require them to take lateral flow tests for 10 consecutive days.

A critical Gary Roberts, GFA CEO, was quick to say that the updated guidance will inevitably have a significant and negative impact on local youth football, along with other sports and activities covered by what Public Health define as ‘extra-curricular activity’.

‘While the GFA is fully supportive of the need and importance to ensure children are still able to consistently attend education settings, this announcement will effectively deny hundreds of healthy children the opportunity to do what they also enjoy and need – to participate in physical and social activity external to the education environment,’ said Roberts.

‘The States of Guernsey has used the phrase ‘‘learning to live with Covid-19’’ and the island community has done an amazing job of coming together and adapting to the changes brought about by the pandemic. However, for children and young people who are not eligible for vaccination, this updated position is far from living with Covid-19, and in many ways is a return to when the island was exiting lockdown, with ‘’bubbles’’ in place that restricted physical activity and social connectivity for young people.

‘There is the risk that children could end up in repeat 10-day protocols and unable to participate in physical activity on a consistent basis despite being healthy and never testing positive – the question now is whether that is fair and proportionate and to the GFA it isn’t.’‘Education is very important, but so is physical activity and it is difficult to understand how children in these Covid-19 protocols can attend schools, and be educated in indoor environments, but cannot enjoy and befit from outdoor physical activity, which is widely recognised as being of less risk.’

Roberts said that while this does not mean that all youth football should stop, what it does mean is that clubs will need to be vigilant and take practical and realistic decisions about whether training/matches should proceed until such time as these protocols are removed.