Fans must show their best side
The news that the scheduled day trip with Condor Ferries to the Muratti final in Jersey later this month is being trimmed back has been met with disappointment by many.
First of all, there are families who have jumped at the rare opportunity of a full day trip to Jersey who have now seen that trip reduced to a half day. They are clearly disappointed.
Football supporters now face an uncertain wait to understand just how pleasant their trip might be. Jersey Police have often escorted fans to the harbour after the game. It is difficult to recall any incident where there has been trouble before a Muratti – but given the boat timings now require supporters to make their way straight to Springfield stadium to catch kick off, will they have an escort to the match, and a very sanitised trip?
But the biggest disappointment in all of this is that such headlines mean that football, and this long-established competition, first played in 1905, again have an opportunity to be slightly tarnished.
Days when football and hooliganism went hand-in-hand ended in the 1980s. There has not been notable trouble at a game in Guernsey for nearly 40 years.
It’s time this year for Guernsey fans to make a clear statement to Jersey Police about their behaviour – and thereby prove that inter-island football does not routinely involve disorder, and will not require a show of strength from the constabulary.