Has GFA absolved itself of running its leagues?

Rather than send St Martin's away with a flea in their ear and possibly sanctioning them for submitting a request on frivolous grounds, the League Management Committee chose to grant Saints' request. Not only that, but they said that in future they would consider not scheduling games around the Christmas period. Unbelievable, unbelievable.

Since when has the Priaulx been a social league? Surely dedication to the sport should be being recognised and encouraged by its authorities, so if one team's players prioritise playing above socialising and another's doesn't, then why reward the latter? What sort of message has that now sent to the rest of the players and clubs in the leagues? It's not clear how much notice of the postponement their would-be opponents (Rangers) were given, but will the GFA, LMC or St Martin's be refunding them the cost of any training sessions they put on in preparation for the game?

According to the GFA's website the 'League Management Committee works closely with the Guernsey FA', which tells me that the GFA does not regard the LMC as being its responsibility. ('Works closely with' is not the same as 'takes its instructions from'.) But surely it is ultimately the responsibility of the Guernsey Football Association to look after the health of the sport in the island. Or is it? The GFA doesn't seem to think so, or if it does hold this belief it must be deeply buried in its advertisement-infested website. It is strangely silent on most football matters raised in the media, and somewhere along the line has apparently absolved itself of running the domestic leagues, even though the clubs which play in those leagues (and also Guernsey FC) are affiliated to it. The GFA website also states that the three members who sit on the LMC are Keith Mansell, Brian Horsepool and Kelvin Melrose. According to your newspaper however, the LMC is Nick Graham, Andy Robert and Brian Horsepool. So on whose authority are the first of those two acting? In fact on what authority does the LMC –whoever sits on it – run the domestic leagues? If the clubs are affiliated to the GFA and not the LMC then what authority does the LMC have unless it has been appointed by the GFA? And if it has been so appointed, then that means that ultimate responsibility for its actions lies with the GFA, just as the directors of a company would be ultimately responsible for a foul up by one of its managers. Also, is the LMC sufficiently resourced – and by whom – to do a competent job?

According to the self-styled 'local community club' Guernsey FC's website, it was the GFA which encouraged them to enter a foreign league and play half of its games outside the Bailiwick (ironically moderate seeing as the GFA's policies have failed to prevent 100% of competitive women's football leaving these shores). It seems then that the GFA has taken the view that 'unless it's Guernsey FC it's not important' and abandoned domestic football to the extent that not only doesn't it reliably tell us when the games are and report the results in a timely manner, it doesn't even tell us which individuals run it, and has failed to step in when those who do are apparently prepared to reduce the Priaulx to social league status.

So what exactly does the GFA do, apart from distribute nanny state guidelines handed down to it by the FA in the UK, UEFA and FIFA? Similar questions are being asked of the FA itself.

I was expecting negative and positive reactions to my initial letter from Guernsey FC fans and those who think as I do respectively. Instead of which I have received an almost universal response of 'Where is GFA in all of this?'

MATT WATERMAN,

Flat 2,

3, Burnt Lane,

St Peter Port,

GY1 1HL.

Editor's footnote: The GFA did not wish to comment.