Dig deeper and play football in Alderney

To the clubs that don’t want to travel to Alderney due to costs, shame on you.

In the early 1980s I was partially responsible for bringing Alderney into the Guernsey set-up, with all the great memories that it involved. I also saw total commitment from a bunch of lads who only wanted to play competitive football, as indeed they do today. Are these clubs scared of the progress that Alderney have made?

We cannot afford to travel, say some clubs; complete and utter rubbish.

People will tell you that money does not grow on trees, well I am sorry to inform you that it does, but first you have to plant the tree and by that I mean each club appointing an Alderney fundraiser. As an example he could run a race night, correctly handled £1,000 profit, this could be followed up with a quiz night, must be worth another £500. Would the clubs be prepared to donate 1% of bar profits? What about the takeaway quiz where you make 50% of all takings? Good lord, do I have to go on?

Alderney are to me the epitome of amateurism and dig very deeply into their pockets to compete. They deserve more support than some clubs appear to offer them.

Knowing Pete Mahy as I do, he must have bitten his tongue to write such a tactful letter, and when we meet I am sure his descriptions will be a lot more colourful, but importantly he is right; I would go even further and say there are some lazy and selfish people in the game today.

Now please do not go rushing for your telephone books to tell me to put my money where my mouth is; been there, done it and sadly outgrown the T-shirt. That apart, my commitment is now to the Guernsey Raiders, where I see ever-increasing numbers of ex-football people at Footes Lane on a Saturday afternoon.

Come on clubs, get your act together and stop being so damned selfish.

G. R. SKUSE

Are Hyd Y Nos,

Courtil Ollivier,

Castel,

GY5 7RJ.