Tardif to rotate – but no promises to start

While Jersey probably start favourites to win the Inter-Island Games Tournament, alongside the home side, Tardif is confident his mix of old and young faces can combine to go all the way in the week-long event.

Guernsey have named 19 for the trip and are guaranteed no more than three games, so giving game time to all and being successful won’t be easy.

‘I intend to use everyone,’ said the Guernsey boss.

‘I can’t guarantee everyone a start, but everyone will play at some point.

‘If we can give everyone a start, absolutely, I’ll do it. But it depends on the opportunities and what we see in terms of the opposition.

‘We want to make sure we can put out the best team we can for every game,’ he added, adding that spreading the workload in Jersey four years ago proved decisive.

‘We were a lot fitter than the Isle of Man in the final in Jersey.’

As for the Caesareans, their St Paul’s contingent will have a new boss in charge next season and one very familiar to Guernsey sport – but in cricket, not football.

Tony Carlyon has been announced as a replacement for player-manager Stuart Andre, who is to go back to concentrate fully on playing.

‘It was time to get back into football,’ Carlyon told the Jersey Evening Post.

‘I was sitting at home bored on a Saturday afternoon, so I started watching football again.

‘I got chatting to a couple of people around the club, one thing led to another and, after meetings with official Paul Harzo and Stuart Andre, Stuart decided that it was time for him to take a break away from managing and playing and just concentrate on playing.

‘Personally I think it is a difficult job to do both and Stuart has done extremely well in the position over the past few seasons.’

Carlyon is keen to get the Saints, as a club from top to bottom, back up and running after they did not have an under-18 side last season.

‘What happened last season [with the U18s and reserves] wasn’t great and the success on the pitch with their juniors has not been as prolific as they have seen in recent seasons.

‘I’m not coming in just to be responsible for the first team, I want to take responsibility for everything down all the age groups.

‘It is going to be difficult with the emergence of Jersey Bulls FC, St Paul’s will lose players but it’s not clear yet how many.

‘I think St Paul’s will not lose as many players as what was envisaged when Bulls was first announced, because it has to tick a lot of boxes for the players, like does it meet family and work commitments.

‘I do not want to stop any footballer who wants to go and play at that level, I’d back them all the way, but it has to be right for them and their families.

‘Bulls manager Gary Freeman has told me that he will stick with a similar 16 players most weeks, so I think there is going to have to be good communication between Gary, all the players and the clubs that will be affected when a game is coming up.

‘Everyone will have to be told early each week who is playing for the Bulls so that clubs can sort their own teams out for their games.’

Carlyon expects to lose at least four players regularly to the Bulls.

‘It looks like four are fully committed [to Bulls], there are others showing interest but there is no guarantee that they will all be in the squad every week.

‘We will have a better understanding once the season gets under way as Bulls start a month ahead of clubs in Jersey.’