GFC stars arrive as key men leave
ROSS ALLEN was yesterday paraded on Twitter as a new Rangers signing, as was Muratti man Matt Loaring. But the red-and-blacks, Guernsey’s oldest club, face potentially big new issues with the new Priaulx League campaign just over a week away.
Club president Guy Hardill resigned over the weekend, slipping out of office almost a year to the day after he agreed to take over when Zoe Lihou was ousted unexpectedly.
Striker Wayne Bishop has now signalled his intention to move clubs and an entire senior XI has virtually disappeared among apparent behind-the-scenes political traumas.
Hardill, who has earned widespread respect in local football circles for his tough stance on discipline and club practices this past winter, said he just ‘couldn’t do the job any more’.
He cites a number of clashes over the last few months and added: ‘I can’t defend the indefensible any more’.
Despite putting pen to paper, it’s unlikely Allen and Loaring will be much use to new first-team coach Gary Simon, who saw his team thumped 9-0 by Rovers last weekend.
Being away, Simon missed that match, which was overseen by Mike Garnett who, under instructions from the former, left Miles Hardill on the subs bench. This, it is understood, angered the player’s father and president.
Hardill jnr has now switched to Sylvans but it will remain business as usual, said long-serving Rangers treasurer Lorraine Ellis. Having overseen a brilliant 125th anniversary season for Rangers, she said yesterday that to lose Hardill ‘was such a shame’.
She added: ‘At the moment we’re all in a bit of shock, to be honest.’
Meanwhile, former club president and current Rangers board member Darren Ogier has secured the probably very occasional services of Island great Allen and fellow GFC man Loaring.
Allen is in the process of returning to the island after two largely successful seasons away in New Zealand, but it is a lot longer than that since he donned the red-and-black jersey of the St Andrew’s club.
If he does again pull on the oldest shirt in CI club football, he will find he is among a team of youngsters. Rangers have several very promising U16s who have played at age-group representative level, but there is now precious little experience and a long, hard season seems to be in prospect.
Sylvans president Nigel Gallienne has announced that the new season will be the last for both himself and long-serving secretary Kevin Melrose.
