Gilson gulf widens to extent it’s called off
A GLARING gap in the strength of Jersey opposition has prompted the postponement of Saturday’s scheduled home Gilson Cup clash.
The Guernsey Badminton Association are now unsure whether the top-flight inter-insular will go ahead at all this year, having made the initial call due to Jersey’s inability to field a number of women players.
Finding another date remains a prospect and yet GBA development officer Paulo Pinheiro has already committed to an alternative focus – a match against the UK Police in May.
Pinheiro confirmed that this blip is not an isolated incident even in his limited time occupying the important post.
‘This year there have been many cancellations and postponements on Jersey’s part going ahead with most of the matches,’ he said.
‘The juniors were supposed to be back in November and they were in early February.
‘There were issues in the veterans and they were cancelled, and now Gilson – we are not sure if we should go ahead, but we probably won’t.’
The Caesareans’ plight at inter-insular level is not new.
Guernsey whitewashed Jersey 30-0 in last year’s Gilson on top of a 24-3 win in 2018, proving similarly dominant in the second-string RSL, but those fixtures had at least gone ahead.
Two previous GBA development officers had given their suggestions as to how to mitigate the mismatch between the islands.
Paul Le Tocq suggests fielding only Guernsey-born players, while Matt Haynes considers using Guernsey’s RSL team for Gilson representation.
JBA vice-president Alex Hutchings gave his perspective on the issue and stated that they still intend to put forward a side later in the year – if possible.
‘There are not many badminton players in Jersey at the moment,’ he said.
‘Quite a few have moved away and we have a few injuries – and we don’t just want to throw anybody in and have another 30-0. We want the best ones available but it’s a struggle getting them all on the island on the same weekend.
‘Everybody at the JBA is gutted it’s not going ahead as it should but there’s not much we can do about it at the moment. We just need to find another date and see if Guernsey are happy with it.
‘Generally we have a good relationship with them and they’re normally quite accommodating. I think they understand the situation we’re in.’
