Chase is on for Lions

And while the rumour mill gathers momentum linking Green Lions with a variety of clubs – Ross Allen to St Martin’s being one – it is to a background of a new ruling being put forward for voting at the upcoming Guernsey Football League Management annual meeting.

A ‘simple and soft’ ruling proposal has been drafted to improve the integrity of the local game, said GFLM chairman Phil Corbet, and it will prevent GFC regulars dropping into Priaulx football for one-off games.

‘It is to mirror the rule regarding Priaulx players playing down in the Jackson, and Jackson players playing in the Railway,’ said Corbet.

‘Simply, once you have started three consecutive games in a league above, you cannot play in a lower league for 14 days.’

Corbet says the rule will only affect GFC first-choices and those Green Lions who often find themselves sitting on the bench can be free to play Priaulx level football immediately.

Meanwhile, the chase to capture the registration of Green Lions in the expectation of either a long delay to the Isthmian league season or GFC unable to fulfil fixtures due to quarantine rulings is about to go up a gear with the June signing window just a few days away. If rumours are to be believed, Rovers, Manzur and St Martin’s will be major beneficiaries, while Vale Rec expected to regain the services of midfielder Thomas Dodds.

But, for now, Saints coach Leon Meakin knows nothing about Allen, the biggest signature of all, moving up to Blanche Pierre.

‘It is the first I’ve heard of it,’ said Meakin yesterday.

‘We will wait and see what materialises,’ he added in respect of the resumption of football full-stop.

Meakin says his players are itching to get going though and his squad are delighted with confirmation of the popular John Peace returning to the dugout as his assistant.

‘Blanche Pierre has had a lot of work done on it and looks absolutely brilliant.

‘As soon as we are told we can do something we would like to.’

Rovers’ new coach Kevin Gillease is confident he will have five GFC and former title-winning Rovers back on board, while Manzur remains a popular destination for Green Lions.

But it is where match-winners such as Allen, Charlton Gauvain and Matt Loaring end up is of particular interest.

All three have strong Rangers links but whether new red-and-blacks coach Darren Ogier can persuade any of them to return when the rest of the squad is weak, will be an early test.

Ultimately, a rush to win signatures may be a waste of time if GFC’s delay to competitive action is only a short period.

But if the delay stretches into months, then the Green Lions stars could have a huge say in where the 2020-21 silverware lands.