Guernsey Press

Green Lions rivals hit by Covid-19 outbreak

THE chaos of a Covid-19 non-league football schedule has already started with one of Guernsey FC’s regular opponents at the centre of it.

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Farewell performance: An estimated 1,200 crowd at Footes Lane for Saturday's Skipton Cup will help tidy the Green Lions over financially. (Picture by Adrian Miller , 28680914)

But while Burgess Hill Town, based in West Sussex, try and sort out the mess of their FA Cup opponents refusing to play them after ‘The Hillians’ squad was hit by a coronavirus outbreak, the Green Lions’ main men are looking forward to a well-earned rest.

‘The break is going to do me some good,’ ádmitted Tony Vance, the man who has been in charge of the Green Lions from day one.

‘This was going to be our 10th year and hopefully it will reinvigorate all of us in the club,’ said Vance.

Mark Le Tissier, the chairman, feels no different and said the club would focus on what they can do better when they return.

‘We haven’t had a chance to breathe in ages... it gives us an opportunity to clear our heads,’ said the club chairman, who yesterday reflected on months of suspecting the day would soon come when GFC would, because of the pandemic, have to temporarily withdraw.

‘We have had a lot of emails supporting our decision, not just from other clubs but our season-ticket holders.

‘People are seeing why we had to come to this decision and we have known for a long time that is how we’d end up.’

Le Tissier, who will sit back and watch with interest likely fixture mayhem in the UK, said the club is financially sound and will take stock by having a day-long event ‘talking with players, coaches, supporters and the media, as to how the club is run and what we might to do differently or what we can do better.

‘The only ongoing costs to us are staff – which is Tony and the coaches. But we have the funds to sustain us and last Saturday’s game against the Isle of Man certainly helps us.’

Le Tissier remains relaxed on the issue of returning to the same division at Step Four and that is because the club have long been talking to the FA on the issue.

‘They said to us all along that we would not be prejudiced and they have been true to their word. They fully understand the reasons.

‘I am fully confident the FA Council will rubber stamp it [the Alliance Leagues Committee] decision.’

Vance on GFC, page 39