Tardif: ‘I will stay another two years’

Tardif, the former professional and Muratti goalkeeper, confirmed yesterday that delaying the Games by another two years makes no difference to his own managerial ambitions.

‘Absolutely,’ said Tardif to the question as to whether he would be prepared to extend his tenure as island football manager to six years and take in the summer 2023 IIGA tournament.

‘I set out initially to create a team good enough to win the Island Games in Guernsey in 2021. That hasn’t changed. I still want to be involved and I’d love to lead the squad into the 2023 Island Games.

‘There is a lot of unfinished business.’

With no contract as such, Tardif’s position as manager is at the discretion of the Guernsey Football Association and the incumbent said in his initial interview that the GFA agreed to his request to stay in the job through to the Guernsey Games. In the meantime, he has heard nothing different.

‘I desperately want it and want to make the squad, island and coaches proud,’ he added.

Meanwhile, Tardif said he would be ‘gutted’ if the Victoria Avenue Stadium project was not completed in time for the 2023 competition, although there has not been any official confirmation that the final would be played there.

However, Games director Peter Vidamour said yesterday his own view is that if Victoria Avenue was ready, they should use it as it would free up Footes Lane for an uninterrupted last day of track and field.

‘If the football stadium is ready we would support plans to have the final there,’ he said.

The plan for the 2021 football competition was to stage the final at Footes Lane simply because there was no guarantee that Victoria Avenue would be ready and fully operational. But Gary Roberts, CEO at the GFA, is hopeful of it being completed in time.

‘If the Games are in 2023 then there is a realistic opportunity the facility could be ready’ he said yesterday.