Guernsey men's manager to be confirmed 'in the coming weeks'
The coach tasked with leading Guernsey’s men into this summer’s home Island Games will be confirmed ‘in the coming weeks’, the Guernsey Football Association has said, as the countdown reaches 100 days to go.
Guernsey FC manager Tony Vance took charge of the Island representative side on a temporary basis last summer as the Muratti Vase made its post-pandemic return, but the position has otherwise remained vacant since Chris Tardif resigned at the end of 2021.
Vance could still be the man for the job, but the Guernsey Press understands he is reluctant to commit to the role while the Green Lions, who have five games left of their league season, remain in danger of being relegated from the Isthmian South Central division.
Tardif, now head coach at Rangers, has revealed he wrote to the GFA to offer his services for the Island Games but was turned down, with its board preferring a coach to take both the Muratti final in May and Guernsey 2023, which begins on 8 July.
‘I’m frustrated that the GFA haven’t been a little bit more proactive in trying to find a replacement,’ Tardif said.
‘They sit and hope with fingers crossed that Tony will step in, and I hope he does, but when I’ve spoken to Tony he’s told me he doesn’t want to do the Island Games and I wrote back to the GFA understanding that.'
‘I am happy, willing and would love to put my name back in the hat. I’ve done the preparation. The preparation has sat in my drawer for the last four or five years from when it was supposed to have happened.'
‘Unfortunately they came back and said on this really important year for Guernsey football, “thank you, but no thanks”.
‘I totally agree it’s a really important year for Guernsey football, so why hasn’t this been sorted six, seven, eight months ago? I find that a little bit embarrassing – I really hope now that Tony does take it because whoever steps in now at this late stage has got a huge amount of work to do,’ Tardif added.
The GFA, meanwhile, insist there is no complacency in planning for the Games, for which final squads must be submitted by 30 April.
‘The board does have a plan for the role and is in regular contact with individuals regarding this matter,’ said GFA chief executive Gary Roberts.
‘I would expect a final decision to be made in the coming weeks and we will make that announcement once everything is finalised.’
The full interview with Chris Tardif is on the latest Guernsey Press Sports Podcast, out today.
