Following in the footsteps of his father Neil and grandfather Alan, who earned eight and 13 caps respectively, Louis Hunter has made the cut for Guernsey’s matchday squad as they attempt to wrestle the famous trophy back from Jersey in the first final to be held at Victoria Park.
‘Being Guernsey born and bred, it’s always been the one big goal,’ he said.
‘We’ve had a great season in terms of club football but I always wanted to represent the island.
‘We are lucky enough to have represented Guernsey through the family. Grandad did it, Dad did it, so my turn now.
‘Got to step up and deliver I suppose.’
Alan scored six Muratti goals in his career which spanned from 1948 to 1956, while Neil netted seven times between 1983 and 1989, including famously scoring a hat-trick in the 1987 final, which ended in a 4-3 defeat for Guernsey at the Track, and his marker bizarrely receiving the man-of-the-match award.
‘I’ve had advice on what not to do – what not to do is score a hat-trick and lose,’ said Louis.
‘Whatever happens, just win if you can. If we can do whatever we can to win, whatever I can, whether it’s on the pitch, off the pitch, leadership, support for teammates, and obviously on the pitch, to deliver my best performance individually, and collectively, to contribute to a team performance.
‘But he won’t give me much advice. He knows what I’m like. I’m quite a big personality myself. He knows probably to leave me to my own devices, and he’ll trust me to bring what I can on the day,’ he added about his dad.
Hunter is one of five St Martin’s regulars to have made the Guernsey squad along with Seb Sheppard, Ben Solway, George Mason and Cal Le Lacheur.
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They will join forces with GFC players to face the old enemy.
‘I feel like it’s a really good combination,’ Hunter said.
‘I feel what we bring would complement any group of players. I mean, we’ve got some quality players among our squad with GFC players.
‘We know what they bring and I feel like all players know each other. We’re from Guernsey. We’ve played against each other, played with each other before.
‘I don’t think there’s anyone on there that I’ve not played against or with, so I feel like we know each other well.
‘What we can bring as a five is hard work, determination and experience in big games. I know these GFC players have obviously played at a higher level at times, but we’ve played in big games, Channel Islands games and we’re Channel Islands champions.’
He added that the local players have spoken about the long wait to regain the Muratti Vase and they know there will be added excitement and expectation due to the game being at Victoria Park for the first time.
‘I feel like we are bang up for this and ready to make a statement,’ Hunter said.
Read more from both Guernsey coaches in Saturday’s Press.
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