The Green Lions will also renew an old rivalry in the Southern Combination Premier Division after the Football Association confirmed league allocations for 2026-27.
GFC will come up against Hassocks and Billinghurst for the first time, the former having been relegated from Isthmian South East and the latter came up from Southern Combination Division One via the play-offs. The Division One champions, Godalming Town, have been moved to the Combined Counties League.
Meanwhile, Tony Vance’s side will reacquaint themselves with East Grinstead Town, who they have met 11 times in the past, as they have also been relegated from the Isthmian League.
Despite having finished in the relegation zone this season, Lancing have been given a reprieve and will stay in the Premier Division for next season.
The fixture list will be released in July.
Southern Combination Premier Division clubs for 2026-27
AFC Varndeanians, Bexhill United, Billingshurst, Crawley Down Gatwick, East Grinstead Town, Eastbourne United, Forest Row, Guernsey FC, Hassocks, Haywards Heath Town, Horsham YMCA, Lancing, Lingfield, Little Common, Midhurst & Easebourne, Newhaven, Pagham, Roffey, Seaford Town, Wick.
GFC have also announced that the Mike Thomas Trophy will be played for at Victoria Park for the first time this summer when the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, visit the island.
Introduced in 2015 in memory of the Green Lions’ much-loved former physio, Mike Thomas, the aim of the fixture has always been to welcome teams from his home county of Yorkshire to kick start pre-season.
Sheffield FC, who were founded in 1857, are one of only two clubs, along with Real Madrid, to have received the Fifa Order of Merit.
The fixture will take place on Saturday 4 July, with a 3pm kick-off at Victoria Park.
Sam Murray, who became the first ever-present in Guernsey FC’s history by appearing in all 45 of their matches this season, picked up three awards at the club’s end-of-season presentation.
All with the golden boot for his 33 goals, the striker was named coach’s player of the year and players’ player of the year.
Donna Gallienne also did the coach’s and players’ player of the year double for GFC Women, while Candice Bougourd was fans’ women’s player of the season and Calleigh Hedley was their golden boot winner for 16 goals from just eight appearances.
Will Fazakerley was the GFC fans’ player of the season and he also picked up Ernie’s Champagne Moment for volunteering to go in goal following Josh Addison’s dismissal in the win over eventual champions Steyning Town.
The young players of the year were won by Fin Patterson and Aimee Ogier.
The Mark Le Tissier Trophy for outstanding contribution was posthumously awarded to Richard Robert, who was a steward for the club for many years and sadly died in March.
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