Vance still quids in – unlike his Herne rival

But that’s what happened to his opposite number at today’s opponents, Herne Bay.

Herne manager John Emberey has revealed the situation he found himself in which resulted from the club’s current dire financial issues.

‘The money situation is still bad. On Saturday there was no cash to pay the players, so I paid them out of my own pocket with a contribution of £500 from Jake [his son]. The club had a function in the evening, so they were able to pay me back much of what I put in.’

Vance will have no sympathy as he has often criticised rival clubs for not operating within their own means.

Guernsey FC are not in the position to pay players, but it probably happens in every other club at Bostik South East League level.

Vance has his own, more pressing concerns ahead of today’s game against a side that have won three and drawn one of their last four to relieve their own relegation worries substantially.

‘They are out of the woods a bit – we are in the woods,’ said Vance, who again has to do without Charlton Gauvain today, the young midfielder, and hat-trick hero of last week’s Junior Muratti win, having picked up another ankle injury.

‘He’s not 100% after the Muratti. He took a kick on the ankle and he has not been able to train this week.’

The GFC boss expects another ‘ugly’ game: ‘We need to be on it this week. It need to be a full-on competitive bout from us.

‘We’ve spoken about what we need to do over the next eight games and there is no point feeling sorry for ourselves.

‘There’s only one way to deal with it.’

As for Herne Bay, Embery is wary of the Green Lions.

‘We were very disappointed to come away from them in November with nothing after they scored a last-minute winner. They will be desperate for points as they have slipped down to next to bottom but they have a decent away record, better than at home, but we are confident that if we can return to our best, we will send them home frustrated,’ he said.