I’ve got a horrible feeling about this

At least that’s what I kept telling myself. Calm down man, calm down.

The potential of a terrific Priaulx League campaign is there for all to see and almost touch. But, almost by the day, I get a feeling that it may end up a bit of a mess, with players no sooner back in their old or new club garbs being wrenched away for Green Lions duty, leaving anguish and a feeling of emptiness.

I hope not, but the signs are there.

Talk of some form of crowd allowance at UK football from September is getting stronger by the day. At Isthmian League level where GFC play, those audiences are seldom very large, so you would think allowing 100 fans into a game with social distancing in place would be grabbed by clubs with both hands.

That said, being an offshore island the Green Lions might operate under different rules and, of course, there is every chance that Mr St Pier, ever vigilant and aren’t we glad he is, might refuse to ease the border controls.

That could leave GFC unable to get to games, or teams not permitted to fly here without staying for a two-week break.

But... I get a feeling Tony Vance’s boys might not be sitting on the sidelines too long and with that it potentially poses issues for the domestic clubs. Just how much do they integrate the GFC lads in the meantime?

With those variables out there, Ross Allen and Jamie Dodd might understandably stay un-signed for a long while yet, and who could blame them?

Talking of Dodd, what a wonderfully straightforward guy he is.

Interviewing him on a wide aspect of island football this week (see Monday’s two-pager) highlighted his appeal within the game.

There is no dodging issues, no attempt to hide or camouflage anything. He plays it straight down the line as an ‘old Guern’ would be expected to. Refreshing.

n WHEN I look down at that empty, clearly ravaged Delancey bowls green, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

The old Northern Bowling Association, whose direct link with the venue stretches back nine decades, may be out of the wood for one summer, but will they ever return home?

Hearing Garry Collins speak on the subject this week, you have to doubt it.

Collins has been able to achieve many things in his career as a serious bowls administrator, but sorting this issue out may be beyond even him.

As he highlighted, a cultural change is necessary and the sport has to be brave enough to make tough decisions in the midst of clubs who will put themselves first by a distance.

His idea – and it is nothing new – that all clubs should be seen as one under the BG umbrella and that BG should run island leagues across all three greens is a sound and sensible one.

But for that plan to go ahead Delancey has to survive and, I agree with him, that is only likely to be possible if the maintenance work on all three greens is out-sourced to a business which possibly does not even exist.

However, with encouragement, the expertise is on island and one dedicated, full-time man could cover all three greens – easily.But, with so many things locally. Is there the will to change tradition, a culture?