Over the past decade Guernsey Football Club has had to deal with countless challenges. Yet the club, which is a registered charity, continues to thrive and make a valuable contribution to the lives of individuals, and the community in general, on the Channel island. ConnectSport reporter Ervin Ang paid the club a visit.
Located about 70 miles off the UK’s south coast, Guernsey Football Club - founded in 2011 - plays in the eighth tier of English football.
To compete against fellow mainland teams in the Isthmian South Central Division every weekend, the team travels by propeller plane.
IMPACT
On top of that, the club is obligated to pay the travel expenses of all visiting teams with running costs amounting to around £500,000 per season.
Yet the island club, kept afloat by private local investors, is driven by the desire to make a positive impact on its 54,000 citizens.
Guernsey director and communications manager Nic Legg told ConnectSport: “Anybody who understands what supporting a football club means understands the feeling of belonging.
“It gives people the opportunity to meet up and to share a common belief.”
As such, Guernsey have rolled out a host of social initiatives including partnering with non-profit organisations and promoting women’s football.
The partnerships have developed for many reasons. When former player Scott Bradford died by suicide aged 40 in 2021, shock waves were felt across the island.
TRAGIC
For Guernsey captain Matt Loaring (pictured above) in particular, who was Bradford’s team-mate between 2011 and 2013, the loss was particularly hard to take.
Loaring, 34, said: “It’s one of those silent things, especially with men, that you never know.
“It’s really tragic. None of us knew how he was feeling, and it just goes to show that it can happen in what you think is the most unlikely places.
“In a team environment, it’s really important that we all talk to each other, but that doesn’t really happen with men.”
Since 2019, Guernsey have partnered with mental health charity Guernsey Mind as a shirt sponsor.
Legg said: “Giving opportunities to people to feel safe and openly talk about their mental health is really, really important.
NATURAL
“We want to have an environment where talking about mental health is very normal and very natural.”
After Bradford’s passing, the 'Guernsey Mind Challenge' was introduced where home fans, usually in the thousands, could pay a pound to enter a lucky draw with an opportunity to take a penalty at half-time against Guernsey’s substitute goalkeeper.
If they scored, they would take half of a prize fund, starting from £200 and added to each week, with all extra funds going to Guernsey Mind at the end of the season. It's been a great success with supporters, such as Uxbridge fan Ryan (pictured below), even donating their winnings back to Mind.
Legg added: “Talking about the Guernsey Mind Challenge every half-time was keeping that in the front of people’s minds.
“You never know on any day who might be struggling. Normalising conversation about mental health and keeping that conversation open, that’s what it’s all about.”
Moving forward, the club are looking to recruit mental health first-aiders to support fans, players, coaches and volunteers.
MESSAGING
Later this year, when Guernsey move to their brand-new £10million Victoria Park Stadium, Legg has more initiatives lined up.
He said: “Moving to Victoria Park gives us a perfect opportunity. We’re going to have an 8m x 7m TV screen in the corner and LED electronic advertising boards along the sidelines.
“It’s going to be a lot easier to get the messaging across. Building on our existing partnerships is something we really want to do going into the new stadium.”
In September 2024, another partnership was signed with Bowel Cancer Guernsey, a non-profit organisation whose aim is to improve the awareness and prevention of bowel cancer.
Again, there was a personal reason behind the club’s choice of charity.
In August 2023, long-time Guernsey fan Mark David, 40, died from bowel cancer after a nine-month battle with the disease.
CAUTIONARY
Till today, his wife Emma David still attends Guernsey’s matches with their daughter Ivy.
Emma said: “My husband is kind of a cautionary tale. He had been having a few difficulties with constipation, but he was too shy to go to the doctor.
“My poor daughter, she was 14 at the time, she had to do her GCSEs and spend her birthday without him. Before he died, the last thing he bought was her Guernsey season ticket.
“It’s so important to continue spreading the word about bowel cancer because early detection is absolutely key.”
The Bowel Cancer Guernsey logo printed on the players’ shorts acts as a visual reminder, while the matchday programmes have a page dedicated to the charity with the message 'Don’t sit on it, sort it!'
Legg said: “If even one person reads about the symptoms of bowel cancer and thinks about getting themselves checked out by the doctor, then that’s a really positive result for everyone in the community.”
DEVELOPMENT
Guernsey’s efforts extend beyond the men’s senior team. In 2023, they entered their women’s team into their Channel Island neighbours’ Jersey League.
Previously, Guernsey Women’s footballers had to settle for an annual friendly against Jersey which stunted their development.
Guernsey goalkeeper Emma Queripel (pictured below right), 31, said: “It was quite difficult. We played them once every year and there was nothing in between.
“There are women out here that want to play. Having regular football is a way for us to get off the island and play against better opponents.
“We’ve got a lot of youngsters that are now coming through. There’s a lot more focus on the grassroots, getting the kids ready and integrating them into our squad.”
Supported by the Guernsey Football Association (GFA), Wildcats For Girls is a new programme for island girls aged five to 11 to play football on Sunday mornings.
ABILITY
GFA-qualified coaches organise activities for girls to understand the laws of the game and develop their technical ability.
From 2025, Guernsey Women will play all their home matches at the new Victoria Park Stadium. Legg said: “We want to make sure there are equal opportunities here in Guernsey.
“Interest in women’s football has never been so high. We’re trying to build from top down with the hope more local teams will get together.”
Producing the next Guernsey-born women’s professional like Maya Le Tissier, who is Manchester United Women’s captain, may not be a distant dream after all.
This is yet another part of the club's overall vision to "create, develop and maintain a sustainable, successful and aspirational grassroots football club that brings about a real and lasting positive impact for our community".
A registered charity, club officials are adamant it will remain a non-profit organisation, with "any financial surpluses being reinvested for the future viability of the club and the benefit of our island home".
