Guernsey faces difficult route to Island Games men's football success
Wednesday 28 June 2023
Guernsey’s men football team face a tough path in the Island Games as they look to right the wrongs of a deflating Muratti loss.
Manager Tony Vance, who knows from success in 2003 just what a special environment a home Games creates, said his squad go in aiming for gold.
In the wake of the home loss to Jersey in May, he was disappointed with his side’s fitness and that element is going to be key in tournament football.
“It sounds ridiculous, you can have all the ability in the world, all the skill levels in the world and all the tactics in the world, but the football is so demanding in terms of the programme, the one thing that will get you through is fitness and that mental desire,” he told the Express Beyond the Games podcast.
“We play Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and ultimately it's tournament football, you have to win every game. That's just to qualify, and if you don't, you're out, so the pressure is on as well.
"That's where the mentality and the physicality comes in, because you can have the ability, but sometimes you need to get the mindset to be able to go through a brick wall or run when your body's telling you that you're tired. That might be the winning goal or the goal that sort of gets you out of your group.”
Guernsey open their account against Western Isles on Sunday, then play Aland on Monday and the Isle of Wight on Tuesday.
All those games kick off at 6.30pm at The Track.
Victoria Avenue will be closed for these fixtures.
Listen to the full interview as part of Express’ 'Beyond the Games' podcast series, a daily insight into the Island Games proudly sponsored by SG Kleinwort Hambros Bank Limited, Jersey branch and Guernsey branch:
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