Guernsey teams get a place in Island Games football competitions

Friday 06 September 2024

Guernsey’s footballers will travel to Orkney for next year’s Island Games after a tense wait.

With accommodation pressures meaning the tournaments were oversubscribed, a draw was made to decide who would join the teams who had guaranteed places.

Both the Guernsey men's and women's sides will be playing when the Games are staged in July.

Men's holders Jersey were already guaranteed their spot.

Both tournaments will have 12 teams, although organisers say more could open up if the accommodation situation improves.

The Isle of Man's men's team is the biggest to miss out.

Beccy May, vice-chair of Orkney 2025, told the BBC that it had "always been the aspiration" of organisers to have 16 teams in the men's and women's competitions.

"It may be that we have significant progress in terms of our accommodation and accommodation providers on the island," May added.

"We might be able to elevate the number of teams participating in football to more than 12 and 12.

"But I think we need to make a firm decision at this point, before the year-to-go event, so that our member islands understand what we're aiming for now. That doesn't necessarily mean that won't change in the future."

Women's draw: Orkney, Bermuda, Froya, Gozo, Guernsey, Hitra, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Menorca, Shetland, Western Isles and Ynys Mon.

Reserves: Aland, Greenland and Isle of Man.

Men's draw: Orkney, Hitra, Jersey, Bermuda, Shetland, Western Isles, Isle of Man, Gozo, Froya, Ynys Mon, Menorca and Guernsey.

Reserves: Aland, Isle of Wight, Falklands and Greenland.

The draw for the group stages of the competition will take place on Monday 30 September.