Guernsey football season to start in early August, subject to FA approval

Guernsey's domestic football season will start in early August, subject to approval from the English Football Association.

The intention to start on time was agreed at the Guernsey Football League's AGM, which took place on Tuesday night.

"Once the green light comes, the plan of the league is to play as soon as possible at the beginning of August", GFL chairman Phil Corbet told ITV News.

"We know that Bels have, in principle, done a draw for their Rawlinson Cup, a pre-season tournament for first teams, which is planned to finish on 8 August and the leagues would start immediately afterwards".

All lockdown restrictions in Guernsey were lifted in the middle of June, while there have been no new cases of coronavirus confirmed in the island in more than two months.

• Watch: Guernsey Football League chairman Phil Corbet

The GFL board also announced it is waiving entry fees for all its competitions next season, a move worth around £8,000 to clubs.

"We're aiming to give the clubs the ability to support the players that may have been affected employment-wise by Covid-19", said Corbet.

"If people have lost jobs, or have taken pay cuts, the clubs have now got a little bit of budget provided to support those people in their annual subscriptions".

"Football in Guernsey is the football clubs - there's nine in the Priaulx League, eight from Guernsey and one from Alderney - and they're the backbone of football in Guernsey".

"Without them football doesn't exist as we know it, so we've got to make sure they're strong, we want to provide every participant, at every level, with as many games and opportunities as is possible", he said.