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Boost for island football

Providing a reasonable standard of football on the islands around Britain is always a challenge. Jersey Bulls made their debut in the English non-league pyramid season last Saturday. A crowd of over 1,100 saw them beat Ash United three nil in their first ever Combined Counties League Division One game. On Wednesday they had to make a two hundred mile journey to West London to play FC Deportivo Gallicia in an evening game under the lights.

Bulls boss Gary Freeman said that a couple of players were not able to make it because of work commitments. He said, ‘We will need to be at the airport at midday on Wednesday so we are hoping the players will have some rather forgiving bosses at work. I am sure that we will soon get sick of the sight of airports. I have been looking at our schedule over the next few weeks and they certainly haven’t made it easy for us. It will tough at times, the players are used to playing an eleven game season in the local league.’

Nevertheless, the aim is promotion. Freeman said, ‘Guernsey did it and I believe our players are at a similar level.' Guernsey’s Green Lions achieved back-to-back promotions in their first two seasons to reach Step 4 of the non-league pyramid in 2013.

The Isle of Man is one step closer to entering a team into the English non-league system. Football Club Isle of Man (FC IoM) has confirmed initial investigations are ongoing into the formation of a new club, which would aim to start in Step Six.

Preliminary discussions have taken place with The Northwest Counties Football League regarding the application process and with the Isle of Man FA in relation to the affiliation of the club. The Douglas Bowl stadium has a capacity of about three thousand.

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