FC Isle of Man 'buzzing' for first competitive match

Chris Bass said his players were "absolutely buzzing"

Saturday marks a "very big day" for Isle of Man FC as it prepares to head to the UK for its first competitive match, the team's manager has said.

The Ravens will play Maine Road FC at Brantingham Road in Manchester in the North West Counties Football League.

The fledgling team was allocated a place in the league for the 2020-21 season but had its membership suspended due to Covid border restrictions.

Chris Bass said the team would "have to learn from week to week" in the league.

Mr Bass said the players chosen for match were "absolutely buzzing".

"We're really looking forward to it and hopefully we've got the tools to get us higher up the leagues," he said.

Frank Jones said the match had been a "long time coming"

The only matches the team has been able to play during the pandemic have been two legs against Guernsey FC in the Skipton cup in 2020, due to an air-bridge with the Channel Island last summer.

A repeat of the fixtures this year was cancelled in June due to an upsurge in Covid cases on both islands.

Ravens captain Frank Jones said although there had been disruption to the team's progress, the players were in a "good place" as the on-island leagues had been able to finish their seasons allowing player to stay match-fit.

He added: "It'll just be amazing to get out and actually start playing a competitive game."