Guernsey FC season delayed until October due to Covid-19 travel rules

More than 1,000 people watched Guernsey FC beat FC Isle of Man on penalties last September to win the Skipton Cup - their last match of any description

Guernsey FC will not start their Isthmian League season until at least October due to Covid-19 travel rules.

People coming to Guernsey must be fully vaccinated seven days before travel.

The Green Lions' season had already been put back a month having pulled out of the league last season.

"We know teams won't be able to come and play here unless they can bring all the players they want to bring, and that means unvaccinated players," said Guernsey FC chairman Mark Le Tissier.

"Unlike rugby where the Rugby Football Union have dictated that teams still have to come and play in Guernsey with only double-vaccinated players, unfortunately the Football Association and our league will not go down that line," he told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"It's a very difficult situation for them to tell amateur or semi-professional players that they have to do that when Premier League players aren't double-vaccinated or vaccinated at all."

The club's pre-season games with FC Isle of Man were also postponed and the islanders last played a competitive game on 22 February 2020 when they lost 6-0 to Ashford United.

They were moved to the Isthmian League South Central division - the fourth tier of non-league football in England - after a restructure in May.

Le Tissier says the club has not ruled out looking at having to withdraw for a second successive season, should the island's current travel rules continue further into the autumn.

"If we weren't able to take part this season we'd have to make a case to our league and the Football Association to maintain our position at step four.

"This is something we did last year when we weren't able to take part and the league in the UK did start, although they didn't finish.

"We went through that process last year and we were granted permission to maintain our position at step four and we would have to go through that process again."