Island Games 2023: Football draw is made for Guernsey event
- Published
Hosts Guernsey last won football gold in Jersey in 2015
Hosts Guernsey's men and women will both face the Western Isles in the group stages of the football tournament at the 2023 Island Games.
The draw for the two tournaments has been made for July's event.
Guernsey's men will also face Aland and Isle of Wight - who beat Guernsey to gold in 2011 - while the women will play Ynys Mon in their other tie.
Jersey's men face Menorca and debutants Gozo and St Helena, while their women play Bermuda, Hitra and Aland.
The men's tournament was over-subscribed for the first time, with 16 islands competing - Alderney missed out on a place after a draw was held in September.
Football was last contested at the 2017 Island Games - with Isle of Man taking gold - after it was dropped from the 2019 event in Gibraltar.
The biennial games were due to take place in Guernsey in 2021, but were delayed by two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Group Two of the men's tournament appears to be very competitive, with reigning champions Isle of Man alongside five-time finalists Ynys Mon, 2005 gold medallists and 2015 semi-finalists Shetland and the Falkland Islands.
Group games will take place from 9-11 July - the top-seeded sides in the group stages will play in semi-finals in Thursday, 13 July, with the final and bronze medal match on Friday, 14 July.
"Everyone is aware of the growing popularity of the women's game, particularly following England's success in the Euros last year, and we look forward to welcoming the nine visiting women's teams, along with the 15 visiting men's teams, for what we anticipate will be very competitive competitions," said Guernsey 2023 football coordinator Gary Roberts.
"The football organising committee is progressing well with preparations for the competitions, and this includes plans to introduce a £125,000 pitch maintenance equipment bank that will be used to ensure the pitches at College Field, Corbet Field, Northfield, Blanche Pierre Lane and the Track are in the best possible condition."
