Guernsey football sides pull out of Orkney 2025

Guernsey’s men’s and women’s football sides have pulled out of next year’s Island Games competition in Orkney.

The decision has been prompted by concerns over travel arrangements, accommodation and safeguarding requirements, with both sides containing a mix of under-18 and adult players.

Chief executive of Guernsey Football Association, Gary Roberts said he appreciated that Orkney had “very limited” hotel accommodation and that the 2025 organising committee had done everything possible to increase capacity by setting up temporary accommodation in school buildings.

However, Mr Roberts said the accommodation allocated to Guernsey “does not allow us to meet our responsibilities when travelling with two teams of mixed ages” with regards to safeguarding.

“The GFA board discussed the situation earlier this week and agreed that player experience had to be the priority when considering our participation in the competition.

“They concluded that a combination of the type of accommodation being provided, the inability to meet the GFA’s safeguarding parameters for the trip, and the mixed ages of those likely to be included in both the men’s and women’s squads, has made Guernsey’s participation unviable.”

Greenland, in the women’s competition, and Aland, in the men’s, were the first reserves in the event of any withdrawals.

Games director of Orkney 2025, Kirsty Talbot, who expressed her disappointment at Guernsey’s decision, confirmed that places had been offered to the first reserves.

She said: “Football is set to play a huge part in the Orkney 2025 Games and the participating teams will make up a quarter of the overall number of people involved across all 12 sports.

“We are pleased to be able to extend an opportunity to other islands to take part in what promises to be a very exciting competition.”