FULL marks to Islander Will Partington for finding the sponsors, arranging the tournament (which he also played in) and staging a tremendous series of beach football matches at Millbrook over the weekend.
Although the crowds weren’t massive, the entertainment kept me enthralled for three hours on Sunday, not least because some of the skills on display, particularly from winners the Bees, who beat the Knights 8-1, were awesome.
I also realised that the best players don’t actually let the ball hit the sand any more than they have to. Instead, they juggle the ball, and when they aim for goal they do so either with acrobatic overhead kicks or by setting up the ball for a volley.
The sand at St Aubin’s Bay is far too unpredictable compared to the flat and reliable surface at Springfield, so no one wants to kick the ball knowing that it could hit the equivalent of a small sandcastle and veer left or right or simply stop dead in its tracks.
As Will told me afterwards: ‘Jersey’s natural beauty provided a stunning backdrop to the weekend.’ It did, too, and I have no doubt that in years to come, partly through Will’s passion for the game, it will be a major feature on the calendar.
And Will’s interests don’t end with one tournament a year: more awareness of the sport will mean a stronger and bigger local league (there are already 12 teams keen to play next year). And his ultimate ambition? ‘I want Jersey to be recognised as a Mecca for beach soccer with our microclimate and our stunning beaches.’
We will see. And it was good to see Derek de la Haye watching the action. I reckon the Education, Sport and Culture assistant director has been to as many sports in his free time over most weekends as us sports journalists, yet he never makes a fuss or draws attention to himself. Instead, he watches, learns and, behind the scenes, tries to do as much as he can for the good of sport in the Island.