SO to football, and to Aitken and Boyle (which sounds like a ready-made double act) who scored a goal apiece to beat the Southern Amateur League at Springfield last Saturday in front of crowd approaching 400.

Before the match a friend and I were discussing how many spectators there’d be. ‘200 max,’ I said, arguing that because the Island didn’t play regularly, and that this was a one-off game, there was no incentive to go and watch them. ‘No, I’d go a bit higher than that. Perhaps 250-300,’ I was told in return.

So the crowd exceeded both our predictions; which suggests that if ever there is a Jersey FC, playing regularly, home and away, the crowds will flock to Springfield and perhaps outnumber those of the JRFC, whose excursion into London I has already proved its worth. Guernsey, of course, have already, controversially, set the ball rolling and aim to play as an Island club side in Kent next year.

If their plans match their ambitions they will succeed and eventually move up into one of the national leagues. Although I had my doubts at first (mainly because of cost) I was recently given the names of the committee members. Having been told who they are, I recognised that the Guernsey folk involved aren’t mugs; leading me to believe that for Sarnian footballers this is a clear way forward.

As for Jersey? Well, I can’t see the Combination clubs allowing it ever to happen. Besides, Jersey doesn’t have an infrastructure which sees all of the best youngsters coming together every Sunday morning to learn their trade not via the clubs, but through an Island-wide, junior network.

There is no Island ‘academy’ for our seven to 17-year-olds, which means that youngsters train with and are loyal to their clubs rather than to their Island. A pity, really; and if Guernsey do form an Island club and play in a county league, as my friend explained: ‘If they get regular games, home one week, away the next, you can forget about the Muratti.

A settled Guernsey side which plays week in, week out, compared to a Jersey side and its hotch potch of fixtures will mean that every year for at least the next ten, Guernsey will beat us, hands down every Muratti Bank Holiday Monday. Just see if I’m wrong.’ Mind you that would depend on them not having a fixture the same day …