GUERNSEY could field a weakened side in the Muratti  next May after the GFA announced they would be forcing players to choose between Guernsey FC, who play in a UK league, or the island team.

Sam Cochrane, the Guernsey Muratti captain and skipper of the top-of-the-table Green Lions, has reacted furiously to news of the new association rule.
‘It’s an absolutely ludicrous thing to attempt,’ he said, sentiments shared by star players Ross Allen and Dominic Heaume. ‘There is a clear amount of jealousy.

‘GFC is the future and it is crazy to try and jeopardise it.’ But GFA chairman Chris Schofield, who said there had been failure on all sides ‘to plan how to effectively manage the change, particularly in lines of communication,’ said the rule provided clarity.

The news means Guernsey faces the prospect of fielding a weakened team if they reach the Muratti final, if players make themselves unavailable for the semi-final against Alderney. The semi-final will fall on the same day as a Combined Counties fixture on 17 March.