Guernsey FC are extremely disappointed and frustrated to share that the Club received formal notification from the SCFL, at 17:36 on Bank Holiday Monday, advising that the board of the Premier Sports Southern Combination Football League (SCFL) had resolved to reverse the venue for the play-off final. We were informed that the match will now be played on the mainland instead of at Victoria Park, Guernsey.
The right to home advantage was earned on merit through a third-place league finish and victory in our semi-final. The removal of the opportunity to host what would have been a major occasion, in front of a large crowd, undermines the integrity of the competition and is a position the Club does not accept.
Our primary concern is for the substantial number of supporters from both clubs who have already made travel and accommodation arrangements in good faith, committing significant financial resources based on the original confirmation. The Club is extremely disappointed by this situation, fully recognises the impact this late and unexpected development will have, and is deeply concerned that this does not appear to have been given due consideration by the league.
The league has cited complex travel arrangements as justification. However, this position was reached without affording the Club the opportunity to address or mitigate those concerns. The Club had already begun engaging with Peacehaven & Telescombe to facilitate their travel, including accommodating a request to travel the day before the fixture and offering to cover the cost of a coach transfer to the airport, thereby removing logistical challenges and additional expense.
Given the limited timeframe since the venue was confirmed on Saturday, and the inability to progress discussions over the Bank Holiday, the Club considers this outcome to be premature and disproportionate. The decision also appears to be based on inaccuracies in the SCFL board’s understanding, making the lack of consultation or opportunity to respond all the more concerning.
The Club has challenged this decision and requested the opportunity to engage constructively with the SCFL to demonstrate that the fixture can be delivered in Guernsey.
We will continue to pursue all appropriate avenues to secure a fair and proper outcome for players, supporters and all parties involved. We remain hopeful that, alongside the SCFL and Peacehaven & Telescombe, a sensible and fair solution can still be found.
The SCFL have indicated that their position is final. Since that point, we have continued to pursue all available options in an attempt to resolve the matter, without success.
This morning, we were informed that our proposed travel arrangements had been considered by Peacehaven & Telescombe, who were unable to agree to the proposal on a number of grounds. This raises further concern that Peacehaven have effectively been given discretion over whether the fixture is played in Guernsey, rather than the league enforcing the fixture at the venue earned on sporting merit and under the competition regulations.
We have now been informed: “Therefore, the SCFL Board will now revert to its original decision that the fixture will have to be switched to the mainland and played on either Tuesday 12th or Wednesday 13th.”
We are now considering our options and reserve the right to pursue a formal appeal to the FA.
No further comment will be made until the process is complete.
