Kent League team at 'first step'

The chairperson of the Kent Premier League has insisted plans for a Guernsey side to enter the competition are only at the "very first step".

Denise Richmond says there is still a long way to go before an island side is accepted into the division in time for the start of next season.

The team still needs approval from the Football Association as well as the other clubs in the Kent Premier League.

"It's the very first step in what might be a long road," she told BBC Guernsey.

She says the two parties could not have any formal conversations about how a Guernsey side would enter into the league as they had yet to be affiliated to the Guernsey FA.

The only thing that would stop it would be the logistics of it - the travel side of it and how that might work for not just the Guernsey clubs but for the other clubs within the league. That's going to be the most difficult challenge

Kent Premier League chairperson Denise Richmond

But now that step has been overcome, the Guernsey side can begin trying to make plans for entering the Kent division.

"They have to now approach the FA and officially state that this is what they want to do and how they plan to do it," she said.

"Then it's a matter of the national leagues manager co-ordinating with the leagues committee and the club itself to work through certain criteria they may have."

But she says that even if the FA in London are satisfied that the Guernsey side could take part in the Kent Premier League, the clubs in that division would have the final say on the matter.

"On paper and in theory there's no reason there should be a problem.

"But it's all subject to voting at the annual general meeting," she said.

And she added that convincing the other clubs in the league that it would be possible to have a side from Guernsey will be the toughest hurdle to overcome.

"The only thing that would stop it would be the logistics of it - the travel side of it and how that might work for not just the Guernsey club but for the other clubs within the league. That's going to be the most difficult challenge."

The Kent Premier League has seen numerous players go on to the professional game, with Ian Wright and Tony Cascarino amongst the biggest to play in the division.