Jersey Football Aid kicks off new start for the game

Friday 12 August 2016

A new era has dawned for Jersey football and at the helm will be Martin Cassidy, who kicks off the season with Football Aid at Springfield Stadium tomorrow.

Mr Cassidy was a disgruntled professional footballer when he landed in the Island from Glasgow 22 years ago at the symmetrical age of 22.

He hasn’t looked back since. 

“I just loved the place from day one,” he said. “I never even thought of going back. My football career wasn’t working out as I had hoped. I came here on my holidays, partied a bit too much, travelled around Australia with my girlfriend, who is now my wife, and stayed. I couldn’t think of a better place to raise children and I’m now delighted to be manager of Jersey’s football team. It has got the makings of something very special.”

Beginning of course with Jersey Football Aid tomorrow (KO 3pm) in aid of the Friends of Jersey Oncology charity. 

Mr Cassidy said: “My cousin’s wife passed away a while back due to cancer and she was just 45. She said she was helped enormously in her final days by the staff who looked after her and she always told everybody not to buy flowers but to make a donation to the charity. That was typical of her.

“I watched Football Aid on TV at around the time when she passed away and thought, you know what, we could do that here in Jersey, so that’s what has happened. 

“Everybody in life has been touched by cancer so it is something we are hoping will become an annual event just to say thank you to all those amazing people who help sufferers from the illness.”

Mr Cassidy, 44, played for Celtic Boys, Clyde and Queen’s Park before landing in Jersey and having been appointed manager by the Jersey Football Association last month he is raring to go. 

“I look over at what they have achieved with rugby in Jersey with a touch of envy, I’ll not deny that.

“What they have done is remarkable and full praise to them. They have got everything right. The set up is right, the committees and boardroom is right, the ground is right, the academy is right - they have got it spot on. It is pretty much a template for what we could achieve. And when I say envy I mean that in the nicest possible way. I want kids to be playing rugby, football, cricket, you name it. I love sports and always will. 

”What we have got to do with football is get people behind us. Jersey people are fantastic at getting behind things but they need evidence that it is working. I’m absolutely determined to make it work.”

The JFA are hoping to receive international status in the next few years through football’s European governing body UEFA - and if that happens it will transform the sport in the Island. 

“We applied through UEFA two years ago and we were told at the time it would take about five years to be processed,” he said. 

“Basically, look at what has happened to Gibraltar. That is what we want to happen to us, to be able to play international matches as Jersey. 

“I think UEFA need to be able to see that we are not going to get beat 10-0 in every match and I know that wouldn't happen. We played Clyde recently, who are hoping to get into the Scottish Premiership and drew with them 1-1, and we missed a penalty. OK, they belong on a higher level than us, but I think that showed the depth of quality of players we have here in Jersey.

“Once we get UEFA recognition the sport in Jersey will take off. We will have UEFA funding and we will really be able to put football on the map in Jersey.

“We haven’t got another game until the New Year but I will be spending the next few months just trying to get things right off the pitch so that when we go on tour next year to Scandinavia we will be in a much better financial position.

“Just think what could happen if we get UEFA recognition? The sky really is the limit. Football is massive in Jersey. While 2,000-3,000 people go to watch the rugby every week, there are plenty more playing and watching football. We have to tap into that, built it and make the thing work.”