Life has been breathed into Guernsey’s new home of football.
Until now Victoria Park has been an impressive looking facility, but it was just that, there were no emotions, no stories.
That has now changed and the journey has begun.
The smiles, the sunshine, at the beginning it felt like one of those summer days in the holiday when everyone is just, well, happy.
At Footes Lane you always feel somewhat distanced from the action because of that gap created by the track, here you are on top of the players, a Muratti day is going to be something to savour.
There were 2,207 in attendance to watch history unfold as Guernsey FC and Westfield walked out onto a slick 3G surface so perfect even the photographers had to wear special shoes.
In truth the match wasn’t the most thrilling and left the Green Lions deeper in relegation trouble, a hole it will take something of a miracle to climb out of now.
Ross Allen, who else, fittingly opened the scoring with a calmly taken penalty at the end of the first half after the Westfield goalkeeper badly misjudged a Dave Merris cross which held up in the wind. Michel Verga succeeded only in wiping out Sam Murray as he attempted to catch the ball.
Six minutes into the second half and it looked like the referee was going to return the favour to the visitors as he pointed to the spot to a howl of derision from just about everyone in the ground.
The collapse of bodies on the floor in the box had actually occurred as the result of a Westfield push, and with GFC players and management making their feeling more than clear, the referee took time out to consult with his assistant and overturned his initial decision.
But it always felt like the visitors were creating more.
Inevitably the equaliser came, Billy Nutbeam found space on the left and picked out Manolis Gogonas in the middle of the box who fired home.
There was little of note after that, both sides having some half chances.
For GFC, the point ended a six game losing streak, but just above them both Ashford Park and South Park Reigate won again.
They are seven points from safety with six games to go, needing others to do them a favour as well as piling on the wins themselves if they are to maintain Isthmian South Central status.
