GuernseySport G
uernsey is one of the British Isles most southerly outcrops. Only its sister islands, Jersey, and a bit of
Sark, are further south. Together, with Alderney and a number of smaller islands, they are collectively known as the Channel Islands.
Guernsey is the furthest west - 30 miles off the Normandy coast of France and 75 miles south of Weymouth in Dorset. To its eternal credit, it is not a member of the EU. Neither is it part of the United Kingdom, but a separate possession of the Crown. The climate is temperate, with mild winters and cool, sunny summers. The hottest months are August and September, where temperatures are generally around 20°C (68°F). The coldest month is February with an average weekly mean air temperature of 6°C. Snow rarely falls. The temperature rarely drops below freezing, although strong wind- chill from Arctic winds can sometimes make it feel like it. The island is made up of two distinct geographical regions, the Haut Pas, a high southern plateau, and the Bas Pas, a low-lying and sandy northern region. In general terms, the Haut Pas is the more rural of the two, and the Bas Pas is more residential and industrialised. It has a total area of just 25 square miles and a population of around 62,000. Its close proximity to France is evident in the names of people,
places and roads. Whilst French is spoken, the first language is English. The island’s most famous sporting son is ex Southampton and England footballer, Matt Le Tissier. For such a small island its range of sporting activities and facilities is impressive and include:
• Golf - two courses at La Grand Mare and L’Ancresse, plus a nine hole course attached to St Pierre Park hotel. The L’Ancresse course hosts two clubs, Royal Guernsey and L’Ancresse, and a May bank holiday race meeting
• Cricket - associate member of the International Cricket Council, with possibly the best indoor cricket facilty in the British Isles
• Football - the top tier is the Sure Mobile Priaulx league
consisting of seven teams - each with its own stadium and training facilities. Run by the Guernsey FA
• Gaelic football - the Guernsey Gaels compete in a European league
• Other sports - including one of the oldest softball associations in the world, a purpose built table tennis centre, an extensive modern leisure centre, athletics, hockey and rugby
On the following pages we meet some of the groundsmen and look at the challenges they face due to the island’s topography and location.
Guernsey Compiled by Laurence Gale MSc
Sporting life on
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