Football will continue to evolve – Darwin

  • Combination president prepares to step down after 14 years at the helm.
  • Darwin discusses his highlights, plus the challenges that lie ahead.
  • How do you think the Island’s leagues should be structured as a new president takes charge? Have your say below.

JERSEY Football Combination president Tim Darwin will oversee the league’s annual awards night for the final time on Friday, after what he describes as a ‘hugely enjoyable’ 14-year tenure.

Since taking over from Tom du Feu in 2001 the former Magpies FC delegate has witnessed a sharp rise in participation at junior level, and as he prepares to present the latest Player of the Season crowns – plus the inaugural JEP Golden Boot awards – he has expressed pride at what he and the Combination executive have achieved.

The JEP Golden Boot awards will be presented for the first time this season to the top scorers in the men’s Premiership (Kieran Lester) and women’s division (Catarina Andrade).

‘When I think back over the whole period it has been a really enjoyable experience … there will be lots of things that I miss,’ said Darwin.

‘One of the undoubted highlights would be winning the FA Inter League Cup in the Isle of Man and then going on to represent England in the Uefa Regions’ Cup in San Marino, but from the point of view of running a league I think incorporating ladies football into the Combination is up there, as well as becoming a Charter Standard League through the FA.

‘The biggest highlight is the people though. The Combination executive is so long-standing and they all made my job easy; from Andy Bradshaw as referees appointments secretary to Stanton Monks on the financial side and also Jon Welsh looking after the juniors. The way junior football has developed over the last 14 years is just incredible. When I played football you could only start playing at under-18, but now they join as minis at the age of eight and play right the way through – that’s something to be really proud of.’

With Jersey FA vice-president Charlie Browne currently the only candidate for the JFC presidency ahead of next month’s annual general meeting, Darwin recorded the belief that, while there are indeed ‘challenges’, the league will continue to be in a position to thrive.

Darwin says the incorporation of women's football into the Combination is one of the highlights of his reign

‘Charlie is the only candidate to put his name forward so far and he has all the credentials to do a good job,’ he said. ‘He has done a lot of work for the Combination in the past and has a lot of experience with the clubs and with the JFA, which is really important. It looks as if I’ll be leaving it in good hands.

‘I’ve said for three or four years that the Combination would benefit from having someone else do it. Any organisation is bound to get stale when the same person is at the helm for so long, and while I don’t think I’ve quite outstayed my welcome the fact of the matter is our organisation will benefit from someone with new ideas.’

‘Clearly we’ve got a problem with the C teams. They have been diminishing, so one of the possible initiatives is to incorporate C teams into the reserve divisions – that’s probably the thing to look at for next season.

‘These are tough times, but there are so many positives. My main memories are all good; I don’t have any bad memories of what I’ve done and have enjoyed it hugely.’

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