Bulls revive pre-season game with Risborough

Rangers visited the Island last summer with the intention of playing the Bulls but were not allowed to because of Covid guidelines.

Having enjoyed that visit anyway, the team from Buckinghamshire were keen to face the Bulls and were lined up to be the final match of a busy pre-season.

The fixture looked to have fallen through with all the others but then the Jersey government announced new inbound travel rules on Thursday.

‘I suggested they could now come, but they had already cancelled their hotel,’ said Bulls CEO Ian Horswell.

‘But their flights were still live, so that was encouraging, We just had to reach around and find a hotel that could house the team. That has happened, their players had a vote and they were unanimous that they wanted to come back.’

Rangers played at the same level as the Bulls as Covid disrupted the last two campaigns and were also unbeaten. After the restructure both sides are at step six.

So the footballing challenge is clear.

It is also an opportunity for Bulls to test the club infrastructure and match-day arrangements at Springfield ahead of the new season.

Excitement is already building after season tickets went on sale. A hundred were snapped up in the first two days.

‘We are just looking forward to getting back into that momentum playing at home every other fixture, the excitement of playing in the FA competitions, the Cup and the Vase, that normality, everyone is just desperate for it,’ said Horswell.

Bulls face Horsham YMCA on the weekend of 6/7/8th August in the Emirates FA Cup.

In the FA Vase, they will take on Tooting Bec away on the weekend of 11th September.

Last weekend should have seen the VBET cup competition take place in Jersey with Cray Wanderers, FC United of Manchester and Hashtag United, but that competition was postponed until July 2022 because of travel restrictions.

‘My hope for the season is that all Channel Island sports clubs can compete on a national level without any interference from Covid in the 2021/22 season,’ said Horswell.

‘Island sport is great, but it’s also great to be on a national level, bringing UK sides over for football, rugby, hockey, cricket, is vital and it’s important that we can get back to playing the best people we can play.’

The game against Risborough Rangers takes place at Springfield on Saturday 24 July at 3pm.

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