JFA Combination clubs playing fixtures at Les Quennevais and FB Fields are currently being refused entry to the changing rooms because of extra pressure being placed on sports facilities staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has left many players with no option but to change on the sideline and return to sodden belongings in wet weather.
Senator Steve Pallett, the politician who holds responsibility for sport in Jersey, says the government’s sports division is currently unable to clean the changing rooms as greater manpower is required to ensure the safe running of other facilities, including Les Quennevais’ swimming pool and gym.
The Jersey Football Association have approached senior politicians in an attempt to find a resolution, while questioning whether they – and consequently the clubs – should still be charged full price for pitch hire.
Pallett said: ‘I understand the frustrations of all sports that wish to return to normal activity including those who use facilities at Les Quennevais Sports Centre, especially as the weather worsens into the winter period. But the safety of the public must come first. I am sure that all my colleagues in sport would want to follow the guidance provided by the medical officer of Health to ensure that we can carry on playing as much sport as possible at the current time.
‘We are in the middle of a pandemic. We have to balance our support for all sports and we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got. For us to keep sports centres open, so people can swim or do yoga, it takes more staff than it did previously because we have to sanitise all the areas.
‘Cleaning the changing rooms between a session in the pool is not the same as cleaning changing rooms after football. It takes a lot of time to get them back to a level where they’re clean and sanitised for other people to use. We have got a staffing resource that is at full stretch to keep public sports facilities open for everyone, not just football. It’s not possible to provide the level of cleanliness that’s required before and after football matches with the resources we’ve got available.’
Pallett, who admitted that restrictions may soon increase again, added: ‘I am grateful for the Jersey Football Association for their support and want to thank everyone for their patience during this difficult period. We will continue to offer our public sports facilities at very reasonable rates so that sport can rebuild, thus ensuring that Islanders can maintain both their physical and mental well-being over the coming months.’
Les Quennevais hosted three senior Combination matches in wet conditions on Saturday, with personal belongings left exposed to the elements, while players featuring in Tuesday night’s Jayson Lee Memorial Trophy fixture and last night’s JFA Bowl tie were also affected.
