THE Jersey Football Association remains committed to creating the best possible environment for players on the Island, even as it prepares for tighter financial constraints and increasing pressure on facilities, says CEO Tim Pryor.
With the FA’s core grant set to be reduced in 2028/29, Pryor said the JFA “has time to prepare” and “is already exploring ways to adapt”.
“What’s positive is that we have guaranteed funding for each season over the next three years,” the CEO explained. “It’s roughly £120,000 a year, so we’ve got time to prepare. The FA is coming to visit later this month to give us a bit more information about what the size of that reduction will be and that will shape our response.”
The reduction is part of a new FA funding model that considers factors such as population size and land mass, a formula that doesn’t quite suit Jersey’s circumstances.
“They’re basing the decision on population size, funding, socio-economic status and land mass, which obviously isn’t great for us,” Pryor continued. “But they have recognized that that model doesn’t work for us, so we don’t expect a huge reduction in the way that some counties have been affected.”
Even so, the JFA may need to look for new revenue streams to continue delivering its current level of programmes and support.
“We’re going to need to find other sources of income, or ultimately stop doing certain things if we can no longer afford them. The FA is trying to be fairer in the way they distribute money. What’s positive is that they’ve recognized that we’re not a traditional English county. We just don’t know how much they’re taking that into account.”
The transition of the JFA’s Centre of Excellence into the Jersey Bulls Academy has also re-shaped the Association’s finances, but Pryor said the impact has been largely neutral: “In the annual accounts for the last two years, there is a real big difference in terms of income, but also less expenditure as well. So, it kind of balances out, there’s less money coming in but less going out.”
Perhaps the most urgent issue facing football in Jersey is the growing pressure on pitch availability, which Pryor says has become one of the JFA’s top priorities:
“Pitch availability is the loudest noise that I’ve heard in my year in the role. The issues with pitch availability are right up there with one of our biggest challenges and it’s taking up a lot of our time and focus to try and sort it.”
Participation continues to rise, with more than 3,500 players now active across the Island, including new over-35s teams and the launch of the Jersey Bulls Women’s side, something Pryor noted as a positive.
“Each year we get additional teams. This year we’ve seen the Jersey Bulls women come into existence, we’ve seen growth again in player numbers, more than 3,500 players. With more and more people participating, there is a bigger fight to get pitch time.
“Most teams want Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at six or seven o’clock,” he explained. “There are only three main pitches being Springfield, Haute Vallée and Oakfield, that are all government-run.”
To address the shortage, the JFA is pursuing plans for new 3G facilities, including potential developments at the IJB Ground and the Airport Pitches.
“We have got pre-application advice, requesting to the government on IJB which is the only ground that the Jersey FA own,” said Pryor. “If we are to see a cut from the FA in three years’ time, we’ll have our own 3G facility, so we’re not having to pay the government for things like community programs, and we can use our own pitch. Also, we can potentially take income from clubs.”
The JFA has also explored the idea of developing three adjacent pitches near the airport, though ownership of the land remains unclear.
“We are also looking at the airport pitches,” Pryor revealed. “We’ve done some work, Andy McKay on our team has done some work and seeing whether we can have three pitches side by side there and a clubhouse down the middle.
“For something like the Island Games in 2035 you can have three games on each pitch each day. However, we don’t own that land and there’s a little bit of confusion over whether it’s the government or the Ports of Jersey that own it.
“We’ve asked whether they would be open to selling it, and at the AGM, clubs put up their hands and said we want you to write to the minister and ask them. A number of clubs also admitted that they would be keen to get on board and help fund the facility.”
Pryor believes collaboration will be key should the 3G facilities come to life in the near future.
“Maybe there’s a way that the Jersey FA, clubs, and maybe a big sponsor with their name above the door, can come together and develop something, but obviously, as you see in our accounts, we have £150,000 in our bank account and a 3G facility is going to cost a few million, so we’ve got to find the money somewhere to do it.”
“There’s a bit of time for things to go through planning applications and to come up with designs even before you get to that stage. We know from the Football Foundation report that we’re four 3G pitches short on the Island.”
Despite the potential funding cuts, the JFA’s strategy remains clear, as Pryor discussed: “Our strategy release last year is to get two pitches done by 2028, but these things take time don’t they.
“We could be a few years off, but the strategy and the target remains the same. Although there’s nothing concrete, there are a few little seeds in the ground now to get some momentum into this project.”
While access to pitches grows ever more competitive, participation continues to climb and the women’s game is no exception.
Recent fixture cancellations have prompted discussion about the women’s game amongst the local footballing community, but Pryor was quick to stress that the introduction of the Jersey Bulls Women has not negatively impacted the local league: “The female game is growing because girls’ football is starting to really take off,” he said.
“Jersey Scottish and St Lawrence now have girls’ sides, but particularly in the female game, players fade away from the sport when it gets to 11v11.
“The last two women’s games have been scratched due to player availability and it’s tough but maybe we can introduce 9v9, I think most teams would be open to that.”
To help retain female participation, the JFA plans to launch new recreational opportunities. Pryor explained: “We’re looking at starting Friday night sessions at Oakfield for 16-year-olds plus to go and have a recreational game, because there are some players that don’t want to take football that seriously.”
Pryor also confirmed that collaboration with the Bulls remains strong, stating: “Players can dual register with the Bulls and their local team. We’ve tried to come up with a system where the games don’t clash. Rozel and Jersey Wanderers are more affected than the other teams.
“Chad Morris, the Bulls manager, has been very good at saying to the Jersey Bulls Women’s players that you must be available for your club side as well. We are working hard as the JFA and the Jersey Bulls to get players available for as much football as we can.”
While challenges remain, from funding pressures to facilities and player retention, Pryor’s message is that the JFA is moving forward with purpose, collaboration, and a focus on opportunity.
Pryor concluded: “It’s about finding ways to give people the best football experience we can, with the resources we have.”
