Ian Horswell also reiterated the club’s commitment, saying they will do all they can to get as much of the 2020/21 season finished by the end of May, if it is safe to do so.
Bulls have played just four league games in Combined Counties Divison I this season, plus one FA Vase cup tie, with those commitments alone costing an estimated £12,500 for travel and accommodation. Other island clubs, including Guernsey FC and Isle of Man FC, cancelled their campaigns before a ball was kicked.
Horswell is still hopeful that the season can be salvaged and promotion from the tenth tier of English football can be achieved – a feat that was controversially taken away from them last year.
‘We have no regrets at all’, said Horswell. ‘Even in the five games we’ve played, we’ve had a tremendous experience. We’ve blooded some very good young players and we also played in the FA Vase for the first time, which is an important milestone in the club’s history. That also means we will be eligible to play in the FA Cup as of next season, if we gain promotion, which will be very exciting for everyone involved with the club. Just look what happened with Marine at the weekend [eighth-tier club, drawn against Tottenham Hotspur in the third round].’
The chairman of the FA Leagues Committee, Mark Frost, recently advised in an open letter that clubs, including Jersey Bulls, will be receiving a survey asking for their views on how to resolve the current season. But Horswell admits they hold little influence in the decision.
‘We know as much as you do [how the season will end],’ he said. ‘We have not received the survey from the FA yet but they have told us we will get it later this week. The Trident Leagues above us [Steps 3/4] have made it clear that they want to null and void and I’m sure that will have an influence on the final decision.
‘We will do all we can to finish the season one way or another, provided it does not compromise the safety of others. We don’t know the next steps and there are lots of options floating around, one suggestion is for teams only to play each other once. If that is the case, we certainly think that is doable by the end of May, even if the games are still played behind closed doors.’
