Linda Andrews’ side lost key sponsorship after suffering relegation from Premier League 3 last year and have since faced increased costs thanks to a regional rule that does not force clubs to travel to Jersey for away games. Instead, Jets had to travel to the mainland for every game in South West Division I before lockdown was imposed.
The Islanders do have an opportunity to return to the national pyramid this summer, although only if England Netball’s promotion play-offs go ahead in August. If netball training is unable to resume before 19 July the play-offs will be cancelled and Jets will spend at least one more season without home fixtures. During the club’s five-year spell in the Premier League system they regularly attracted big crowds, sometimes approaching 500.
‘We haven’t managed to attract new sponsors this year and some of that is down to the fact that we’re not seen visibly on the Island any more,’ Andrews explained. ‘And in the financial climate we’re in now it’s going to be hard.
‘Finances are always on edge. We will just have to keep going out there and seeing what we can get. The senior Jets will take priority but we will see how we manage. It [cutting back] is not a situation we want to think about because we’ve done so well to manage what we’ve done over so many years. We couldn’t bear the thought that it might come to an end.’
Jets’ immediate hopes rest on the UK government lifting currently guidelines before mid-July, although travel restrictions to and from Jersey will also need to ease.
Full story in Tuesday’s JEP.
