ISLAND GAMES FOOTBALLTHE cream of senior Island football have a tough set of group matches to overcome if they want to get to the finals of the Aland Island Games football tournament.
The squad, led by former Cowes Sports manager Andy Sampson, have three games in three days, beginning their campaign against Rhodes, who won silver two years ago when they hosted the event.
A day later, the side take on Saarenmaa, who are perhaps the weakest side of the group, before they take on Jersey on June 30.
Should they win their group, they will progress to the semi-finals, where they will play the winner of Group B, which features Gibraltar, Guernsey, Ynys Mon and Froya.
The team put together by Sampson contains all the big names from the Island’s Wessex League sides, with some Islanders who play their football on the mainland.
In goal is Simon Moore, 19, from Farnborough FC, with the defence comprising Cowes Sports players James Butt, 27, Aidan Bryan, 21, and Craig Insley, 21, Brading Town captain Ollie Fleming, 27, and Gareth Bricknell, 22, who plays for Wick FC.
In midfield, goal machines Myles Taylor, 20, and Aleks Przespolewski, 21 as well as Joe Rayner, 21, have been selected from Cowes Sports, while the rest of the midfield comprise Newport players, with Tom Scovell, 25, Darren Powell, 27, Sam Hart, 31 and Chris Elliott, 21, all travelling to Finland.
Four strikers with plenty of league goals between them aim to hit the target. Undoubtedly leading the attack will be Brading Town’s Dave Greening, 27, who struck more than 30 goals in the Wessex League, together with Newport’s Charlie Smeeton, 22. Matty Evans, 22, of Newport, and Winchester City’s Mike McEnery, 21, will also be vying for a first-team spot.
Sampson will be assisted by Martin Young as coach and Kevin Winchcombe as goalkeeper coach and first aid.
As well as raising their own funds to travel, several sponsors and donors have ensured the team has been able to go to the games, including main sponsors Vikoma, Cowes Sports and Brading Town, West Island Developments, Ace Scaffolding, Saffron of Cowes, Riviera Park Holiday Lodges, the IW College, the IW Saturday and Sunday League and Wight Soccer.
Sampson said: "We will be going into the unknown, as far as the opposition goes.
"But I am sure it will be tough, with Rhodes the runners up at the previous games, and Jersey are always competitive, being unbeaten at the previous games, going out on goals scored in the group stages to the eventual winners, Gibraltar.
"Saarenmaa lost all their games at the previous tournament but that was two years ago.
"It will be important to get off to a winning start against Rhodes to ensure we give ourselves the opportunity to be playing the final group game for a place in the semi-finals.
"We have been training hard at Carisbrooke High School for a few weeks now in preparation for this and I’m confident we will be able to cope.
"The squad is looking strong, with a mixture of young and experienced players who can play various positions, and we are all confident of a successful tournament."