Guernsey FC Women 'building platform' for future

Anna Gauvain became the club's inaugural Guernsey FC women's head coach when they formed in 2023 [BBC] Guernsey FC Women's boss Anna Gauvain says the club are "extremely proud" ahead of their historic FA Cup tie this weekend. The Green Lionesses make their debut in the competition with a home game against Chessington & Hook United in the preliminary round on Sunday, 23 August. "We're building the platform," Gauvain told BBC Radio Guernsey. "We're doing it now, and it's exciting what's coming through and who will be around in the years to come. "It's nice to be having positive conversations around women's football in Guernsey, and seeing more and more girls getting involved at clubs, compared to where we were a few years ago." Guernsey FC Women were only formed in 2023, winning the Jersey Football Combination in the 2024-25 season. The following season they became the first women's side from the Channel Islands to play in an English league, finishing seventh in the Southern Region Women's Football League Division One South. "We gained a lot of experience, getting used to the travelling and not knowing too much about the opposition, and that sets us up for this weekend," Gauvain said. "It's going to be a proud moment for sure. When we look around the stadium on matchdays it's really nice to see it starting to fill up. "It's been gradually increasing over the last season, and I hope this year - especially with a cup competition - it just adds that excitement and gets some young girls down here with their banners supporting us. "I'm sure many of them will be involved in the future, and they can look back and remember watching us when they were young." Guernsey's captain and experienced central midfielder Candice Bougourd said it was a great time for the sport on the island, and particularly the Green Lionesses. "It shows that we've come a long way," she said. "We got used to different competitions in our first season. We've now got a really good squad, and lots of young girls coming up through the academy. "Each season we're just trying to better ourselves, compete in more cup competitions, and secure a higher league position at the end of the season. It's all about us all working hard."
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