Island Games: Jersey get Alderney and Guernsey face Gibraltar
Last updated on .From the section Football
Hosts Jersey will face the Isle of Man, Western Isles and fellow Channel Islanders Alderney in the men's group stages of the 2015 Island Games.
The draw also pits Guernsey in the same group as Uefa nation Gibraltar, in one of the most eagerly-anticipated ties.
Guernsey will meet Ynys Mon, Isle of Wight and Aland in the women's competition.
Meanwhile, Jersey's women have been handed a smaller three-team pool with Hitra and Greenland.
| Island Games 2015 men's football groups | |
|---|---|
| Group A: Aland, Saaremaa, Greenland, Menorca | Group C: Isle of Wight, Falkland Islands, Shetland Islands, Hitra |
| Group B: Guernsey, Ynys Mon, Gotland, Gibraltar | Group D: Jersey, Isle of Man, Western Isles, Alderney |
The tournament is the biggest at the Island Games since Jersey won gold in Aland in 2009, but will not feature the reigning gold medallists in both the men's and women's events, Bermuda.
Ynys Mon - finalists the last time Jersey hosted the Games in 1997 - find themselves in Group B of the men's draw alongside Gotland, Gibraltar and Guernsey.
Guernsey's squad is likely to feature players from Guernsey FC, who play in the English league structure, while Gibraltar have recently been accepted by Uefa into international tournaments.
The 2011 gold medallists, Isle of Wight, were one of the seeded sides and were drawn in Group C alongside Falkland Islands, Shetland Islands and Hitra.
Meanwhile, Jersey's Group D game against Isle of Man could see players from the going head to head again.
The winners of each men's each group will go through to the semi-finals, while the best runner-up will join the three group winners in the last four of the women's event.
| Island Games 2015 women's football groups |
|---|
| Group A: Aland, Guernsey, Ynys Mon, Isle of Wight |
| Group B: Isle of Man, Western Isles, Gotland, Gibraltar |
| Group C: Jersey, Greenland, Hitra |
In Greenland and Hitra, Jersey's women will come up against the sides which finished second and third respectively at the three-team Bermuda 2013 tournament.
Many of the matches, including the finals, will be played on the newly-resurfaced 3G pitch at Springfield Stadium, St Helier.
The Natwest Island Games run from Saturday, 27 June to Friday, 3 July.
