Vale Recreation F.C.

Vale Recreation
Full name Vale Recreation Football Club
Founded 1932
Ground Corbet Field
Capacity 3,000
President Anthony (Tony) Smith
Chairman Nigel Hurford
Head Coach Andrew Bougourd
League Priaulx League
2013-14 4th/7
Website Club home page

Vale Recreation F.C. is a football club which was formed in 1932 by Wilfred J Corbet and is based in the Channel Island of Guernsey.

The club is affiliated to the Guernsey Football Association and plays in its leagues; the club has won the top league, the FNB Priaulx League, on thirteen occasions, making them the third most successful club. In the Upton Park Trophy they have one of the worst records in the Channel Islands, losing eleven of the fifteen finals they have reached. They also compete in the Reserve Division, called the Jackson League, as well as in the Railway League, which is now called the Veterans League.

The club is one of the few Channel Islands clubs to have competed in the FA Vase, competing in the four seasons from 1987 to 1991; in 1987/1988 they got to the fourth round, the best ever by a Channel Island club until Guernsey FC reached the semi-final in 2012/13.[1]

Teams and FA Status

The club consists of a senior first team and reserve side, a veterans' team, a senior ladies' side and junior teams for Under 18s, Under 16s, under 14s and Under 12s.

Vale Recreation has achieved the Football Association's Charter Standard Development[2] status which is awarded when a club is able to demonstrate that it meets the FA’s criteria as to playing programme; child protection; sports equity and ethics and club management. Through their Standard Development status they are able provide opportunities for players from the age of five to receive coaching and competition in junior and senior men's and ladies' football. Coaching is by qualified coaches who are trained and have been screened for their suitability for working with young people.

Colours and badge

Vale Recreation FC's home colours are yellow shirts, green shorts and yellow socks. They used to play in Gold shirts, but Gold coloured shirts proved too difficult to get hold of. Their change kit is white shirts, green shorts and white socks.

The Vale Recreation FC badge has a green background with a white "VR" for the club's initials.

Stadium

The team plays its home games at Corbet Field, a 3,000 capacity dual-use sports facility in St Sampson, Guernsey. The ground is also used for Flat Green Bowls by Vale Recreation Bowls Club.

Honours[3]

Honour Titles Years
Priaulx League Champions 15 1972/73, 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1992/93, 2002/03
Upton Park Trophy (Channel Islands Championship) Winners 4 1974, 1976, 1981, 1988
Upton Park Trophy Runners-up 11 1973, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2003
Jeremie Cup Winners (open to Jersey and Guernsey clubs) 8 1973/74, 1974/75, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1984/85, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1993/94
Jeremie Cup Runners-up 7 1965/66, 1968/69, 1971/72, 1976/77, 1986/87, 1989/90, 1998/99
Stranger Charity Cup Winners 18 1956/57, 1965/66, 1968/69, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1998/99
Frederick Martinez Cup Winners 10 1967/68, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1988/89, 1993/94
Rawlinson Cup Winners 4 1995/96, 1998/99, 2000/01, 2004/05
Le Vallee Cup Winners 15 1962/63, 1970/71, 1972/73, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94
W J Collins Memorial Cup Winners 1 2001/02

Former players

The club has produced four players who have gone on to play professionally or semi-professionally, Matthew Le Tissier also played International football for England and Ryan-Zico Black played under 21 for Northern Ireland

References

  1. Vale Recreation stats, Football club database
  2. "Charter Standard Clubs". Guernsey FA. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  3. "Honours". Vale Recreation FC. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  4. "Ex-semi-pro Ryan-Zico Black in Guernsey's Games squad". BBC News. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  5. "‘Le Tiss’ weighs up a Rec return". This is Guernsey. 20 August 2010. Retrieved June 2012.
  6. Ryan-Zico Black. Zico-Zico: An Autobiography of a Non-League Footballer. AuthorHouse. Retrieved June 2012.
  7. Ryan-Zico Black. Zico-Zico: An Autobiography of a Non-League Footballer. AuthorHouse. Retrieved June 2012.

External links

Coordinates: 49°29′08″N 2°32′46″W / 49.485622°N 2.546021°W