Following the departure of Tony Vance and Colin Fallaize after the 2023 Muratti and Island Games, the Guernsey FA (GFA) has now concluded the process to appoint new Senior Men’s Representative Manager.

Applicants were interviewed in the week commencing 30th October, and the GFA is today pleased to announce the appointment of David Merris and Ryan-Zico Black as joint Managers to this prestigious position.

GFA Chief Executive Gary Roberts, commented that:

“After a thorough recruitment and interview process, which included independent interview panellists, I am delighted that the Board of Directors have been able to appoint joint Managers of the calibre of David and Ryan, whose credentials for the role are, in our opinion, unquestionable. We were in the fortunate position of having to consider some excellent applicants and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those that applied for the position.

The wealth of experience that David and Ryan bring to the role, both from their careers in professional and non-league football, and more recently within local football, including Guernsey FC, is an attribute that we firmly believe will be important in building a successful Senior Men’s Representative team. Both David and Ryan have experience of playing in Muratti matches and within an Island Games tournament, and we firmly believe this experience and knowledge will be invaluable to them as they transition into this new role.

On accepting the position, David and Ryan commented:

“We are both delighted to accept the opportunity be joint Managers of the Guernsey Senior Men’s team. During our careers we have both played in Murratti matches and Islands Games tournaments, and now we relish this new challenge to ensure Guernsey football is successful, starting this season.

Having both played professional football and non-league football during our careers, the transition into management is one we have both been looking forward to. We believe that in combing our experiences and skills sets, we have a great opportunity to benefit Guernsey football now and for many years to come. With a lot of good young players coming through, and experienced players at both Guernsey FC and Priaulx level, the future looks bright and we are excited to begin working with everyone.”