Alderney 2

 

If you ever plan to visit the Channel Islands, go to Alderney. Seriously, it just is the most beautiful, calm and outstanding of them. When I travelled all the Channel Islands (and I mean it, I have even been to the French Iles Chausey!) in the summer of 2023, I frankly did not expect much of Alderney. I thought of it as a smaller version of Guernsey. But boy have I been wrong. Alderney is a million times more beautiful, more exciting and jam packed with history. I am not lying when I say it became one of my happy places - together with South Ossetia and La Reunion, which I realise is an odd combination of places.

As I travelled all the way, I thought I should give Andy Lawrence a heads up, the captain of the Alderney national team for ages now. Andy is a lovely guy. We have met before on the Isle of Man in 2013, when CONIFA was founded and Alderney played on the island. But we only chatted maybe 10 minutes back then. Yet, we stayed connected to some extend and Andy did sell me a shirt at some point. Now, as I was in Saint Anne, I just tried my luck and asked him, if he is on the island to meet for a coffee. It was very spontaneous and the coffee didn't really work out, but we did meet up and chatted for 15 minutes again. He told me a little bit about life in Alderney and how COVID impacted the island and the prime event for Alderney football - the Muratti Vase. 

The Muratti Vase is a threeway tournament played annually between Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney. Jersey and Guernsey obviously are much bigger than Alderney and thus usually beat Alderney in the semis to meet in the final. The last time Alderney made it to the final was in 1938. But, Alderney actually also won it once, in 1920. To celebrate the centenary of that only ever Muratti Vase title, Alderney got a special kit for the 2020 edition of the Muratti Vase, including a celebratory match detail print. It was produced by VSN, a manufacturer entirely unknown to me. But then, COVID hit and the Muratti Vase 2020 never happened. The shirt was still worn in some youth matches, but the actual Muratti Vase shirts, with names printed on, which Alderney never had before, never were used. They will have to wait another 100, I guess.

So that day, when I met Andy in Saint Anne, he brought this shirt to show it to me. In the end, he just gave it to me and said it is better placed in my collection. I still find it hard to believe that this happened, but am incredibly grateful to Andy for that. Rest assured, I will keep this precious and unique piece in a very special place. Thanks, mate!

Me and Andy Lawrence in Saint Anne, Alderney