Jersey Bulls Football Club is a football club located in
Saint Helier
St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; french: Saint-Hélier) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St Helier has a population of 35,822 – over one-third of the total population of Jersey – ...
,
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
,
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. They are currently members of the and play at
Springfield Stadium
Springfield Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in St Helier, Jersey, set in a public park.
History
The meadow area on which the showground was laid out gained the name of Springfield from the vernacular hydronymy. The land borders Le Grand Dou ...
.
History
The
Jersey Football Combination
The Jersey Football Combination is the senior football league on the island of Jersey and is run by the Jersey Football Association.
Although the league is affiliated with the English FA, it does not form a part of the English football leagu ...
, operated by the
Jersey Football Association
The Jersey Football Association (JFA) is the body which co-ordinates football in Jersey. The Jersey FA acts as a County football association of The Football Association, although in 2015 it applied to join UEFA as a full member. The Jersey Foot ...
, has been the top level of football in the island of
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
since 1975 and operates with 13 teams in two leagues, Premiership and Championship. Although affiliated with
The Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
, the league does not form part of the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
with teams unable to progress from the Jersey Football Combination or enter any cups, unless invited. The league leaders from Jersey would play the league leaders from the
Guernsey
Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency.
It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
Priaulx League
The Priaulx League is the senior football league on the island of Guernsey, and is run by the Guernsey Football League Management LBG, (prior to 2016 the Guernsey Football Association). Although the league is affiliated with the English FA, ...
in the
Upton Park Trophy
The Upton Park Trophy is awarded to the winners of an annual association football match in the Channel Islands between the champions of Guernsey's Priaulx League and Jersey's Football Combination. The venue alternates each year between Guernse ...
.
In 2015 the Jersey Football Association applied to
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
and
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
to allow them to play other teams, in a similar arrangement to
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. This was rejected on the basis Jersey was not an independent country. A
Parishes of Jersey football team
The Parishes of Jersey football team is a representative team of Jersey in international football. As opposed to the Jersey official football team, which is administered by the Jersey Football Association and is seen as part of the English FA, t ...
was formed and applied and accepted to
ConIFA
The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) is the international governing body for association football teams that are not affiliated with FIFA.
Competitions
Women's football
All members of CONIFA are encouraged to inv ...
to play international matches with other teams not able to join UEFA and FIFA.
Jersey Bulls Football Club was formed on 7 August 2018, and in September it was announced that the club would apply to join the
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
, via The Football Association. In November 2018, The Football Association approved the club's bid to join Division One of the
Combined Counties League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional men's football league in south-eastern England with members in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Jersey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the western half and sou ...
for the
2019–20 season.
Former
Muratti Vase
The Muratti Vase is an annual men's and women's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between teams representing the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey. The larger islands of Guernsey and Jersey dominate the competition, wit ...
winner Gary Freeman was appointed as the club's first manager in January 2019. Freeman was manager at
St Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupation ...
from February 2015 and took on the Jersey Bulls role from the end of the 2018–19 season.
The first eight fixtures of the league were announced by the
Combined Counties Football League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional men's football league in south-eastern England with members in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Jersey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the western half and sou ...
on 5 June to allow clubs preparation in booking transport to or from Jersey, with
Ash United being the first team to visit Jersey and
Deportivo Galicia
Deportivo Galicia Fútbol Club (later Galicia de Aragua) was a traditional football club from Venezuela.
Founded in Caracas, the club moved, in 2002, to Maracay, in the state of Aragua, when its name changed to Galicia de Aragua, playing the ...
being the first away fixture.
Jersey Bulls announced on 13 June 2019 that they had signed 30 players at the beginning of the season with all players dual registered with their current clubs in Jersey.
Abandoned 2019–20 season
The 2019–20 season started with two friendly games, the first with
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
side
Stevenage
Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
on 6 July which was won by Stevenage 3–4, followed by
Leicester City Under-23's on 16 July won by Leicester 3–0.
Their 2019–20 league campaign in the
Combined Counties League Division One
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional men's football league in south-eastern England with members in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Jersey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the western half and sou ...
began with a 3–0 win over
Ash United. By 16 November they had 15 straight victories in all competitions. Their 16th victory came on 23 November in a 7–0 victory, and after their 19th victory on 16 December they were 24 points clear at the top of the table. They ended 2019 with their 20th straight victory, despite their flight being delayed by two hours and the coach being delayed in traffic and running onto the pitch straight from the coach, they beat
Farnham Town 2–0 and began 2020 with another victory, their 21st straight win.
On 7 March 2020, Forward Lorne Bickley signed a short-term contract with
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
side
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
. The next day Jersey Bulls set a new record in the Combined Counties League on 27 consecutive wins, beating
Withdean 2000's record which was set during the 2002–03 season. With 81 points on the table, they were statistically eligible for promotion to step 5 football. A few days later, most sporting leagues in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
were halted due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. It was later confirmed that the Combined Counties League had been abandoned with all results null and voided. On 30 March 2020, Jersey Bulls were one of sixty-six non-league clubs who sent an
open letter
An open letter is a Letter (message), letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally.
Open letters usually take the form of a letter (mess ...
to the
Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...
requesting that they reconsider their decision. The request within this letter was denied and Jersey Bulls would return to Division One for the 2020/21 season.
2020–21 season
On 5 September, Jersey Bulls began their second season in Division One away to Bedford & Feltham with a 1–4 victory. The Bulls would subsequently defeat British Airways 0–2, Fleet Spurs 0-1 and Ash United 2–3, all away from home. Jersey Bulls are again unbeaten in Division One as of 1 January 2021, extending their unbeaten run to 31 games under inaugural manager Gary Freeman. In March the
Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...
announced that the 2020–21 season at Step 3 to step 7 would be curtailed, prematurely ending Jersey Bulls' second season in Division One again. However, the FA later confirmed that the planned restructuring of the National League System would take place as planned, with teams allowed to apply for promotion.
Colours and badge
In September 2018, the club announced their logo and kit, stating:
"Our logo and proposed home kit, reflects our proud Jersey roots and the island's dairy heritage. Jersey may be most famous for its cows
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
, but they'd be nowhere without the bulls. The bull is animated to show our passion for football, passion for Jersey and its community, and our desire to make this football club succeed. The kit and logo is red and white, obvious Jersey colours, and also includes a nod to the Jersey flag."
The home kit is a white shirt with a red cross, resembling the Flag of Jersey, with red shorts and socks, whilst the away kit is a red shirt with white shorts and socks. In April 2020, The Bulls launched a competition to choose the third kit and the winning designed was announced on 1 May 2020 on their social media as a dark blue shirt with pink trim, based on the colours of their second biggest sponsor,
Butterfield Bank
Butterfield, officially The Bank of N. T. Butterfield & Son Limited, is a bank founded and based in Bermuda. It provides services to clients from Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, where its principal banking operations are locate ...
.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Stadium
The club play at Springfield Stadium in
St. Helier
St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; french: Saint-Hélier) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St Helier has a population of 35,822 – over one-third of the total population of Jersey – ...
. Although situated in St. Helier, the stadium is about one mile from the town centre.
First used by the
Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJA&HS) as a showground in 1885 for agricultural shows and was first used for the
Muratti Vase
The Muratti Vase is an annual men's and women's football competition, inaugurated in 1905, between teams representing the Channel Islands of Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey. The larger islands of Guernsey and Jersey dominate the competition, wit ...
in 1905 and has been held regularly since the 1930s, with a few exceptions. The RJA&HS proposed a sale in 1993 for housing development but was bought by the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Committee of the
States Assembly
The States Assembly (french: Assemblée des États; Jèrriais: ) is the parliament of Jersey, formed of the island's 37 deputies and the Connétable of each of the twelve parishes.
The origins of the legislature of Jersey lie in the system o ...
stepped in the preserve it for sports and brought the site in December 1994.
The capacity of the stadium holds up to 7,000 spectators and the grandstand, built in 1997, has seating for 992.
The stadium and the multi-purpose sports facility attached to it is owned by the
Government of Jersey
, image =
, caption=Logos of the Government of Jersey in English and Jèrriais
, date =
, state = Jersey
, address = 19-21 Broad Street, Saint Helier
, appointed = Chief Minister, with approval ...
, and is also home to the
Jersey Football Association
The Jersey Football Association (JFA) is the body which co-ordinates football in Jersey. The Jersey FA acts as a County football association of The Football Association, although in 2015 it applied to join UEFA as a full member. The Jersey Foot ...
and the
Jersey official football team
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the la ...
. A children's play area and an all-weather ball court was also built within the park.
Players
The club currently operates a squad rotation policy, allowing the players to represent their respective Jersey FA league clubs when called upon. Channel Islander-born players are eligible to play for any of the
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on context. Politically it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales). In sport, if a sport is g ...
.
Current squad
Club officials
Source:
Boardroom staff
First-team coaching staff
Management history
''Stats as of 5 December 2021, league games only''
Records
League
*League consecutive winning games: 27 games
Combined Counties Football League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional men's football league in south-eastern England with members in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Jersey, Kent, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and the western half and sou ...
Division One,
2019–20 season
Goals
*Record league win: 8–0
Sheerwater
__NOTOC__
Sheerwater is a residential neighbourhood or small suburb of Woking, in the Woking district in Surrey, England, occasionally described as a village, between West Byfleet and Horsell. Its border is defined to the north by a gently win ...
, 12 February 2022
*Record win: 10–1
Horsham YMCA, 7 August 2021
*Worst league defeat: 1–3
Balham FC , 30 March 2022
*Most goals in a game: 11 Goals: 10–1
Horsham YMCA 7 August 2021
Attendance
*Highest attendance: 1611 –
Chertsey Town 3 October 2021
*Lowest attendance: 545 –
Fleet Spurs, 11 January 2020
*Seasons average highest attendance:
Player
*Highest individual scorer in a competitive match: 3 goals; Karl Hinds against
FC Deportivo Galicia
Football Club Deportivo Galicia is a football club based in London, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Bedfont Recreation Ground in Bedfont, groundsharing with Bedfont Sports.
History
The club was established in 1968 u ...
14 August 2019,
Sol Solomon against
Chessington & Hook United 1 February 2020,
Lorne Bickley against
Horsham YMCA F.C.
Horsham YMCA is a football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Gorings Mead.
History
The club was established in 1898. They played in Horsham & District League before joining the Crawley ...
7 August 2021,
Sol Solomon against
Horsham YMCA F.C.
Horsham YMCA is a football club based in Horsham, West Sussex, England. They are currently members of the and play at Gorings Mead.
History
The club was established in 1898. They played in Horsham & District League before joining the Crawley ...
7 August 2021,
Sol Solomon against
Crowborough Athletic F.C.
Crowborough Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Crowborough, East Sussex, England. Affiliated to the Sussex County Football Association, the club are currently members of the and play at the Crowborough Community Stadium.
His ...
26 September 2021
*Most league goals in a season: 19, Karl Hinds (as of 28 February 2020)
*All-Time Leading Goalscorers:
See also
*
Jersey official football team
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the la ...
References
External links
*
{{Football in the Crown dependencies
Football clubs in England
Football clubs in Jersey
Association football clubs established in 2018
2018 establishments in Jersey
Combined Counties Football League
Expatriated football clubs