Jersey Bulls F.C. Explained

Clubname:Jersey Bulls
Fullname:Jersey Bulls Football Club
Nickname:The Bulls
Founded:7 August 2018[1]
Ground:Springfield Stadium, Saint Helier
Capacity:2,000 (982 seated)[2] [3]
Chairman:Russell Le Feuvre
Manager:Elliot Powell
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Socks1:FFFFFF
Pattern B2:_blackhalf
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Website:https://bulls.je/

Jersey Bulls Football Club is a football club located in Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. They are currently members of the and play at Springfield Stadium.

History

The Jersey Football Combination, operated by the Jersey Football Association, has been the top level of football in the island of Jersey since 1975 and operates with 13 teams in two leagues, Premiership and Championship. Although affiliated with The Football Association, the league does not form part of the English football league system 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 Priaulx League in the Upton Park Trophy.

In 2015 the Jersey Football Association applied to UEFA and FIFA to allow them to play other teams, in a similar arrangement to Gibraltar. This was rejected on the basis Jersey was not an independent country.[4] A Parishes of Jersey football team was formed and applied and accepted to ConIFA to play international matches with other teams not able to join UEFA and FIFA.[5]

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,[6] via The Football Association. In November 2018, The Football Association approved the club's bid to join Division One of the Combined Counties League for the 2019–20 season.[7]

Former Muratti Vase winner Gary Freeman was appointed as the club's first manager in January 2019. Freeman was manager at St Peter from February 2015 and took on the Jersey Bulls role from the end of the 2018–19 season.[8]

The first eight fixtures of the league were announced by the Combined Counties Football League 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 being the first away fixture.[9]

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.[10]

Abandoned 2019–20 season

The 2019–20 season started with two friendly games, the first with League Two side Stevenage on 6 July which was won by Stevenage 3–4,[11] followed by Leicester City Under-23's on 16 July won by Leicester 3–0.[12]

Their 2019–20 league campaign in the Combined Counties League Division One began with a 3–0 win over Ash United.[13] By 16 November they had 15 straight victories in all competitions.[14] Their 16th victory came on 23 November in a 7–0 victory,[15] and after their 19th victory on 16 December they were 24 points clear at the top of the table.[16] 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[17] and began 2020 with another victory, their 21st straight win.[18]

On 7 March 2020, Forward Lorne Bickley signed a short-term contract with National League side Hartlepool United.[19] 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.[20] With 81 points on the table, they were statistically eligible for promotion to step 5 football.[21] A few days later, most sporting leagues in the United Kingdom were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was later confirmed that the Combined Counties League had been abandoned with all results null and voided.[22] On 30 March 2020, Jersey Bulls were one of sixty-six non-league clubs who sent an open letter to the Football Association requesting that they reconsider their decision.[23] 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 4–1 victory.[24] The Bulls would subsequently defeat British Airways 2–0, Fleet Spurs 1-0 and Ash United 3–2, 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 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.[25] 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.[26]

Colours and badge

In September 2018, the club announced their logo and kit,[27] 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, 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.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

PeriodKit supplierShirt sponsor
2019–2020KappaCPA Global [28]
2021–2022SHUFL Capital [29]
2023–PresentJTC Group [30]

Stadium

See main article: Springfield Stadium.

The club play at Springfield Stadium in St. Helier. 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 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 it was bought by the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Committee of the States Assembly who stepped in to preserve it for sports and purchased 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, and is also home to the Jersey Football Association and the Jersey official football team. A children's play area and an all-weather ball court was also built within the park.

Club officials

Source:[31]

Boardroom staff

PositionName
Chairman Russell Le Feuvre
Secretary John Treleven
CEO Ian Horswell

First-team coaching staff

PositionName
Manager Elliot Powell
Assistant Manager
First Team Coach
Fitness Coach
Goalkeeping Coach
Physio
Nutritionist
Analyst

Management history

Stats as of 28 May 2024, league games only

scope=colNamescope=colFromscope=col class="unsortable" Toscope=colDurationscope=colGamesscope=colWonscope=colDrawnscope=colLostscope=colWin %scope=col class="unsortable" Honorsscope=col class="unsortable" Notes
scope=row align="left" Gary Freeman
scope=row align="left" Ellot PowellPresent[32]

Records

Cup runs

Goals

Attendance

Player

Most Competitive Hat-tricks!Number of Hat-tricks!Player Name!Opposition(s)
3Sol SolomonChessington & Hook UnitedHorsham YMCA F.C.

Crowborough Athletic F.C.

1Karl HindsFC Deportivo Galicia
1Lorne BickleyHorsham YMCA F.C.
!Rank!Player Name!Goals!Position
1Sol Solomon60FWD
2Lorne Bickley33FWD
3Fraser Barlow32FWD
4Luke Campbell25DEF
5Karl Hinds19FWD
6Kieran Lester15MID
Jonny Le Quesne15DEF
8Daryl Wilson13FWD
9Harry Cardwell12FWD
10Jake Prince11FWD

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Entity Detail . JFSC Companies Registry . 13 February 2019.
  2. Web site: Springfield Active.je. 2021-09-24. www.active.je.
  3. Web site: Jersey. States of. Government of Jersey. 2021-09-24. gov.je. en.
  4. Web site: Jersey's bid for UEFA membership rejected . Jersey Evening Post . 2018-02-26 . 2020-03-08.
  5. Web site: 'Parishes of Jersey' accepted into Conifa . ITV News . 2018-09-11 . 2020-03-01.
  6. Web site: Jersey Bulls: Newly-formed island side hope to join English football pyramid . 12 February 2019 . 21 September 2018. BBC Sport.
  7. Web site: Jersey Bulls get FA approval for Combined Counties League bid . BBC Sport. 12 February 2019 . 30 November 2018.
  8. Web site: Fox . Jason . Freeman: 'No limits' to Bulls ambition . Jersey Evening Post . 12 February 2019 . en . 24 January 2019.
  9. Web site: Opening Fixtures For Jersey Bulls. 13 June 2019 . 17 November 2019.
  10. News: Jersey Bulls sign-up 30 players ahead of debut season. ITV News. 13 June 2019. 17 November 2019.
  11. Web site: Jersey Bulls 3:4 Stevenage . Jersey Bulls . 17 November 2019 . en.
  12. Web site: Jersey Bulls 0:3 Leicester City U23 . Jersey Bulls . 17 November 2019 . en.
  13. News: Jersey Bulls: New side aim for promotion after first-ever win in English league. BBC Sport . 5 August 2019.
  14. News: Jersey Bulls beat Epsom and Ewell to register 15th-straight league win. BBC Sport . 16 November 2019.
  15. News: Jersey Bulls beat Cove 7-0 to record 16th successive league victory. BBC Sport . 23 November 2019.
  16. News: Jersey Bulls 'ride storm' to record 19th-straight league win. BBC Sport . 16 December 2019.
  17. News: Jersey Bulls: 20th win for islanders despite running to pitch from bus after travel delays. BBC Sport . 30 December 2019.
  18. News: Jersey Bulls beat Cove 1-0 to win 21st successive league game. BBC Sport . 4 January 2020.
  19. News: Lorne Bickley: Hartlepool sign Jersey Bulls striker. BBC Sport . 7 March 2020.
  20. News: Jersey Bulls set new Combined Counties League record after British Airways win. BBC Sport . 8 March 2020.
  21. Web site: Jersey Bulls' promotion statistically confirmed. 9 March 2020. www.bbc.co.uk.
  22. News: Coronavirus: All football below National League to end . 26 March 2020 . BBC Sport . 26 March 2020.
  23. News: Sixty-six non-league clubs send open letter to FA over expunging season . BBC Sport . 30 March 2020 . 30 March 2020.
  24. Web site: Bedfont & Feltham 1 – 4 Jersey Bulls – The Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League . combinedcounties.pitchero.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200919230406/https://combinedcounties.pitchero.com/match-info/match-centre/1-6354389 . 2020-09-19.
  25. Web site: Non-league season to end from step three down. Neil. Metcalfe. 25 February 2021. Hampstead Highgate Express.
  26. Web site: Restructure to go ahead – The Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League. combinedcounties.pitchero.com. 12 April 2021 .
  27. Web site: Jersey Bulls FC . Jersey Bulls Facebook . 12 February 2019 . en.
  28. Web site: Jersey Bulls FC unveils CPA Global as inaugural sponsor . CPA Global . 8 March 2020.
  29. Web site: Bulls announce SHUFL Capital as platinum sponsor . Bulls.je . 6 August 2021.
  30. Web site: 2023-07-28 . Jersey Bulls Strike New Headline Kit Sponsor . 2023-07-31 . Jersey Bulls FC . en-GB.
  31. Web site: Jersey Bulls About . Jersey Bulls F.C. . 16 November 2019 . dmy-all .
  32. Web site: Jersey Bulls announce new manager. 28 May 2024. www.bulls.je.
  33. Web site: 7 August 2021. 10-1 Horsham YMCA.
  34. Web site: 30 March 2022. 1-3 Balham FC.
  35. Web site: Jersey Bulls 3-1 Fleet Spurs . 11 January 2020. FA Full Time -CRRCCL . 15 January 2020.
  36. Web site: FC Deportivo Galicia 0-6 Jersey Bulls . 14 August 2019. FA Full Time CRRCCL . 15 January 2020.
  37. Web site: Jersey Bulls 0-6 Chessington & Hook United . 1 February 2020. FA Full Time CRRCCL . 28 February 2020.
  38. Web site: Aug 7, Jersey Bulls 10 Horsham YMCA 1 The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round. 2021-11-03. fulltime.thefa.com.
  39. Web site: Sep 26, Jersey Bulls 5 Crowborough Athletic 0 The Buildbase FA Vase Second Round Qualifying. 2021-11-03. fulltime.thefa.com.