Allen reaches 400-game milestone for Guernsey FC

Ross Allen says he is “really proud” to have made his 400th appearance for Guernsey FC.

The 39-year-old, who is the club’s record scorer with 333 goals, reached the milestone after coming on as a substitute in the club’s 4-1 loss at home to Southern Combination Premier Division leaders Eastbourne United.

Allen has been part of the Guernsey side since the club was formed in 2011.

“I think I’ll look back on it one day and probably think a little bit more about how much that means in the moment,” he told BBC Radio Guernsey at Victoria Park.

“I was just sitting on the bench remembering what it used to be like and coaching down here when it was just effectively a field.

“I’m just really pleased I’ve been able to keep going and keep my body in shape to allow myself to get that many appearances.”

Allen also had a spell playing in New Zealand for Team Wellington, with whom he won the Oceania Champions League in 2018 and went on to play in that year’s Fifa Club World Cup.

He returned to Guernsey in 2019 and has been a stalwart of the side ever since.

“I had a couple of years away as well and there was Covid as well so I could have could have played even more,” he added.

“But more so than the goals now, I think my game has changed – just being out there and being an option, being able to help the team, whether that’s starting or on the bench, supporting the younger players is what my role is now.”

Allen scored the first goal at Victoria Park after Guernsey FC moved to their new ground in March 2025 [Fran Torode]

Allen, who scored 54 goals in a single season and once netted six goals in one game, says he is no longer driven by goalscoring milestones as he once was earlier in his career.

He says he is now keen to support the next generation of players coming through Guernsey’s ranks.

“I think when I was a bit younger it was just each goal was a milestone for me, that was my target to get the next goal and help the team win,” he added.

“Now, for me, those milestones are more about the team being successful and as much as I can support that through being an experienced player in and around the group.

“I’m not going for like 450, 500 appearances or a certain amount of goals, which is kind of nice in a way as it takes the pressure off, so I’m just going do what I can to be out there.”

On the field, Guernsey’s second successive heavy loss has left them in seventh place in the table after seven games, having previously been beaten 5-1 at Lingfield on Wednesday.

They are eight points behind Eastbourne United, who took a 10th-minute lead through James Stone before Jorge Nones made it 2-0 just before half time.

Will Fazakerley’s 55th-minute penalty halved the deficit for a heavily-depleted island side but Stone and Nones each added their second goals in a six-minute spell just after the hour mark to seal the win.

“You look at that and you can really think ‘OK, it’s one to write off’,” Allen added.

“But I think Tony (Vance, Guernsey FC manager) made a really good point when we went in the changing room that compared to Wednesday night there was a similar scoreline but that the overall performance was a lot better, a lot more positive.

“Maybe we were a little bit unlucky to lose 4-1 in the end but we rallied at 4-1 and sort of put the pressure on, went back a little bit more attacking.”