Updated at 23.39

THE AVERAGE IRISH football fan has likely never heard of Ellan Vannin FC, although that could change in the next couple of months.

The football team, based in the Isle of Man, is the brainchild of Malcolm Blackburn, the chief executive of the Manx International Football Alliance. The club’s owners have big plans for the coming months and even hope to join an off-island league in the near fuure.

Moreover, there are plenty of Irish connections to this ambitious project. Dave Crennell, the Director of Football, was born in Dublin. In addition, earlier this month, the club’s new management team was announced. Former footballer Alan Rogers, who played for Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Tranmere among others, has agreed to become manager, while ex-Coventry City and Shelbourne player Tony Sheridan will be his assistant.

In recent times, there have also been rumours that the club are hoping to regularly compete on these shores. While he is unwilling to go into too much detail, Crennell confirms that Ellan Vannin are currently in talks to join a league.

Unfortunately, we can’t really say for legal reasons, because the Isle of Man is another jurisdiction, what league we will be in next season, but we are in advanced talks with a football association,” he tells The42.

Meanwhile, Rogers — who has worked in coaching since retiring as a player and recently had a short stint as assistant to Micky Adams at Sligo Rovers — is similarly optimistic about the prospect of the team competing in an off-island league sooner rather than later.

Obviously I can’t disclose what association we’re in talks with joining, but everything’s been positive. The decision is with the association so I believe. I’ve not been involved directly, but I’m fully aware of what’s going on. The association who we’re looking to jump on board with seem very keen and are excited about the project as we are about taking it to that association.”

Crennell, who also works part-time as a scout, certainly believes the Isle of Man’s footballers have the potential to compete at a high level. Indeed, a couple of individuals have already made significant strides.

The Dubliner helped former St George’s defender Shay Sharkey secure a move to Limerick earlier this year, while his younger brother Declan plays with Finn Harps. Other current players with an Isle of Man background include Celtic’s Kieran Tierney, recently named Young Player of the Year in Scotland, Conor Doyle — who had a stint at Blackpool last season — and Liam Doyle of US team Harrisburg City Islanders.

We can produce footballers that can compete with some of the bigger countries around us,” Crennell says. “We have done it. We can point to these players and say look — Kieran Tierney, Young Player of the Year in Scotland.

“There’s nothing to stop anybody on the island stepping up and being the next Kieran Tierney, and going on to Celtic or Liverpool or Manchester United.”

And Crennell feels that joining an off-island league could be key to helping the sport grow on the Isle of Man.

St George’s have been the dominant team (in the Isle of Man), they’ve won every major trophy comfortably, winning games 5, 6 or 7-0. Attendances are down, people are not excited about it.

“Not to take anything away from St George’s achievements, (but) we want to be able to help people over there make a living out of the game, we want to help grassroots football progress and that was really the idea behind (trying to join an off-island league).

The organisation is not for profit, we’re not in it to make money. It’s just about football and helping Manx football grow on the world stage with your Gibraltars and Guernseys, who are looking to go out on their own and be at the world stage on their own.”

The national team are currently not affiliated with Fifa or Uefa, and therefore cannot compete in qualifiers for the World Cup or the European Championships. However, they have played matches against other non-affiliated teams. Their first international match was a 10-0 win over Monaco and since then, they have played others, including Iraqi Kurdistan, County of Nice and Occitania.

Nevertheless, Crennell remains hopeful that the team can graduate to a higher level in the near future.

“The reason Elann Vannin exists is to highlight the fact that the Isle of Man is not represented in Uefa and in Fifa,” he says. “We hope that a successful spell with Alan and Tony will highlight the fact that this is something that we need to look at.

Being a member of Uefa and Fifa can bring in a lot of resources in terms of funding, access to better coaching and better facilities. And that’s what we want. We want to be able to bring in a certain standard of player and hopefully in five or 10 years’ time, we’ll be in a position where we can compete in a European Championship qualifier.

“We’re hoping that Elann Vannin FC and the national team combined will put pressure on the Isle of Man FA to look at membership of Uefa and it’s something that I don’t think anybody on the island sees as a bad thing. Look at Gibraltar and how fantastically well they’re doing out of (competing in the Euro 2016 qualifiers).”

Crennell is delighted to now have a high-profile management team in place and is a particularly big fan of Sheridan, having watched him play in the League of Ireland growing up.

When I rang Tony, I did say to him that my uncle used to bring me to the Shels games. Himself, Stephen Geoghegan and Dessie Baker were my idols growing up. The fact that he said ‘yes’ straight away was fantastic for us. He’s got great experience and is very enthusiastic about the game. You talk to Tony for ‘five minutes’ and you’ll be on the phone for an hour.”

Dave Timmins, formerly of Port Vale and described in the past as ‘Joe Hart’s mentor,’ is also on board as goalkeeping coach to add to what is already a highly experienced coaching staff.

The first challenge for the new coaching team will be the Europeada tournament in Northern Italy next month, with games taking place between 18 and 26 June, with Ellan Vannin paired in a group alongside hosts South Tyrol, North Frisians and the Germans in Poland.

Crennell adds that of two potential games in July, they are hopeful that one will take place in Dublin against “one of the bigger” Irish clubs or possibly even a League of Ireland XI.

In addition, next Saturday, the new management team will fly out to give their first training session with the team. Dublin-born Sheridan says he has yet to meet Rogers or witness any of the players in action, but he is optimistic that they can be successful together.

I don’t know Alan (personally), but his pedigree speaks for itself with all his appearances playing in the English football league, working with good managers like Micky Adams.

“With a bit of luck, the two of us will gel, which I think we will, because Dublin lads and Scouser lads get on well. I’m looking to learn off him and hopefully he can learn off me.”

Since retiring from football in 2005, Sheridan has spent time coaching youngsters at Terenure Rangers and Lakelands, as well as working towards obtaining a Uefa B coaching licence — he is still waiting to see if he passed or failed his final assessment.

Of the possibility of competing in an off-island league, Sheridan adds: “If we get into a league, it would be good for the island. That’s the most important thing — to establish a team that can play at a high standard.

“It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. I’m not going over there to make up the numbers, we want Elann Vannin to be a team that people in the island look up to, and with a bit of luck, that will happen.”

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