Jersey Bulls will be the first team from the Crown Dependencies to enter the FA Youth Cup next season - as long as they can raise £30,000.

The club is keen to extend the player development pathway with an under-18 side.

Approval was only given by the English FA around ten days ago, leaving not much time to raise the money to create a new team to play in the competition.

The JFA Centre of Excellence has offered to run and manage the new team.

CEO and Director Ian Horswell says they want to take advantage of the talent the island's young footballers have.

"We'd look to try and raise the money in the next two to three weeks. It's a short window, but what we've done is we've put some bitesize sponsorship packages starting from £200 up to £10,000 on the front of the shirt.

We've just put that package together, we'll be writing to people and if anyone wants to be able to support youth football in Jersey, then obviously they can contact us as well.

Any boys at the moment who are going into Years 11, 12, and 13 next year can really look forward to some excitement, as long as we can raise the finances to do this.

It's a tremendous opportunity and hopefully, we'll have some sponsors that will come forward to support it."

Entry into the competition will be subject to certain conditions, which aren't yet known by the club.

Officials expect midweek games will have to be played in the UK and for home matches to be played on weekends.

If the money is raised, Jersey's young footballers could play some of the world's best teams.

"Two seasons ago, Camberley Town, who were in Jersey Bulls' league, they knocked out Bristol Rovers, and then they were drawn against Sutton United.

Because there was a little bit of a delay, the next round was the third round where all the big guys come in and the winners (of Camberley Town v Sutton United) were actually going to Anfield to play Liverpool.

Unfortunately for Camberley, they lost that (tie against Sutton United) but to have that opportunity to play professional sides - that's what we want to do, we want to dream, we want the kids to dream.

Who knows, we could have Manchester United down at Springfield Stadium. What a night that would be!" - Ian Horswell, CEO and Director.