Football at the 1997 Island Games

Football was contested as part of the programme for the 1997 Island Games which was hosted in Jersey from 28 June to 4 July 1997. It was the fifth edition of the men's football tournament at the multi-sport event organised by the International Island Games Association.
The football tournament began with the first matches in the group stage on 29 June 1997 and ended with the gold medal match on 4 July 1997. Hosts Jersey and Ynys Môn contested the final. Lee Bramley scored the only goal of the match as Jersey won the gold medal and equalled the Faroe Islands record by winning the gold medal for a second time. In the bronze medal match, defending champions the Isle of Wight defeated Guernsey 3–1.

Background

A five-a-side youth football tournament was held at the inaugural games in 1985 held in Douglas, Isle of Man but football was completely absent from the programme at the 1987 Island Games held in Guernsey. The first men's football tournament was held at the 1989 Island Games in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands won the first two editions undefeated but have not competed since their win at the 1991 Island Games in Åland. No team had won the competition more than once since then. Jersey won gold at the 1993 Island Games held on the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight were the defending champions after defeating hosts Gibraltar 1–0 in the gold medal match at the 1995 Island Games.

Format

Eight teams took part in the competition. They were drawn into two single round robin groups of four teams. The winning team from each group would contest the gold medal match and the runners-up would contest the bronze medal match. Play-off placement matches were held for the teams finishing third and fourth in each group – the third-placed teams contested the fifth-place match and the fourth-placed teams contested the seventh-place match.