Footballer Kyle Lightbourne and his Stoke team-mates are facing another make-or-break season in the English Second Division.

But in the meantime Lightbourne and two of his fellow players are just putting their feet up and enjoying Bermuda's tourist attractions, with football the furthest thing from their minds.

Mostly it has been golf, with some water activities like swimming and fishing thrown in, as Stoke pair Peter Thorne and Ben Petty and former Stoke midfielder Neil McKenzie, now of Cambridge United, enjoy their first visit to the Island.

Lightbourne, an avid golfer, is in good company as every day since they arrived on the weekend the players have been on a different course. It will be much the same for the rest of the week before the English players depart, while Lightbourne remains for another two weeks.

"This is definitely the best place I've ever been, I've never seen anything like it,'' said Thorne, Stoke's top scorer last season.

"I knew it was going to be nice but I never dreamed it would be this nice.

The golf is fantastic as well, so that rounds it off. We came in on Friday night and have played every day since. We're leaving on Friday at 12 o'clock and we're hoping to get in a game in the morning!'' The club, one of England's oldest, will spend a third season in the Second Division after missing out on promotion when they were eliminated by Gillingham in the play-off semi-finals.

"Two players got sent off and that killed the game for us,'' said Thorne, who missed that second leg against Gillingham because of injury.

"I truly believe we will go straight up this season.'' Says Petty: "We're miles too good, we beat all the top teams, the teams that went up.'' The Second Division is proving to be a tough division to get out of, but a good start to the new campaign is the key, the players feel.

"Joe Royle said he thinks it's just as tough if not tougher than the First Division,'' said Thorne, who arrived at Stoke from Swindon after starting his career at Blackburn where his chances were limited because of the presence of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton.

"The key is to get a good start because you get your belief and confidence and go from there.'' McKenzie, who left Stoke last October just before the new manager arrived, was unable to cement a regular spot in the team.

"I played a lot of games this year, about 28, which is more than I would have played at Stoke,'' said the midfielder. "I was in and out a lot. Stoke have some good midfielders there.'' Lightbourne, now in the final year of his contract, has been performing more as a provider than scorer as Thorne found the net regularly to pass the 30-goal mark for the season.

"It's because of Kyle, by the way, he set up most of them,'' said Thorne.

Lightbourne admitted his game had changed to suit Thorne's strengths.

"I really hate him because he likes to take the back post,'' joked Lightbourne. "When I was at Walsall I used to take the back post but now I've had to change my game a little bit.'' Stoke may have to fight off competition for their top striker as other clubs are starting to take notice of the soon-to-be 27-year-old Thorne.

"I've got two years left on my contract so who knows,'' said Thorne, who hails from Manchester, the home of Shaun Goater.

Lightbourne, 32 soon after the new season starts, can see himself finishing his career at Stoke. This will be the final year of his contract and he hopes to start another one in the First Division next season.

"I guess if I have a good start to the season then I'll be in a good position to be offered a new contract,'' said Lightbourne. "I haven't scored a lot of goals at Stoke but hopefully this could be the season for me.

"I would be happy to finish at Stoke. If I was to get another two years I would be happy with that, but you never know in football what's around the corner.

"I wouldn't mind playing in the First Division and I think everyone at Stoke can handle playing in the First Division, but it's up to us to get there.'' All the hype lately has been about Goater's achievement of reaching the Premiership with Manchester City. Lightbourne is proud of his good friend, knowing the tremendous sacrifices Goater has made over the past decade to reach his goal.

"I'm very proud of what Shaun has done,'' said Lightbourne.

"About two years ago we were both in the same position.

"I had my chance at Coventry and didn't really take it in a sense, while Shaun got promoted with Manchester City which is probably the best way to get there. There is nothing better than getting promoted with your own club, because you never know how you're going to fit in with a new club.

"Shaun had a rough spell when he first went there, with the fans and whatnot, but he was still scoring goals at the same time and this season he has been absolutely tremendous. Every time you turned on the TV Shaun was popping one in.''