THE Bermuda Football Association's decision to scrap the Under-19 Junior League has left a huge void in the development of aspiring young footballers in Bermuda. And it's this decision that could possibly have a damaging long-term effect on the future of the sport as many talented, yet discouraged youngsters are being left completely in the dark.

Some even have fears that many of the island's disgruntled youngsters who are over the age of 17 may now fall by the wayside.

These were some of the comments made by several of the island's youth coaches who insist that without the Under-19 league many young footballers may decide to hang up their boots altogether.

Earlier this year BFA Director of Youth Development Kenny Thompson pulled the plug on the Under -19 league in favour of placing more emphasis at the Under-17 national level. He also stated that all junior players over the age of 17 would have to further their development in the BFA Reserve Division formerly referred to as the Alliance Division.

However, the Reserve Division is currently being conducted in a poor manner and without any real organisation. There's also a total lack of match officials available to officiate games with many matches being officiated by your average "Joe Bloggs" from off the bleachers.

Furthermore, and despite Thompson's declaration that the Reserve Division is a breeding ground for aspiring talent, clubs have seemingly remained steadfast in the belief that the league is for proven senior players, who are either on the mend from injury or just trying to maintain match fitness.

Therefore, it's not uncommon to see vast numbers of Premier Division players suited up on Saturday afternoons, which again raises the question: Just where do Bermuda's teenagers over the age of 17 fit in? And just what will those who have become discouraged because they can't play on Saturdays turn to to fill the void?

"I understand the concept behind the decision to scrap the Under-19 League because we didn't have that many teams to form a league to begin with," said PHC coach Mark Wade.

However, the current AS&K Under-17 Youth League presently consists of five teams with only two matches staged every weekend.

"What's happening is that the under 18 to 19-year-old players have been discouraged from playing football in the Reserve Division altogether because they don't think that they are quite ready to play at that level.

"That is what we have found at PHC where I believe there were six or maybe seven youngsters who were too old to play at the Under-17 youth level."

Wade also believes that the current youth situation at PHC was being mirrored at other clubs as well.

"So it's a bit concerning that we have now lost some of the 18 and 19 year-olds who would have been playing in that league," he added.

North Village junior coach Troy Harvey, meanwhile, said that Thompson was faced with a difficult choice of choosing which league to abandon and that it all boiled down to either one or the other.

"It's a very difficult situation for the association to be in because at the age of 16, or 17 a lot of youngsters go off to school and so the pool of players in that division is not that great," he said.

"A lot of boys go away to college if not at 17 then 18. At 19 they are definitely gone.

"Therefore it's very difficult to have leagues from Under-19 down when you also have an Under-17 League. It's either one or the other."

Southampton Rangers technical director Rick Richardson says that Thompson's overall concept is good but that there still remained a few kinks which needed to be ironed out.

"I have concerns because I still believe that there is a vast number of young people that are not actively involved in the game," he said.

"They somehow don't fit in a Reserve League that's not functioning right because it really has an unofficial flavour and they are too old for the Under-17 Division."

Richardson also said that as a result of no Under-19 League there are a number of really talented young people who are now "falling through the cracks".

"I also find it curious that over many, many years we focused on our Under-19 programme and then moved them up to Under-23's. The Under-19 International commitment prepared the Shaun Goaters, the Kyle Lightbournes, the Meshach Wades and Andrew Bascomes. All of these people came through the Under-19 programme," he added.

Again Richardson stressed the need for someone to lend some attention to the Under-19 programme.

"I don't want to knock the Under-17 programme. I think that it's a good programme," he added. "But I still believe someone needs to put some attention on the Under-19 programme because there is a critical group of young players who need attention."

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Due to the continued lack of reports handed in on time for the junior league matches it has become impossible for this newspaper to cover those leagues.