WHILE the final numbers have yet to be counted, organisers of the New England Revolution tour last week are disappointed for the second year running about the number of Bermudian fans who showed up to watch the games featuring Bermuda, the Revolution, Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense and the Jamaican Under-23 squad.

And now Clyde Best from organisers Setplay said they are thinking about bringing in a team from either Portugal or a Championship or League One side from England next year to join the Revs in a bid to get more fans out.

"I just don't understand it," said Best, a Sports columnist, about the small number of Bermuda fans who turned up at the National Sports Centre to watch the matches.

"Other countries have no problem about getting their fans out to watch matches ? especially featuring their national team ? but the fans here in Bermuda don't bother coming and filling up the seats. It is something that remains a mystery to me ? especially when you consider the Revolution managed to bring a couple of hundred fans from the US to watch their matches. All we can do is keep trying but I can tell you this ? Setplay cannot keep on bringing in these tours if we are going to lose are shirt on it. We are going to have to find a way to generate something for the fans to come out and watch."

But Best said it costs a lot of money to bring in the teams ? especially if they are coming from Europe.

Best said those involved with Setplay "will soon have a post mortem about the Revs' tour".

He added: "We are going to sit down and have a meeting with our guys and see if we can come up with a plan. We want to do it again but we are going to have to do something different because you can't continue to lose money on these tours. But in the final analysis I am sure we will bring them in again next year. The team certainly want to come." One plan, said Best would be to look to Portugal or England for a team to join the Revolution tour ? or perhaps go back to Brazil. Last year Setplay brought in Santos.

"I know that if we brought in a team from Portugal the Portuguese fans in Bermuda would really come out. I was happy with the amount of Jamaican fans who turned out to watch their Under 23 side," he said.

But what was really needed to make sure these tours are a success is a corporate sponsor.

"I certainly wouldn't mind some corporate sponsors," said Best. "I wish one or two would hold their their hands up and say 'hey guys you are doing something decent here'. I would love it if they came in and gave us a hand but as of right now we are doing it solely for the love of the sport and that can get you in (financial) trouble.

"We can't continue like this. We will sit down and come up with something ? we want to still continue to do it. We think it is important for the country that they get a chance to see professional teams. Hopefully everyone in the community can come together and work for the same goal. We here in Bermuda seem to have a problem doing that.

"The Jamaican fans came out ? they are passionate fans and it is something we can learn from but that has to come from within. You should love your country and love it when they participate in sport and you should want to come out and support your national team.

"When you listen to some of our fans, they complain about the ticket prices saying they were too high but I tell them we are doing this out of our own pockets. If we had (financial) help we could reduce the ticket prices. When you are doing it by yourself and getting no help from anyone then it can be tough."

Best said he didn't know what the final attendance was for all the tour games. "We will find out from the National Stadium people when we sit down with them ? probably next week. There are also some things that I wasn't all that happy with and we have to find a way to work it out the best we can. There was certain equipment which the teams would have liked in the (changing) rooms ? things like massage tables. Hopefully we can sit down and find solutions to these problems."

But Best said that all the teams loved the island and want to come back. "The Costa Ricans were over the moon about everything. They would like to come back. They came here and got what they wanted (as far as the result)."

The Costa Rican side and the Revs played in a Champions Cup game which ended 0-0 and the Revs will now travel to Costa Rica next week for the second leg. As far as the Revs are concerned, they would like to make Bermuda their pre-season destination. "They want to come back and they want Setplay to be the organisers of the tour. They have liked what we have done. I think that tells you something."

The Jamaican coaches and players also loved it in Bermuda. Best said he managed to get the Reggae Boyz here because he has a friend in the Jamaican Football Association and after some discussions he got the ball rolling. "The coach and players all loved playing here ? they loved the hotel and the people at the hotel loved them. All the players from all the teams were very well behaved ? everyone benefited from this tour."

And there is no problem getting teams to come to Bermuda. "I know a lot of teams who would love to come here and play," said Best adding, "but it takes money to bring them in."

He said: "I wish I was the guy putting on the 20-20 Cricket Classic. They just come and take so much money but I am not as fortunate as that. I hope to get there eventually ? but we need a hand from someone who says what you guys are doing is worthy and you deserve to be given a hand. This time around we had three professional teams."

Best added: "Setplay are not in this to make money but we don't want to be losing any. In fact we would like to be in the position where we could make a bit and then perhaps donate some to charity."

Best noted that BFA general secretary David Sabir, who was one of four Bermudian Concacaf match commissioners for the Revs/LD Alajuelense match, donated his entire earnings from that match to Agape House. "What David did is the kind of thing we would like to do," said Best adding, "Agape House is somewhere we all might get to someday. We would like to donate money to places like Agape House or the Brangman Home."

And while Best said he was confident that Setplay would again put on a tour next year featuring the Revolution, he warned: "People have to understand it not easy putting all of this together. At the end of the day if we can't see something at the end of the tunnel someone else will have to do it. We have to get back to that standard where we are very proud of our country and come out and support our players who are very proud to wear that Bermuda shirt."