after just one year in the job.

Castle had another meeting with club officials on Monday night and confirmed when contacted yesterday that he was very much interested in staying on as coach of the team he took control of last season.

"As far as I'm concerned if I am coaching it will definitely be with PHC,'' Castle told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"I'm waiting on the club to get back in touch with me. We had a meeting last night and I put forward some concerns. As for the concerns it all looks favourable. That was probably my main concern, getting some of the problems sorted out. If I'm happy then I can do a decent job.'' Despite a modest season in which they failed to defend the league and FA Cups from the previous season, the PHC executives had no desire to see Castle vacate the job he inherited from Alfie Eve.

Before then he was a player with the club for many years and is very familiar with the brand of soccer that has brought the Zebras so much success over the years.

"Now it's just a matter of them getting back to me and then I can get together with my players and prepare for the pre-season,'' explained Castle.

PHC's only success last season was winning the Charity Cup after a 2-1 win over Boulevard. Boulevard knocked them out of the FA Cup in the first round while Somerset beat them in the final of both the Martonmere Cup and Dudley Eve Trophy. Devonshire Colts knocked them out of the Friendship trophy in the semi finals before the Zebras went on to settle for a fifth place finish in the league.

PHC were hit last season by the absence of top scorers Kyle Lightbourne and Sammy Swan last season through World Cup duty and Lightbourne then went off to play professionally for English Third Division club Scarborough. Lightbourne, released by Scarborough before the end of the season, is due to leave this week for trials with another English club, Walsall.

Hard hit Hotels have until tomorrow to confirm their participation in the 1993-94 season. The club asked the Bermuda Football Association for more time to consider their position after sending in an incomplete team registration form on deadline day on June 30.

Hotels, who finished just one place ahead of relegated St. David's last season, are seeking a coach for the new season. They are still in the process of making a final decision on whether they will be able to field a team, having also been hit by the transfer of a number of key players.

JACK CASTLE.