season.

Robert Calderon, who succeeded in keeping Hotels in the First Division in their first season back, this week confirmed he is stepping down to concentrate more on his coaching role with the Bermuda senior team.

That brings the number of coaching positions that have opened up in the last week to four, following the resignations of John Rebello and Vic Ball of FA Cup finalists Vasco and Devonshire Colts and the departure of Randy Horton from relegated Somerset Trojans. The coach of the other relegated club, Cecil Robinson of PHC Zebras, has also hinted that he may stepdown because of other commitments.

Calderon, a former Bermuda captain, cited his involvement with the national team, as well as his own job commitments, as the reasons for his departure but indicated he would still be involved with Hotels in some capacity.

"I'm stepping away from it full-time but I'm staying involved to any extent that I can, so I'm not separating myself from the club, per se,'' said Calderon, who has been helping national coach Clyde Best prepare the senior team for the upcoming Shell Cup next month.

"We are trying to secure the services of someone to be the head coach and I will assist when necessary.

"It has everything to do with time and, yes, the involvement with the national programme. It's kind of difficult to do all three. If I was only involved with the club team and not the national team, I would have the time.'' Calderon admitted he had made the decision before the end of the season to step down and was happy to have achieved his main goal of keeping them in the First Division.

"Our priority was clear from the beginning of the season...we needed to survive,'' he said. "Most teams that come up from the Second Division unfortunately go right back down.

"We thought if we got to a final it would be great but we didn't say we wanted to win it. Obviously it's been an up and down season in terms of the results but in terms of the overall gains it's been a tremendous season.'' Meanwhile, Quilton Joell, the man who took over Devonshire Colts just three days before Sunday's FA Cup final against Vasco, says he is ready for a full-time assignment.

Colts president Kenneth Dill stated last week that the club would first look to fill the post internally before considering offers from outside the club.

That would appear to make Darrin Lewis, Ball's assistant, and Joell two of the favourites, although with the new season six months away the club is not in a hurry to make a decision.

"I might consider that,'' Joell replied when asked if the coaching job held any interest to him. "Since I have been back in Bermuda the last two years I have had offers to coach at that level.'' Joell has done most of his local coaching at junior level, but he was thrust into the big time last weekend after Vic Ball vacated the senior coaching post and Lewis, was off the Island.

"What has kept me away from that level is the commitment of the players,'' Joell said. "I have a system and a plan and in order to me to execute that I would need a commitment and I don't think that throughout this Island that the players are committed enough to go to the next level.'' "Now I concentrate on the younger guys to make sure I can build on their technical ability so that they can get to the next level. I'll sit down and talk to anybody if the conditions are right but my main thing is commitment from clubs and commitment from players.'' Joell got his grooming in coaching after remaining in North Carolina upon graduating from college to coach various colleges and camps.