Bermuda's outstanding soccer prospect John Barry Nusum isn't guaranteed a place at the University of Portland on a four-year scholarship.

Ellvera Robinson, mother of the 16-year-old Berkeley student and Wolves player, made the point yesterday when she expressed her disappointment with both Bermuda Football Association and Bermuda's Technical Director Clyde Best for going public with the story in Tuesday's Royal Gazette .

"The BFA and Clyde Best went public without our notice,'' said Mrs. Robinson while attempting to set the record straight.

Best had announced that the University's coach, Clive Charles, his former team-mate at West Ham United, had flown to the Island specifically to make Nusum a four-year scholarship offer.

But the player's mother emphatically denied that there had been an offer put on the table during a meeting with Charles, claiming that stringent NCAA rules prevented this from occurring at this time.

She disclosed that Portland were not the only school showing keen interest in her son, revealing that several others had been in contact with the family during the past few months.

"The NCAA ruling, which I have been made aware of, states that SAT and GPA scores must be registered and are required prior to any college or university making a formal offer to a possible student athlete as far as a scholarship is concerned,'' said Mrs. Robinson.

"We do not have an offer, and we have not accepted one from any college that has been in contact with us. John Barry is tentatively set to write his SATs in January with the results possibly coming forward in February or maybe in March, and at that time only can a college approach him and make an offer via a written letter of intent.'' Mrs. Robinson said she had no qualms over the manner in which the discussions with Mr. Charles took place. However, she made it clear that even the coach was well aware of the procedure.

"Mr. Charles specifically told us there was no way he could offer us a scholarship in writing until John Barry had met the required academic standards. He told us that once John Barry had done so he would then have to take the information to his board and then his board would decide to make the offer in writing.

"But at this point John Barry has not met any of these requirements. In fact, we have had other colleges and universities contact us for the last four months. The University of Portland is just one of many. We have neither been given a written letter of intent nor had any sort of offer, and we have not accepted anyting.'' "They (colleges) make it clear that they are not allowed to coerce or convince the player in any manner to choose their school over anyone elses. In fact, all of the colleges have respected the fact that they cannot make an offer and non have,'' added the player's mother.

"Schools are allowed to contact a student only once a week and not make any offers until the SAT scores have gone through the National Clearing House which at that particular point will make the student's information available to all colleges and universities, therefore giving everyone an even playing field.''