The ten team Premier Division myth is again in full effect.

At the start of the 2000/01 season, Bermuda Football Association (BFA) downsized the Premier Division from ten to eight clubs in an effort to encourage more competitiveness among teams in the top flight.

Ever since, rumours have abounded of a reversion to the original ten-team format, particularly near the end of the league campaign.

However, BFA league and cup competitions chairman Charles Clarke moved swiftly yesterday to dispel ongoing rumours.

?It?s just amazing that this rumour seems to come up at the end of each season. The clubs know what our stance was and so it seems to be driven by the fans in regards to the ten-team situation,? said Clarke.

?If the rumour isn?t coming from the association itself, then there?s absolutely no substance to it at all and so we will be staying with eight teams.

?But every year around this time the same thing comes up.

?For what reason, I don?t know.?

Meanwhile the BFA will discuss the potential appointments of a technical director or a successor to Kenny Thompson as youth director during the association?s monthly executive meeting early next week.

Local football?s governing body have not appointed a technical director since Clyde Best?s three-year term expired in 2000.

Former BFA youth director Thompson resigned from his post early last month ? two months shy of the end to a three-year deal with the association.

?This is not something we can rush into. Whatever we do going forward we have to ensure we cover it financially,? stated BFA executive Jon Beard.

?I am supposed to meet with the technical committee at the beginning of next week and this is something that will be brought up during the meeting and then the officers can make a decision from there.

?But both ideas are being floated around and there are a couple of scenarios that are being considered by all of us. And obviously we want to run this by the affiliates as well so we can obtain some input from them.

?So this something we don?t want to race into at the moment but obviously something we want to get going in the not too distant future.?