Robin Hood and X-Roads join Rangers as hardest hit in transfer period
More than 100 players in the Premier Division and First Division have obtained transfers, including 74 from the Premier Division where more than half of them (46) are from three clubs.
Those numbers represent an increase from last season when 93 players obtained transfers, including 63 from the Premier Division. Somerset Trojans picked up 12 new players, losing five, while Somerset Eagles signed nine new players and lost six.
PHC also signed nine players, while losing just two, so they will have the bulk of last year’s squad plus some new faces.
As reported this week by The Royal Gazette, Southampton Rangers were the hardest hit, losing 17 players according to the official transfer list released by the Bermuda Football Association yesterday.
X-Roads are not far behind, with 16 players moving on, while Robin Hood, the league leaders when the season was halted last December, will have some rebuilding to do after 13 players applied for transfers.
For Rangers, the list is deep, with defender Tre Manders, who also earlier left the Rangers cricket team to rejoin Westen Stars, heading back to Dandy Town while midfielder Tre Ming is returning to PHC after just one season in Rangers colours.
Diaje Hart, Delente Frost and Isaiah Taylor will join him at PHC Field this season, while Somerset Trojans also have four ex-Rangers players joining them — Maquel Nisbett-Tankard, Donte Brangman, Damon Ming and Jaavaid Warren-Smith.
Quadir Maynard and Keishon Wilson have joined Devonshire Cougars, while Khimo Harrison and Troy Hall are moving farther west to Somerset Eagles. To complete the list, Jarazinho Bassett is heading back to St George’s, goalkeeper Shaquille Bean to Ireland Rangers and Vernon Perinchief to North Village.
Not one player has joined Rangers during the initial transfer period, meaning they will have to rebuild with players already on their books.
X-Roads will also be doing some rebuilding this season after 16 players decided to seek new clubs, although only about half are regular first-team players. Three players, Jai Burgess, Ardon Heyliger and Tyrell Burgess, have joined neighbours St George’s while seven others have moved to BAA, who will be re-entering the BFA leagues this season as a First Division team.
BAA dropped out in 2019 after being relegated from the Premier Division with Paget, who also withdrew from the league. But now BAA are returning with a new vigour under coach Andrew Bascome, with seven X-Roads players joining them, including goalkeeper Dashun Cooper in a list of mostly fringe players.
In total, BAA have picked up ten players as well as nine more from junior teams FC Bascome and ABC Valencia.
Ian Coke, a former Bermuda forward, is also leaving X-Roads, to return to Boulevard in the First Division.
Robin Hood have been hard hit with several first-team players moving on, with Dominique Williams and Tomiko Goater rejoining Dandy Town, Antwan Russell and Casey Castle going back to PHC, and Justin Bell returning to North Village after just one season.
Shakir Smith is joining Somerset Eagles along with Joshua Roberts while Jazir Warner, Justin Corday and Jade Morrissey are all moving to Somerset Trojans, who also picked up Nathan Rego and Azar Morrissey from neighbours Somerset Eagles.
Village lost six players, including goalkeeper Tahj Bell to Devonshire Cougars, Jarreau Daniels to St George’s and Troy Tucker, Jason Lee and Jason Davis to Wolves, who also attracted London Steede from Robin Hood.
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