Mussenden sets out his stall
Newly elected Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden is wasting little time organising his 'ship' to set sail towards what he hopes is local soccer's new frontier, one he hopes will be absent of much of the controversy and falling standard of the recent past.
Mussenden yesterday released a list of the BFA's standing committees, which sees six new committees formed, to go with seven that had previously existed. Freshly instituted were committees to oversee club development and relations, marketing and special events, education, safety and security, fundraising, press relations and international.
Also revealed were the persons to chair most of the various committees, with a key change being the departure of Jon Beard as head of the coaching committee in favour of former Bermuda national coach Robert Calderon.
Beard, who is known to have clashed on occasion with Calderon regarding the methods being used to improve the local game, remains on the committee as a regular member, and Mussenden said that he held no reservations as to the ability of the pair to coexist.
"I don't know anything about them not setting," said Mussenden, taking the diplomatic route. "What I am assured about, through conversations with both of them, as to how we see coaching going, is that they both have pledged their support and commitment to doing the best things for football."
Beard yet will have a vital role in the wider scheme of things as chairman of the newly formed education committee and deputy to the president on the fundraising committee.
"Jon will be heading up the educational committee, which will be tasked with examining and investigating all the colleges and universities in Canada the States, and around the world, that offer soccer scholarships for boys and girls. And we're going to try and identify the people in Bermuda that have football potential and assure that we can assess them, so that when the time comes they'll be academically ready.
"That's going to require involvement with their families and schools.
"Education comprises a whole host of areas about educating the clubs, educating the players, educating the fans, so that is an exciting and vibrant committee, and again, we have a lot of latitude with it.
"We want to have people involved with football that are competent football wise and academically. We don't want people that are just good at football."
Mussenden revealed the fundraising committee's intent to form something of a fan club, involving all players and supporters of the local game, which would also provide means of networking among each other as well as the corporate community, with the goal of securing sponsorship dollars for the association.
"With regard to fundraising, we've normally gone out to the corporate groups as well as the Government," said Mussenden. "But this time we're going to set about examining all of the possible revenue streams that there are in and out of Bermuda regarding funding for football, and we're going to try and come up with some nice ideas.
"One of the things we're thinking about is a BFA club, which would be made up of all the registered players with the affiliates, as well as all of the fans.
"That should comprise thousands of people, and speaking for thousands of people that becomes a market that people may wish to tap into. Through that group of people we should be able to raise funds, and we have some ideas as to how to best use it."
Meanwhile, other changes see Craig Tyrrell replaced as chairman of the leagues and competitions committee, where newly elected club representative Charles Clarke takes over, with Tyrrell now his deputy.
Tyrrell has a new department to oversee, heading the marketing and special events committee.
Policeman Calvin Smith chairs the safety and security committee, Aldwyn Savery the club development and relations committee, Gregory Grimes heads up the referees committee, Delroy O'Brien the finance committee, Johnny Nusum is the youth development chairman, while Tina Woods controls the strings as head of the women's committee.