David Bascome?s ambitious plans for a professional six-a-side league have received early backing from two Premier Division coaches.

The Baltimore Blast veteran is hoping to set up the Island Soccer League in the summer of 2007 and Village coach Dwayne (Streaker) Adams and national team and Somerset Trojans assistant Paul Scope have both given an early thumbs-up to the plan.

?I think it is a great idea,? said Scope, deputy to Kyle Lightbourne for the national side.

?Anything that brings a touch more professionalism is welcome. Six-a-side will be good for the players and I think it will also work out well with the players from different teams mixing it up and playing alongside each other for a change.

?It is, of course, important that they keep playing outdoor as well but I think the new league could help push players and maybe raise standards that would help the outdoor league.

?I think it would also be very beneficial from a national team perspective, mixing up the guys and enforcing higher standards on them would do us no harm at all.?

Bascome?s plan, which would see eight entirely new teams created and 120 players drafted into them, would also demand players pass drug tests, etiquette tests and conform to a dress code to be part of the ISL which would offer as much as $40,000 for the winning team.

And Scope believes the players would adhere to the added discipline and professionalism that would be required of them.

?I think players here are receptive to that sort of thing,? he added.

?If there is a framework in place and clearly laid out requirements for them to stick to in order to reap the benefits, I think they would respond in the right manner.

?This league could well provide an opportunity for them to play at a higher level and I think many would do what is asked of them in order to get those rewards.?

Adams shared Scope?s optimism about the success of the league although had some concerns about the details of how playing professionally could be married with the college ambitions of younger players.

?I think it is a good idea and would welcome it,? said Adams, who also admitted that ? like Scope ? he didn?t expect to be directly involved with it.

?It will help the skill level of the players I imagine and it would also be a good opportunity for them to adopt a more professional attitude to the game.

?But I think it is going to be the older players who get most from it. I don?t know the details but I have seen the NCAA handbook and there are so many rules and regulations about eligibility for players.

?I?d like to be reassured that younger players taking part in the league wouldn?t harm their chances of being able to go on to college and play there.?