Bermuda Football Association (BFA) yesterday unveiled the key components of a comprehensive $36 million plan committed to the overall development of football.

Over the next six years the Association intend to increase overall participation, establish the long-term financial stability of the BFA and their members, remain fully compliant in all respects with FIFA, ensure players at all levels achieve their full potential, increase competition for national teams, host international tournaments in Bermuda, provide a safe and secure environment at football matches at all levels and lastly to ensure the provision of quality facilities.

But in order for these objectives to be met, the best staff, expertise, technology and administration that money can buy must all collaborate, BFA general secretary David Sabir said yesterday.

“Our aim is to satisfy the strategic objectives of the entire plan because football is not only a sport, but also a vehicle through which every Bermudian can embrace healthy lifestyles, education and social tolerance,” he added.

“This plan is critical in order to guarantee that the power of football will help in the process of building and maintaining a better Bermuda. And all of these elements are critically important in order for the BFA to continue to service the population of Bermuda through football.”

The BFA’s detailed 87-page strategic plan will be made available to the general public “in the very near future” free of charge, Sabir said.

There are presently 4,395 overall registered footballers that participate in over 2,500 matches which provides three million hours of football action in Bermuda annually.

While the plan highlights seven key objectives the BFA hope to achieve over the long haul, listed among the Association’s immediate plans for the first year is the hiring of a technical director, youth director, youth development co-ordinator, a fund development officer and the hiring of an accounting firm on a full-time basis.

The technical director’s role will be to oversee the development of football at every level in Bermuda, develop educational coaching programmes and develop club and school coaches.

The youth development co-ordinator and youth director will both work in collaboration with the technical director.

“The immediate plans will focus on initiatives contained in our technical development section,” Sabir added.

“We will also focus in on our continued fund raising efforts because as you know our plan calls for a considerably more funding. So we have to continue to raise funds and market the sport of football in Bermuda.

“And with regards to the financial reporting area we are looking forward to bringing onboard a chief financial officer and of course maintain the services of a full-time accounting firm.” One of the tasks the chief financial officer will be required to fulfil will be to increase administrative input at minimum costs. “Obviously we are going to look at upgrading our administrative capacity in all areas to support the increased activity,” Sabir said. “So the Association’s development and administration will also be areas that will be focused on.”

Furthermore, the Island’s various national teams will also see an increase in competition with the senior national team set to begin qualification to next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing and with the Under-15 and women’s national teams also due to see more involvement in international competition.

Sabir said: “We will also be looking at activities for our senior and youth national teams which include the Olympic team (Under-23) which is scheduled to embark on qualifications in 2007 and also our Under-15 teams who hope to be a part of the development programmes in the region.

“Our women’s and Under-23 national teams will also be participating in international competition such as the Island Games.”

Emphasis, Sabir added, will also be placed on enhancing the sport domestically.

“We will also focus heavily on our domestic leagues and make improvements to the infrastructure of things that support the actual playing of the game,” he said. “We also have components which will focus on the youth development and social arenas as well as referee development.”

The plan also calls for the implementation of safety and security measures at club venues across the Island.

“We will be making significant attempts to improve safety and security by purchasing necessary training and also relying upon the employment of police servicemen in and around our games, “ Sabir explained.

Meanwhile, the overall six-year plan calls for the recruitment of club technical directors, school development programmes, the hosting of a Bermuda Football Classic featuring former international stars from Europe, South America, the USA and also the Caribbean, the creation of a BFA academic support programme for youth footballers and also the completion of the Gym Field FIFA Goal Programme which is already behind schedule.

“We are very confident that what we have set out to achieve will and must be achieved,” Sabir said.

“It will be achieved at a very high and competent level. And we will have success as we move about systematically achieving each of our goals step by step.”