States league is not the brainchild of the Bermuda Football Association's coaching committee, but that of former technical director Clyde Best.

So says former Bermuda national coach Robert Calderon, who took exception to comments from BFA coaching committee chairman, Jon Beard, suggesting opportunities for Bermuda becoming part of the A League, the D3 League or even the MLS.

"Such a plan was proposed by Clyde Best and worked on by myself, but didn't come to fruition, mainly because the emphasis at that point was to go as far as we could in the World Cup,'' said a candid Calderon.

"But a very extensive proposal had actually been devised, and as a result of conversations with one of Clyde's contacts -- the guy who actually owns and operates the A League -- it was proposed that Bermuda would not compete in the A League, but compete against all the teams for exposure, depending on available funding for the first year.

"And all things going well, the second year was to have us allowed into the A League. That was the proposal that Clyde, my brother and I worked on extensively, so I have a problem with Clyde being, on the one side, criticised by the chairman and then having him come out with this proposal as if it were something he created.'' Calderon noted how matters bogged down once Best became involved in the row surrounding his role as technical director, with the association choosing not to renew the former West Ham star's contract.

"It got lost in the fact that it became secondary when Clyde was having ongoing problems with regard to his position as technical director,'' explained Calderon. "But Clyde was able to simply pick up the phone and talk to this person that owned the league, which further brings to light the fact that the BFA clearly didn't know how to use this guy (Best).

"That was his contact, and if the funding had been found, we would have been allowed to compete on a schedule that involved all A League teams.'' Clyde Best: man with the contacts