mark during professional trials in the UK only to run into work permit problems...a delegation from Bermuda Football Association jet off to Zurich for the annual FIFA Congress...and another challenge on the BFA leadership is planned behind closed doors.

Cup Match may just be over and the cricket season still in full swing, but it's football that continues to make the headlines this summer.

And as far as the BFA are concerned, it appears to be business as usual.

Not a word on any of the above which might help enlighten the public has been forthcoming from the BFA offices or, in particular, the man at the helm, Neville Tyrrell.

In a question and answer article that appeared in this newspaper shortly before the president's controversial re-election last month, Tyrrell gave some indication that the lines of communication between his offices and the public, via the media, might open up.

The same impression was given during an interview with this correspondent around the same time.

Yet from The Royal Gazette's -- and quite possibly the public's -- perspective, it's frustrating to see that old habits die hard. The wall of silence erected during Tyrrell's last term of office appears to be holding firm.

Strangely, much of the soccer-related business transpiring this summer is not of a controversial nature but, of course, is of great interest to the public.

Vasco's demise, some might say, came as no great surprise and was no more than the Portuguese club deserved. For years it's been an open secret that the club offered big bucks to lure players from other teams to their ranks and conveniently forgot about nurturing any kind of junior programme.

Had they done so, a number of promising Portuguese players, of which there must be many, might now be ready to fill the void. But, alas, once coach John Rebello stood down and the senior players began filtering back to their original clubs, Vasco were left high and dry.

And their withdrawal from the Premier League presents the BFA with a problem -- one with which they should treat with some urgency.

Having relegated three teams from the Premiership last season in order to reduce the division to eight clubs, the BFA now find themselves with only seven -- an odd number and seemingly too few to make for a competitive league.

The obvious solution would be to throw the highest-placed of last season's relegated teams, Southampton Rangers, a lifeline. But that decision has still apparently not been made, which must be of some concern to Rangers.

Most Premier teams are already in training for the new season -- some never stopped -- and the preparation Rangers will make should they be allowed back in the top flight will obviously be far more intense if they discover they are no longer in the First Division.

It's an executive decision, one might think, that would be seen a priority.

As for the Bermudian youngsters now fighting for a pro contract in England one might have thought that the BFA would also have had some input as regards their current predicament -- but again, nothing, at least not publicly.

As reported in this newspaper this week, the likes of Steven Astwood, Tokia Russell, Tommy Carter, Rohaan Simons, Marlon Dill, Raymond Beach, all of whom have represented Bermuda at some level, have made great strides in their efforts to earn a professional contract, but have been told that without a work permit they have no hope.

The BFA, of course, can't get that permit for them, but it would reassuring for the players and the public to know that the local governing body were at least working on their behalf to facilitate the necessary arrangements.

Perhaps they are, which would be highly commendable, but a continued lack of communication leaves us all in the dark.

It was the same with last week's FIFA pow-wow in Switzerland. President Tyrrell, first vice-president Aldwyn Savery and general secretary David Sabir all represented Bermuda at what is considered the major world soccer convention of the year.

Business as usual...

From Page 13 But we heard about that trip from sources close the BFA and not from those within the Association itself. And we're still to learn whether matters beneficial to Bermuda's soccer future were discussed by the trio who attended.

Their answer to that might be that any issues relevant to this Island will first be discussed with the affiliates before being made public. Fair enough! But the mere fact that Bermuda were represented at the congress was news in itself and should have been made public before they left.

Are we in the media being over-sensitive? Hopefully not.

We simply feel that as the guardians of Bermuda's national sport, much of which is funded by public and sponsors' money, the BFA have a duty to keep everybody informed. Sadly, that still isn't happening.

As we've said before, our footballing friends would do well to take a leaf out of the book of Bermuda Cricket Board of Control who continue to enjoy a relationship with the media which ensures the sport is better served and the public better informed.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON