A Bermuda national soccer team is scheduled to return to Jamaica for the first time since the Under-23 side was involved in the infamous `Miami Seven' episode.

It has been learned that the CONCACAF Shell-Umbro Cup qualifying round tournament will be played in Kingston during the middle part of next month, featuring Bermuda, Cayman Island, Puerto Rico and the host country.

Yesterday the BFA, while confirming the venue, revealed that the Bermuda team would depart on February 12 and return on February 19 with matches scheduled to be played on the 14th, 16th and 18th.

While the choice of venue was completely out of Bermuda's hands, the association claim they have no problem with a national squad returning to Jamaica.

A day after departing from the Pan-Am Games qualifying in Jamaica in December, 1994, seven members of the Under-23 squad were charged in Miami with possessing and importing marijuana.

They were held in custody, but several weeks later pleaded no contest to the charges.

The episode became an ugly stain on local soccer, resulting ultimately in the dismissal of Technical Director of Coaching Burkhard Ziese and the beginning of the demise of former president Richard Thompson's shaky tenure.

BFA president Neville Tyrrell was not available for comment yesterday but first vice president Aldwyn Savery said that there were no reservations about returning to Jamaica.

"There are no major concerns at all,'' said Savery. "In my opinion we have selected the players who I think will respond to the very promising programme that we are going to put to them.

" Naturally you will always have concern of sorts, but at this present time I am sure that any Bermuda player will realise what we went through before in Jamaica.

"I really do feel that the bunch of players that we have chosen will not want to put the association and the country through it all again. Although we will always have our share of minor problems I am certain that they will not be of the magnitude that we cannot overcome.'' One major problem still facing the BFA is the search for a new coach in time to properly prepare the team during the few weeks remaining before the Shell-Umbro Cup.

Former top professional Clyde Best remains the favourite to be named Director of Coaching, but the search remains ongoing for a hands-on coach for next month -- somebody who is familiar with the current players.

Former national coach Gary Darrell, who led Bermuda on their historic World Cup run to the preliminary second round in 1992, was asked to fill the position but has turned it down in order to concentrate on his carpet laying business.

He has recently talked with coaching chairman Aldwyn Savery about the position and informed him that work commitments would make it difficult for him to coach full time until the middle of next month.

Darrell severed his full-time coaching role with Fist Division Southampton Rangers for the same reason just prior to the start of the season.

"I basically told the chairman that I will be willing to eventually assist and help out, and probably even travel with the team in February, but not at the current time. I'm just too busy with work commitments and simply will not have the time until after the first week of January,'' said Darrell.

"It's difficult to turn down an urgent call for national squad duty but it cannot be helped. I can assist a little before the new year, but when it comes to organising and running coaching sessions for a major tournament like this I regret am not able to do so at the moment.''