After folding in 1993, Hotels International are back as a force, albeit in the Second Division.

Of course, opponents only wish they had remained in exile, as they have taken the lower division by storm, leading the standings by five points after seven matches -- six wins and a draw -- and looking more and more like promotion certainties.

Coach Robert Calderon, however, attempted to play down his side's success, although they have clearly distinguished themselves as the class of the division.

Having attracted back the likes of veteran top flight performers Ricky Hill, Chris Sabir, Joey Weeks, Derek Scott, Diallo Sharrieff and Dennis Robinson, among others, Hotels were expected to challenge for honours.

"We're doing OK, we have a pretty mature team with players that we were very fortunate to lure without any money being pushed in their pockets,'' said Calderon, who resigned as coach of North Village in March, 1995 after one year at the helm. "I think guys enjoy the fact that they're around people that they like.'' The coach insisted that he and the players were surprised at the fast start the team had enjoyed and how they had managed to blend their talents so quickly.

"No, I didn't expect us to roll through as we have and actually our players said the same thing. It's the one time I've been involved in the Second Division, period, and there's some pretty good teams down here, the most competitive in maybe 10-15 years.

"Wolves have a very good team, Eagles are well coached and I think Somerset, obviously with Randy (Horton), are a tough team and Social Club are no pushovers. Paget are pretty organised as well.

"I wish it were easier, because all you want to do is get back in the First Division. But on the flip side for our players it's competitive and every week they can look and say, `I've got a good game on Sunday, we've got to play decent football'.'' Calderon left the Red Devils in 1995.

Frustrated by club management, player apathy and fans crying for a winner despite the club having been wracked by transfers, he said he had "no desire to be involved in any First Division team'' and if a Second Division side wanted a coach to get them promoted he was "probably not the person to do it''.

But refreshed and no longer shackled by management restraints, the former national team player now has a free reign to implement his own methods.

"It's not a dictatorship, but it is dictatorial,'' he said with a chuckle.

"Me as the coach and some of the senior players, we really do call the shots for the club, so there's not a whole lot of interference from committees, 300 presidents and 400 vice-presidents, which get in the way of football sometimes.

"You want to make decisions in the best interests of the football team and then you have to abide by a certain person's rules that may not even be catering to the football team. We are a football club, pure and simple, that's who we are, that's all we are and we can control what takes place in our team far more than what I've experienced at any other club and that's what I really enjoy.'' Another issue is discipline, something Calderon demands of all his players and he does not mince words in telling them when they are not performing up to par.

"Discipline is something that didn't work well at the community club and that's because you have all these distractions called fans and we have none, which is great. I love it. The fact that we don't have this huge fan base is good, because they have, in many ways, made it difficult for me as a coach, and I'm sure other coaches as well, to do the things that you want to do in terms of playing a system that is not really popular.

"We play the three centre-backs and people say we're defensive. Fine. At other clubs where we did it, when we hit a bad patch they said get rid of it and we felt pressure to do it. Well, I think I'm the number one fan for Hotels, because I'm the only fan, and I like it, so it means you don't feel the pressure to do things that you don't want to.

"Also you don't have a whole lot of committees and end up spending more time in meetings than on the football field. I've enjoyed coaching for the first time in many, many years.'' Still, Calderon knows that Hotels must make it to the First Division this year or face losing many of the players brought in and with the current points system awarding three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, no lead is safe at this stage.

Hotels have 19 points and a game in hand over second placed Somerset and with the west enders idle this weekend can surge even further in front with a win over lowly BAA.