The state of Bermuda's football is a sad sign of the times, with young players failing to listen to advice and lacking dedication to the sport, a former international believes.

Wendell (Joe) Trott was a member of the Bermuda team in 1979 who won their four-team Pan American Games qualifying at the National Stadium against countries like the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Now all those teams are well ahead of Bermuda in the world rankings.

Back then, Bermuda beat Canada 3-0, the United States 1-0 and drew 2-2 with Mexico after twice coming from behind. Trott, a central defender, was the scorer of the first Bermuda goal in the first half.

"I just feel that the players have to have more dedication to the game itself,'' said Trott, who was North Village through and through and resisted offers to even coach another team.

"Football has been my life but it's really sad to see the way things have gone. We had people who were dedicated to the game and it wasn't about changing from one team to another team. But when it came to the national programme everybody gelled together.

"The players today have all the answers and don't want to listen. They are just playing for the sake of playing and are not students of the game.'' Trott's team-mates during that tournament were household names in local football: players like goalkeeper Arnold West, defenders Wendell Baxter, Frankie Brewster and Ellsworth Lambert, captain Robert Calderon, George Brangman and Allan Marshall and a front line led by the experienced Ralph (Gumbo) Bean and also containing youngsters Mel Bean, his brother, Andre Amory and Coolridge Bell.

Lorenzo Symonds, who went on to replace Calderon as Bermuda captain, could not break into the starting team in those days.

Trott admits it is difficult to watch football these days, with the unsociable activity at grounds.

"Sorry to say it, but it's unbearable for me to sit there and listen to people swearing,'' says Trott.

"That type of situation is not conducive to bringing up young people. A lot of things are going wrong because of the spectators as well. We're not getting that many spectators, all because of the language and the `smoke' situation.

"I'm just starting to take my son out. Before he wasn't that interested but now he is quite interested and I have to choose which games to take him to.'' Trott's 13-year-old son is showing promise as a front player and his father knows comparisons are inevitable.

"I don't want him to be put under the pressure and I used to talk to him about that,'' Trott said.

"He only plays for his school but next year I think he'll play for North Village, although a lot of his friends play for (Devonshire) Colts.'' Trott is hoping next week's crowds can rally behind the Bermuda team like they did in the Pan Am qualifying tournament in 1979 and then in the 1992 World Cup qualifiers.

"That tournament really did something for us,'' Trott says.

"I haven't been following it that much but what I know of Cuba from having played against them two or three times, they are a very disciplined team. I can't see their football changing that much.

"I tell people we really have to start with the youngsters.'' Trott admits the stadium falls short of international standard and could do with some upgrading.

"We have to say this is going to be a soccer stadium and then go ahead and do what we have to do,'' he urged.

"I thought that was going to happen when we got that committee together to fix up the stadium. We're still trying to have one facility handle three or four sports.

"You get embarrassed when foreign teams come here and have their players changing in temporary trailers.''