availability of Bermudian international Stephen Astwood as the row over the refusal of an English work permit for the player continues to simmer.

Astwood had been offered a one-year deal at First Division side Preston North End after he impressed them in a trial.

The PHC frontman was set to agree the deal when he was informed he would not be granted a work permit because Bermuda, despite being a British territory, was not in the top 75 soccer playing nations in the world.

The club's manager David Moyes attended an appeal hearing in London, but despite his presence and a heartfelt letter from his advisor, Barry McIntosh, the application was thrown out for a final time.

Bermuda Government had said it would seek a way round the problem through consultation with its British counterparts, but as yet the substance of any such talks has not been made public.

McIntosh said he was very angry at the way the situation had been left.

"My concern is that I have done all this work to bring the kid here, the kid has done exceptionally well and I've been promised that Government intervention was on its way in Bermuda and I'm still waiting for something positive to come from them,'' he said.

"Unless we can get something concrete it means I've effectively wasted my time, wasted the club's time and wasted the player's time.'' McIntosh said he believed it was still Astwood's desire to play in England but the setback may have affected his morale.

"I would imagine he is still keen, but obviously he is only 18-years-old and has had his dreams dashed. He is only human and his head must have dropped to a certain extent and he probably thinks `maybe I'm not going to get my chance to play in the English league'.'' McIntosh said he was working hard from his end to achieve a breakthrough but admitted he might be forced to consider another country where the entry laws were less strict.

"But even if we look elsewhere everyone is leaving mainland Europe to play in England -- Spanish, Italians, Germans, Swiss, French, all the top young players right now are in England,'' he said.

"We are seeking something somewhere else but I would prefer to have the guy schooled in possibly the best place for him. English football might not be acknowledged as technically the best, but physically it is very demanding. If a player can come here with technique and then adopt the physical attributes of the game that is the time in my opinion for him to move to Europe.'' McIntosh was reluctant to name the teams he had approached but said: "We are speaking to various clubs in Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and France and I have got my people in those respective territories trying to facilitate things. But my inclination is to try and overcome this situation here in England not only for Stephen but for other people who should be looked at as sons and daughters of a mother country.

"England is always good at intervening in other people's problems but never seem to look after their own,'' he said, adding "Right now Bermuda as a dependent territory is an extension of England with I'm sure a British flag flying down there somewhere so they should be looking after their own.'' Meanwhile, fellow Bermudian Tommy Carter is returning to the USA after an unsuccessful trial at Second Division Swansea City.

Carter turned out in a non-competitive match for the Welsh side last week, but failed to impress and though he was offered a second chance, McIntosh said he had decided to return home to follow up some potential opportunities there.

"It didn't go too well so he is returning to America where we will look at other options,'' he said. "With the current climate in England with foreign players it's imperative that if a player comes from abroad he has to show he is of exceptional talent above that which is already here.

"It is nothing negative against the player himself, on the day he didn't show his array of talent. The manager wanted to have a look at him again but when I have an international player my attitude is not to get him doing trials over and over again because all that does is demean his international recognition.'' Stephen Astwood: row over the refusal of an English work permit continues to simmer.