One of Bermuda's more successful soccer coaches in recent years believes a partnership between local clubs and local businesses could help raise the standard of the game and eventually lead to players being paid.

David Furbert, who guided Devonshire Colts to three titles last season and two in the season before, says clubs should use local companies in their administration to help create a firm financial footing from which to operate.

"If the clubs are serious about going forward, they need to incorporate businesses in their administrations,'' said Furbert, himself a business owner, counting the Mr. Chicken restaurant as his flagship operation.

"One of the main reasons for incorporating would be that the financial position of the clubs could get a lot better.'' And, with an improved financial status, he believes players and the community would benefit through improved facilities.

Also businesses operating as soccer partners would see their own status enhanced as `friends of the community'.

"Players today do not want to make that full commitment, for a lot of reasons, such as work commitments, pressures of mortgage, etcetera, etcetera,'' said Furbert, now coaching Prospect United.

"So, along these lines, if the clubs are better financially, they can offer financial remuneration to players. Therefore players can make a bigger commitment.

"With better financing, we can also improve the facilities, because clubs need to improve their physical plants.'' Added Furbert: "The companies and financial institutions in Hamilton and around Bermuda, we need to somehow find ways to approach them and make them part of our clubs. In some areas -- and you'll get a lot of resistance to this -- you need some of them to come in and take the clubs over ... you really do.

"Now, I know, anyone hearing that, they're going to resist. But if we don't go that route, or a similar route, then the year 3000 we're going to be just like we are now ... no progress.'' "You need to incorporate business minded people, because obviously they're going to have more ideas as to how they can put themselves in a far better financial position, and from there you'll grow financially and otherwise.

"The bottom line is that money is needed...money, the correct vision and good administration.'' Asked to compare the period of his own playing days, when players seemed to have a greater passion for the game and there was little talk of getting paid, to that of today, Furbert said it wasn't a case of comparing apples to oranges.

He instead pointed to the example of Holland, a country which moved from having a strictly amateur operation some four decades ago to being a premier professional power today despite being one of the smaller European nations.

"If you get bogged down with the past, you'll live in the past. This is 2001 and things are a lot different, people have a lot more to entertain themselves, and I honestly feel that they need to be compensated financially.

"Even in my time, when Mr. (Donald) Dane was coach, he often talked about the players needing to be compensated, that at a time when the majority of players played for the love of the game. But he had enough vision way back then to see that this was the way we would eventually need to go.

Clubs need business partners, says coach From Page 25 "Holland, for example, used to have all amateur leagues, but to improve the game they incorporated businesses into the clubs initially, therefore they were able to compensate the players financially, hence they went to a semi-pro level and the standard grew to where it is today at the pro level. And, for a small country of a few million, they are one of the footballing powers in the world, which started from them having the vision to say, `We need to reimburse these players.'.'' With Bermuda being one of the premier international business hubs, Furbert said he believed money was here to be made available, but the BFA, clubs, coaches and players needed to get their collective acts together.

Another example of Bermuda's flailing status on the international scene was last year's all too brief participation in the World Cup, something he felt was finance related.

"We were probably the only country that prepared for the World Cup on a part-time basis. If we're serious about participating in the World Cup, we need the team in full-time training, which means that the players have to be paid, so we need money.

"I feel the money is here, and at one time I compiled a budget based on 24 players, two coaches, a manager and medic, having the team train full-time, leaving the Island once a month for 10 days to play at least two practice matches, covering the period of a year.

"Using rough figures, I came to $1.2 million for the total package, covering room and board, transportation, plane tickets, you name it. And you cannot tell me that, in a place like Bermuda, if we put our heads together, we cannot come up with $1.2 million ... of course we could.

"There is so much to be done and we continue to rely on the few to do the work. It simply will not happen that way, there is too much work. And, for whatever reason, they don't go outside of their circle to get the help, and we need to do that.

"I've been involved with football for 40-odd years as a player or coach, and I have never been asked to help in any capacity, and there must be lots more people around like myself that have something to offer.'' David Furbert: Believes the top local players should be paid.