Shannon Burgess, vice-president of the Bermuda Football Association, has raised concerns regarding a dwindling number of players on island after BAA withdrew from the league just two years after returning.

Speaking at the association’s congress meeting on Thursday night, on the eve of the new league campaign commencing, Burgess, the Competitions Committee chair, revealed that the club had opted to pull of the First Division.

Andrew Bascome’s team cited a lack of players as the reason for withdrawing, having suffered an exodus of players during the initial transfer window, losing 17 members of their squad after they missed out on promotion last season.

The club had only returned to the league set up in June 2021, two years after dropping out as a Premier Division team, again because of insufficient numbers.

“Unfortunately numbers are dwindling across the board. We have a large number of Bermudians that are moving overseas, so the pool of football players is shrinking,” Burgess told The Royal Gazette.

“We empathise with the club. BAA had a very good young team. I enjoyed watching them last season, but unfortunately a lot of their players have left with some leaving the island to go to school.

“As a result the club felt that they couldn’t fulfil their obligations throughout the season with the number of players that they had left.

“I suspect that the club will be back at some stage and I look forward to welcoming them back into the league when they’re ready to return.

“Thankfully, with Vasco da Gama returning to the First Division, it means the overall numbers have not been affected, which is a tremendous help. We just hope that the club have a good season and can continue as part of the league.”

While the overall number of clubs remains the same, the withdrawal of BAA and questions over dwindling numbers have again brought a proposed restructuring of domestic senior league football back into focus.

First presented at last year’s congress meeting, two options were put forward.

The first is to create three leagues from Premier Division to Second Division, consisting of seven teams in each.

A play-off would either see the bottom two teams in the top flight face the top two teams in the second tier, or the bottom-placed team in the Premier Division take on the second-placed team in the league below to decide promotion and relegation.

A cup competition would also be held for each division, to give those in the lower leagues more competitive matches.

The second option would be for one league of 12 teams, as well as an additional A League.

Within the top flight, club licensing, which will be implemented from 2024, would be mandatory for entry into the league as well as a requirement for minimum venue and training facility standards. Licensing would not be mandatory within the A League.

“There are number of things that we are looking to restructure in senior football, which might help adjust to changes in numbers,” Burgess added.

“Conversations are continuing, but I believe we are getting to the stage where those discussions are getting close to concluding and we will be ready to make a recommendation to the congress.

“If those recommendations that are being discussed are supported then maybe a year or two from now those new structures could be in place.”

Also at the meeting, an unopposed Terry Thomas was elected as an executive member of the board, while Ray Jones was nominated and consequently elected into the position of treasurer.