World-renowned football coach Jacques Crevoisier says the next mission of the Bermuda Football Coaches’ Association is to get all club coaches qualified to Uefa C-Licence standard.

The former France Under-19 coach, who has worked with Gérard Houllier at Liverpool and Arsène Wenger at Arsenal, oversaw the latest C Licence sessions on BFA Field last week, when 25 passed their final assessment.

Crevoisier hailed the progress made by the BFCA in now having more than 90 coaches pass their C Licence as well as having seven pass the higher B Licence exam. The latter group recently returned from Scotland, where, accompanied by Crevoisier, they successfully completed the course under the authority of the Scottish FA.

The Frenchman, who praised the early input of former Bermuda Football Association president Richard Calderon and ABC Football School co-founder Henrik Schroder in kick-starting the island’s coaching project, outlined how he recommends only those coaches who score 80 out of 100 or above in the C exam are eligible to participate in the B Licence course. It is a move designed to further raise the standards of coaching and football on the Island.

“We want these coaches to use what they have learnt in Bermuda,” he said. “Sure, these coaches can go abroad and work and coach but we want them to come back and pass on what they have learned to the players here as well. You can have a top player but without a top coach they are nothing.”

He added: “The work of the BFCA is so important. It gives Bermuda’s coaches the chance to come together and talk about what they are doing. Recently the Uefa Elite Club Coaches Forum was staged in Nyon — Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Luis García, Arsène Wenger ... they were all there talking about coaching and they loved it. It’s good for the coaches to come together.”

Crevoisier was also set to meet Wayne Scott, the Minister for Sport, and Dr Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Education, during his visit to discuss how the Bermuda Government can help to fund the next stage of the BFCA’s plan. He is also hopeful of securing the assistance of clubs with the cost of putting their coaches through the C Licence programme.

“Our next ambition is to get all the coaches at the clubs on the island C Licence-qualified,” he said. “We are also very interested in working with the island’s PE teachers because of the very important role they have with coaching our young people.

“It is not just about the football. There are young kids here who maybe have some problems, there are some special families where maybe the fathers are not around. Football and good coaching can help this and that is what I will be telling the ministers.”

For more information on the Bermuda Football Coaching Association, e-mail thebfca@gmail.com.

The C Licence course precedes the B Licence, A Licence and Pro Licence qualification, which is required to manage a top-level club.

C Licence coaches: Corey Hill, Dalton Burgess, Dennis Zuill, Dwight Jackson, Ibou Barry, Jah-Jah Robinson, Jason Titterton, Jensen Rogers, Joel Duffy, Jomar Wilkinson, Lloyd Holder, Mick Ward, Milique Fubler, Nathan Peskett, Nigel Burgess, Omar Shakir, Roderick Lewis, Samuel Cabot, Shane Burgess, Tarik Jennings, Thaaqib Talbot, Troy Smith, Vernon Tankard, Charysse Bean, Aaron Denkins.

B Licence coaches: Karl Roberts, Andrew Bascome, Kevin Johnston, Maceo Dill, John Barry Nusum, Farid El Karfa, Larry Smith.

A Licence coach: Maurice Lowe.