SOME time early in this New Year members of Bermuda Football Association's hierarchy will sit down with the local media to discuss how best the two organisations can work in harmony.

The pow-wow was called at the behest of the BFA, perhaps realising that improved relations can only serve to benefit a sport which, locally at least, is rapidly declining in popularity.

Worldwide the game is still the most played and watched of any sport. But in Bermuda over the last decade it seems to have suffered through a succession of controversies -- one public relations disaster followed by another, the end result, hardly surprisingly, being a fall-off in the number of players, spectators and those willing to officiate, help administrate or support financially.

Drugs, violence and foul language -- common social ills that permeate everyday life on this Island (and elsewhere) -- have played their part.

But it would be fair to say that other governing bodies, both here and abroad, continually have to grapple with the same problems, yet often cope better than the BFA.

General Secretary David Sabir suggested shortly before Christmas that the BFA might look at forging a `partnership' with the local press in the hope that both sides could better understand the other.

Unfortunately, that's unlikely to happen. For obvious reasons, journalists need to remain impartial, reporting what they see and hear, warts and all. In the interests of objectivity, any type of allegiance or partnership is out of the question.

Yet that doesn't mean to say that the two parties can't work closer together, and hopefully that will be the end result of the impending meeting.

While we won't be telling the BFA how to run football -- nor they likely telling us how to run a newspaper -- there should be discussion on what mutual benefits could result from a better working relationship.

What we will be again impressing on president Neville Tyrrell and his executive is the importance of open and constant dialogue.

Too often the public are kept in the dark over simple, non contentious issues.

We can think of at least two instances in recent weeks.

Only a chance conversation with competitions committee chairman Craig Tyrrell this week revealed that at the end of this season one promotion and relegation spot would be decided by a two-leg play-off. The decision was actually made a couple of years ago but little or no information had been released by the BFA since.

Certainly no-one on this sports desk was aware of the play-off and we therefore have to wonder how many fans, players or even coaches were similarly in the dark.

A matter of such significance should have been highlighted by the BFA at the beginning of the season so all concerned knew what was at stake when competition began.

Also recently, our national Under-17 squad was just days away from travelling to an important World Cup qualifier in the Caribbean before a combination of circumstances resulted in the team being offered a bye through the first round. But again had it not been for an interview (on another subject) with a member of soccer's regional governing body, CONCACAF, we would have been none the wiser.

No information on dates, venues, opponents, or even make-up of the local squad had been released by the association.

While some of those within the BFA constantly whine about negative publicity -- forgetting the hundreds of column inches devoted each week to match reports -- they seemingly don't understand that their cause is being hurt by this apparent freeze on information.

If the public are to continue supporting football, they need to be kept abreast of all issues relating to the game.

Were it not for the sports reporters on this newspaper, nobody would have a clue as to which teams were at the top or bottom of the standings.

Certainly no league tables for any of the senior divisions have been distributed by the BFA this season, nor during any season in recent memory.

And the same applies to other statistics such as goalscorers, yellow cards, red cards etc.

Without the resources to cover every match in every division, we rely on our contacts and help from the BFA to compile the various standings.

But the onus should be on the governing body to supply the public with an official, updated version of results and standings from all divisions each and every week.

Details of amended schedules should also be released to the public immediately. Often changes are announced no more more than a day before games are due to be played.

This newspaper is far from perfect.

But we can only help soccer if those who run the game are prepared to help themselves.

ADRIAN ROBSON