Whoever coined that phrase might have had Bermuda in mind.

As the Island's two major sports governing bodies both plan a series of international matches over the next few years, they do so in the knowledge that facilities here in Bermuda remain as inadequate as they were a quarter of a century ago.

As we approach the new millenium, Bermuda's much heralded National Sports Complex is no nearer completion than it was this time last year. In fact -- surprise, surprise -- it's been delayed again! Bermuda Cricket Board of Control and Bermuda Football Association have both embarked on ambitious international programmes.

Yet as they enter reciprocal arrangements with other countries, they are forced to accept that any incoming tours will have to be hosted at club facilities, most of which are embarrassingly ill-equipped, or at a National Stadium which has a wonderful playing surface but no accessories.

Former Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland star Kenny Dalglish, in his autobiography, called the National Stadium `carpet' the best pitch he had ever played on.

His book, however, made no reference to the changing facilities his Celtic team were offered when they toured here in the late '60s. That's because there weren't any then and more than 30 years later, there still aren't any.

If anything, the facilities were slightly better in those days. At least there was a pavilion where makeshift changing rooms could be provided.

Today, any visiting international teams playing at the Stadium have to be accommodated in temporary `porta-cabins' and make do with `porta-loos'.

Sadly, the old pavilion was prematurely torn down more than 10 years ago and never replaced.

As soccer's national coaching director Clyde Best plans a series of matches in preparation for Olympic and World Cup qualifiers next year, he must continue to wonder how a country as affluent as Bermuda has failed to improve on the facilities which were available to him when he left the Island as a teenager to join West Ham more than 30 years ago.

But at least he still has an excellent pitch on which to host international fixtures -- which is more than can be said for Bermuda Cricket Board of Control.

When the old pavilion was torn down, the cricket pitch at National Stadium went with it, and likewise has never been replaced.

Of course, promises have followed promises -- by the former UBP government and the current government, but nothing ever gets done. Even the trustees who are now overseeing the financing and construction of the complex seem to have run into one hurdle after another.

The latest news is that completion has been delayed again by the current construction boom. Because of the number of building projects now underway, bids for the next phase of the complex have been hiked up, forcing trustees to scale down their plans.

Parts of the proposed $50 million project at Prospect, we're told, have now been put on hold and just when building might start on a new cricket pavilion, swimming pool, all-weather pitches, etc, nobody seems to know.

Of course, this was always going to be an enormously expensive scheme. We knew that when the original plans were drawn.

But it's almost unbelievable that over a span of three decades, during which millions of dollars have been spent flying our politicians first class around the world, often on unnecessary junkets, only a fraction of that amount has been spent on accommodating our top sportsmen and sportswomen who, some might say, are far more valuable ambassadors.

An old copy of The Royal Gazette dropped on this desk a few weeks ago carried the headline: "National Sports Stadium For Bermuda in Four Years''.

It began... "A national stadium for Bermuda with an all-weather running track and soccer pitch inside, a turf wicket which comes up to MCC specifications, and a centre for basketball and boxing.

"An idle pipe-dream for the Colony's future? "No, an established fact, which with government backing will be started in two weeks' time and completed four years hence.'' That article, written by Michael Ward, was dated October 28, 1962.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON