A changed schedule for the closing fixtures in the 2007-08 season because of World Cup qualifying matches, combined with an earlier start to their second season in the United Soccer Leagues, could leave the Bermuda Hogges without a few key players in their season-opener.

The Hogges begin their 2008 Division 2 campaign on April 19 ¿ 10 days earlier than last season ¿ with an away game against Charlotte Eagles the day before the second FA Cup semi-final. Depending on the teams in the semi-finals, the Hogges could be missing several players for both that fixture and the April 26 home clash against Wilmington Hammerheads the day before the FA Cup final.

Even the Hogges's pre-season training will be hampered because players will be involved in vital end-of-season league and cup matches as well as the crucial second-leg World Cup tie in the Cayman Islands at the end of this month. "The World Cup qualifiers come first and we will work with that because our season will be just getting underway," said Hogges coach Kyle Lightbourne.

"Obviously we would like to get off to a good start, and we will have some players who probably won't be involved in the national team or who won't be involved in the FA Cup."

Lightbourne admits there are scheduling challenges trying to fit the Hogges' early season games in at the end of the domestic season which involves crucial league and cup matches.

"We spoke about it towards the end of last season and we tried to do our best in letting the league (USL) know this was going to be a problem for us during the early stages of the season," said Lightbourne.

"When we went to the AGM with (Hogges co-owner) Paul Scope we tried to make everything work. We want the national team to go as far as possible so we just have to deal with that when it comes."

As the coach of a PHC side chasing the coveted triple crown (league, FA and Friendship) to go with the Martonmere title they won earlier, Lightbourne's focus right now is with his local club. The Hogges are in the process of mapping out pre-season training.

"We're really going to have to delay it a little bit because people are still involved in the national team and domestically, so we'll see how it goes over the next week," said the coach. "We are due to have a meeting with the players quite soon."

PHC have maintained a consistent push for the league title all season and are looking to add more silverware to the Martonmere Cup they won last November.

"The season is going better than anticipated," Lightbourne acknowledged. "Last season we struggled and at the end of last season I asked the players to really focus themselves on playing because in the first season I was there the players weren't focused on committing themselves. If you make a commitment you have to go all the way with it.

"It has made the difference. The support team has been really good ¿ Jack Castle, Derrick Douglas, the physio Fabian Bullen, Cal Waldron who is the team manager, a kit man in Marvin Jones and Ellie Wilson our fitness trainer. We have a place where we go after games and present a Man of the Match so we feel that we're moving forward in many ways. There is a good bonding going on and we try to do things differently. When I was playing we had the club (now demolished) which was our base, but after training everyone disappeared and we didn't have time to socialise together. Ellie worked the players really hard in pre-season and we're reaping the rewards this season."

And once the USL season begins there will be few breaks for the players who will be training and playing and travelling right up until the first week in August.

"Most of the players hadn't played at that level before (last year) and it was a shock to their system," said the former England professional.

"Now they know what it's about and can focus their minds on it. For me being in England, after the first couple of seasons in the league you know what it's about and you know what it takes to compete at that level so you prepare yourself for it."

The Hogges are set to release three players from last year's roster which, combined with Lightbourne and Shaun Goater coming off the roster, will leave five spots to fill in the 26-man squad.

"We'll be looking to bring in a couple of new faces,' Lightbourne revealed. "The limit is 26 and last year we had 26 towards the end of the season when we added Sean Simmons, Kevin Richards and Jabrel Tucker. With Shaun and myself taking ourselves off the roster and with us releasing the three players ¿ we haven't spoken to them yet ¿ that gives us another five spots.

"If we bring in three players it gives us another two to have a look at. We have identified who we would like to bring in, but one of the league requirements is we're not allowed to release names until we actually sign them for the league. That is in the contract that we had to sign with the league so we have to be careful what we do. But we have plenty of time to sign the players."

The Hogges won just three of their 20 matches in their debut season in the USL, but with some valuables lessons learned, the club's owners are hoping to build on that and aim for a higher finish in the tables.

"Being so busy (with PHC) I haven't had much time to even think about the Hogges, just a little think here and there," the coach admits.

"As the coach, and with Shaun (Goater) and Paul (Scope), we're looking for better results this season and for us to be difficult to beat. That's the main thing, we want to see improvements.

"One thing for sure is we need to improve our home record."

The schedule for away matches was very taxing at times, with a couple of games squeezed into short, weekend trips. It tool a toll on the players, said Lightbourne.

"Going away we try to avoid having games back to back. We had a lot of games on a Friday and then a Saturday or a Saturday and a Sunday and it's asking a lot of the players.

"We also had to travel during those periods, driving for three or four hours (to the next city) and it takes a lot out of you. We would finish a match in the evening and then drive to the next destination and it was a bit hard on us and was a rude awakening for everyone."

He added: "When they do the schedule we sit down and then go over it and everybody has a turn prioritising certain things they would like to have in their schedule. They gave us three definite dates that we can have. It is our off-season and we have to look at certain things that are going on in and around Bermuda at that time. Cup Match was a concern and we didn't want to have football in Bermuda around Cup Match.

"We also tried to avoid travelling on Cup Match but I think we are travelling again on the second day of Cup Match. We want our players to enjoy the holiday as well and maybe one year it will work out for us."

Again the Hogges have an away match on the Saturday after Cup Match ¿ this time travelling to Harrisburg to meet the City Islanders. That will mean travelling on the second day of Cup Match."

That aside, the players thoroughly enjoyed their first taste of professional football last season and are looking forward to another season.

"Every time we see the Hogges players they ask 'when are we starting back up'? They can't want to get going again and enjoyed it last year," said Lightbourne.

"Right now we may be having our 'sticky patches' as far as the national team drawing against Cayman Islands, but football is changing and every country is doing something about it. If you don't you get left behind.

"The Hogges are doing our part for Bermuda and for the players as well. We get criticised but we have to take the rough with the smooth."