Shaun Goater has it right, very right in fact, and I applaud the decision he has made to stay with his club Manchester City and help them in their chase for promotion in the English First Division, rather than leave them to play for Bermuda against Antigua.

And if I had any input, I would strongly urge Stoke's Kyle Lightbourne to follow suit and do the same thing, with his team still in with a shot of reaching the play-offs.

I know Clyde Best and his coaching staff are aiming to accomplish something big-time for Bermuda during the current World Cup campaign, but you can't deny these two Bermudian professionals the right of pursuing something that has been a long-time dream -- that is to establish themselves in English soccer, preferably at the highest level.

Although he faced many other more sensitive distractions when he played with West Ham in top-flight soccer in England during the late '60s and through to the mid-'70s, Best himself didn't face any FIFA ruling of this nature which, only introduced in recent years, called for a player to be accountable to country first over club in all cases -- a rule I believe which is not only stupid, but one that surely does impede on the privileges and rights of the clubs who employ them.

We are talking about their livelihood, which ranks high above any measly hopes of taking little Bermuda to the next round of the World Cup preliminaries which, with a lucky role of the dice they might achieve.

But realistically speaking, the chances that Bermuda may advance much further once we meet up against tougher teams are indeed remote, as much as we all pray for their continued success.

And how far does Bermuda hope to advance without a solid financial structure such as the extraordinary one that existed in Jamaica during the last World Cup campaign when big business rallied behind them? To me there is too much risk at stake for so little reward for the Goaters and Lightbournes.

Continued on page 14 Goater is right...

Continued from page 13 Rewards for success with Bermuda are limited to a pat on the back or a parade on the streets of Hamilton, as for major achievements such as those recorded by Gary Darrell and his men back in 1992 when Bermuda made that historic run to reach the first round.

That will not put food on the table for the Goaters and Lightbournes or assist them in paying their mortgages or prepare school funds for their kids.

To represent one's country is indeed a great tribute and honour, but should we allow this to occur to these two professionals at the expense of having positions at their clubs severely jeopardised? I understand that was the case for Lightbourne when he returned to Stoke after playing in the BVI and lost his starting place.

How important is it for little Bermuda to reach another round, how important is it for Bermuda to bring back these boys to play against countries whose own standards hover at our own pitifully inadequate level? Simply putting it, it's not important -- or at least it's not important when you consider their careers are at stake.

While I admit to being one of the first to applaud the BFA when they got Bermuda back in the World Cup during the early '90s, we must not let any inappropriately high expectations get the better of us.

We should look at our national team like a pro side often has to and and evaluate a situation when somebody is not available because of various reasons and make adjustments from within.

There are always quality players around ready and keen to seize the opportunity to move into a starting role when a key player is not available.

And we have some ready to come in to play this role.

Against countries still considered to be minnows at a world level such as Antigua, certainly players such as young Stevie Astwood and Rohaan Simons among a few will jump at the opportunity to prove themselves.

Please BFA, leave Goater and Lightbourne alone until their seasons conclude.

Shaun Goater's decision not to play for Bermuda in either Antigua match this month could cost his country a place in the next round of the World Cup. That would be a terrible waste. And that is why I believe he is wrong to rule himself out.

With the Island's other England-based striker Kyle Lightbourne also unavilable for the first leg, it means Bermuda will go into a tricky-looking World Cup match without their two best players.

That is a sad situation for national team coach Robert Calderon, who must feel like a general going to war without his air force -- because they are busy fighting someone else's battle.

It is a matter of principle. If countries cannot play their best players because of club commitments, as Calderon has quite rightly opined the World Cup becomes devalued. And in my view, that is soccer sacrilege.

Of course, the two pros' livelihoods have to be considered. Playing football is a short career and both Goater and Lightbourne have turned 30.

So a compromise between club and country would be sensible. That was achieved in the first round against the BVI when the pair played the away leg and were excused for the home leg. In Lightbourne's case, the formula may be repeated for Antigua if he returns for the home match on April 23, having taken leave for the first leg to take what may be his one chance to play at Wembley.

But Goater, who said earlier he was looking for a solution "in everybody's best interests'', wants no part in either Antigua match. Where is the compromise there? The solution may be in Manchester City's best interests -- but Bermuda's interests have clearly been overlooked. Goater's goalscoring ability would give his team an edge in their Caribbean Zone Two preliminaries, even if he was only asked to play in half the games.

And the striker's interests survived unharmed after he missed City's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace to play in the BVI, thanks to the compromise struck by the BFA and City excusing him from Continued on page 14 Continued from page 13 the second leg, as Bermuda had earned a big lead.

And let's face it, City knew very well that Goater was a Bermuda international before they signed him.

I admire Goater and believe that he has made the most of his ability through sheer hard work. And I hope his dream of reaching the Premier League comes true.

But there are many other dreams at stake here -- not least the dreams of his Bermuda team-mates. They are making sacrifices too. No-one pays them for playing football and they have to fit in training around their families and careers. For them, the chance of reaching the `Super 12' World Cup qualifying stage and stepping out at the National Stadium to face the likes of Mexico or the USA remains tantalisingly within reach -- but they know with Goater's help their ambitions are more likely to be realised.

The World Cup comes round once every four years and a good campaign acts as a flagship for Bermuda soccer. Domestically, the game has bounced back strongly after troubled times with a thrilling league campaign this year which went to the wire.

And success for the national team can bolster that progress and inspire the kids who could be the Shaun Goaters and Clyde Bests of tomorrow.

But if Goater doesn't want to play, there is nothing the BFA can do about it.

They can't make him get on the plane.

If England wanted Steve McManaman for a World Cup game and he refused to play on the grounds that Real Madrid's Spanish league campaign was more important, he would be castigated nationwide.

Dwight Yorke leaves Manchester United to play for Trinidad & Tobago and Nwankwo Kanu leaves Arsenal to play for Nigeria, so it's a great shame Shaun Goater will not play for Bermuda.