Murder victim Shaki Crockwell's former football team-mates are to raise money for his devastated family by staging a fund-raising match.

Boulevard Blazers players are still reeling from the killing of their captain and star striker Mr. Crockwell, 25, whose body was found in a pool of blood on the Railway Trail, Devonshire, at about 10.20 p.m. last Friday.

He had been shot in the neck.

Club secretary Saidha Wainwright told The Royal Gazette they were planning a memorial game in September or October to generate cash for the victim's two young sons, eight-year-old Qwezi Savory and Santiago Crockwell, aged just six or seven months. It is hoped a trust fund can be set up so they can go to college when they are older.

Ms Wainwright said players were planning to attend next Tuesday's funeral wearing T-shirts carrying photographs of national team footballer Mr. Crockwell, while this week's training sessions had been cancelled.

"We are trying to help the family with the arrangements as much as we can," she said. "Everyone is still in shock at the fact he's not going to be here any more."

Also yesterday, Shaun Goater, the president of another of Mr. Crockwell's teams Bermuda Hogges, called for witnesses to come forward to help Police with their investigation.

The former Manchester City striker is the latest in a long line of names, including Governor Sir John Vereker, Premier Ewart Brown, Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley and Public Safety Minister David Burch, to urge people to break Bermuda's "code of silence" which stops the public informing on murderers.

People's reluctance to speak to Police has been partly blamed for the failure to secure any convictions in the Island's previous two shooting murders, Shaundae Crockwell in 2003 and Jason Lightbourne last year.

"It's a life and a life is important. You want people to speak out. You want anyone who has heard anything or knows something to pass the information on," said Mr. Goater.

"People feel threatened, which is why they won't come forward. It takes courage."

Anonymous hotline Crimestoppers issued a statement yesterday stressing that its calls are answered through a centre in Miami, Florida, and that they are not recorded or monitored.

"There is a safe, secure and totally anonymous hotline set up expressly to receive calls from those persons who might otherwise by cautious or concerned about sharing information directly about the Police service," said the statement.

"Information received is written down and relayed back to Crimestoppers' local co-ordinator and, when appropriate, forwarded on to local law enforcement agencies. In most instances, Police officers are not even made aware of the fact that they are acting on a Crimestoppers' tip.

"Callers using the Crimestoppers hotline will never be asked to give their name or reveal any other personal information, even when a reward is sought. Crimestoppers urges the public to end the silence, stop the violence."

A week after the incident, Police refused to provide any information on how their investigation was going. Since a brief press conference on Monday in which detectives revealed details about the murder and issued a plea for witnesses, Bermuda Police Service has declined many requests for updates from this newspaper.

Yesterday, Police said they had a "media strategy" in place, meaning they would only speak to the press "at the appropriate times".

Force spokesman Dwayne Caines told The Royal Gazette it would not be prudent to disseminate information, including how many witnesses had responded to calls for help so far, whether they were close to an arrest and whether Sen. Burch was right to claim Police were confident they knew who the killer was.

On Tuesday, Police described the initial response to their appeal as "very, very, very encouraging" but stressed the need for more people to come forward.

Mr. Crockwell was wearing jeans and a green hooded top. Anyone with information should telephone Police on 299-4239 or the anonymous Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.