Somerset Cricket Club just might have cost their own management committee member, Mark Trott, the presidency of Bermuda Football Association, can reveal

Only hours after Trott lost a close race to incumbent Larry Mussenden in a secret ballot, it was learned that his adopted club ? Somerset ? did not vote for their own member but instead rallied their support behind Mussenden who was successfully returned to office for a second term.

Had Somerset backed their man, things would have been entirely different with Trott taking control.

The former national coach lost the election, held during the association?s annual general meeting at Police Recreation Club on Wednesday night, by a slim 11 to 10 margin.

It was the second time Trott had been unsuccessful at the polls having lostto Neville Tyrell in 2000 by one vote in yet another close race for the association?s top post.

?We felt that Mr.Trott never came out directly and stated a mandate for football in Bermuda whereas Mr.Mussenden stated point-blank where he thought he had brought football and where it is he intends to take football,? said a high-ranking Somerset Cricket Club official who agreed to speak to yesterday on condition of anonymity.

?Mr.Trott seemed to have people working for him behind the scenes and he never came out directly and stated where he wanted to take football and so the executive at Somerset decided to go with Mussenden instead.?

In the lead-up to the annual general meeting, Trott had gathered the solid backing of a group of former BFA executives including Clyde Best ? the best player ever to come up through the ranks at Cricket Lane ? and honorary BFA vice-presidents Leroy (Nibs) Lewis and Carlton (Pepe) Dill.

But there are now those who feel Trott?s allegiance to a group of former BFA executives ultimately led to his demise.

?That would have been a step backwards . . . bringing in old influences with old ideas,? added the Somerset official. ?We feel that Mussenden?s administration has made some progress . . . but there is still a long way to go. And Somerset would have never supported the decision to take local football backwards.

?This was a decision that was made by the executive committee. The members give the committee the authority to make executive decisions and we feel that they did in fact make a decision that was made in the best interests of football in Bermuda.?

It is understood that Trott had gathered some support among the Somerset membership who felt it might have been advantageous to have one of their own residing among the BFA hierarchy.

However, according to the source that spoke to , ?the onus remains on the clubs to help themselves and not solely rely on others to bail them out.?

?A lot of clubs like the (Sports) Minister (Dale Butler) and Mr. (Rolf) Commissiong (chairman of a new committee to investigate the demise of local sports clubs) have stated must now begin helping themselves. For too long now many of our clubs have remained dormant. And it?s now time to start running them like a genuine business,? he added.

?But again, Mark (Trott) never came out and stated what his mandate would be and Mussenden did.?

Trott was unavailable for comment yesterday as he is currently off the Island on business.

Meanwhile, Somerset Cricket Club are poised to host night football for the first time in nearly three years tonight.

And football fans should be treated to what could amount to an exciting battle when the Trojans welcome perennial arch rivals PHC Zebras to their Cricket Lane ground.

While Trojans were brought crashing back down to earth last Sunday, courtesy of a 4-0 hammering from North Village, Zebras picked up their second successive win of the season against Boulevard at Southampton Oval.

Trojans won the previous encounter between the two clubs to advance to the final and ultimately hoist the First Division Shield competition last season.

While the West Enders are expected to have their wok cut out for them against a confident Zebras outfit, the home team might be wary of the previous occasion when night football was launched under the lights at Somerset some 25 years ago.

Trojans lost that match to Vasco da Gama and had striker Stevie Riley sent off.

Tonight?s Premier Division match-up will be preceded by a women?s league contest featuring Somerset Cricket Club Hurricanes and Konica Cup and league champions PHC.