to be great concern about the future of one of the First Division's top clubs -- Hotels International.

The team that barely survived in the top flight last season have lost some quality players in the recent transfer period without adequately replacing them, including both goalkeepers Randy Darrell and Gladwin Edness.

"I can't comment on that just yet,'' said president Andrew Starling when asked yesterday about the club's prospects for the new season. But rumour is rife that they may consider pulling out of the league if the outlook remains dim.

First on their agenda will be to appoint a new coach. Clevie Wade was fired midway through last season and Robert Calderon, who took over until the end of the season, has been linked with a coaching position at North Village, the club where he started.

"We have approached two or three people and will make a decision once we see the final list of players,'' said Starling of the vacant coaching post.

Hotels, who fielded the oldest squad in the First Division last season with an average age of about 31, lost nine players during the transfer period while picking up only six.

Those departing include 39-year-old captain Eugene Simmons (North Village), Darrell (Southampton Rangers), Edness, Clifton Anderson and Chris Sabir (all to Somerset), Franklyn Greaves (St. George's), Don Lewis (Dandy Town), and Robert Lopes (Wolves).

Of those joining the club only Walter Musson is an established First Division player. Musson rejoins Hotels after just one season back with Dandy Town.

The status of some of the senior players remaining with the club is uncertain, including former Bermuda internationals Ricky Hill and Coolridge Bell who led their scoring last season with seven and six goals respectively. Hill is involved in Bermuda's ICC cricket preparations while Bell suffered a serious leg injury last season and may also be doubtful.

Both players are already past the age of 30 as are Myron Piper (38), Derek Scott (34) and Philip Smith (32).

Hotels have won a host of domestic trophies in the last two decades, including league titles in 1974-75 and 1979-80, the Martonmere Cup in '81-82 and '83-84, the Friendship Trophy in '82-83 and the FA Cup in '84-85.

However, things started to go downhill two seasons ago when they were hit by the transfer of Musson, Marlon Lindsay, Paul Towlson, Scott Morton and Neil Topping.

They had a good start to the 1992-93 season and were even in first place in mid-November before a 3-0 loss to PHC -- the same night that Ricky Hill broke a wrist -- started a slide, which saw them lose 4-0 to Devonshire Colts and 2-0 to North Village in successive matches.

Early in the new year, Wade was fired as coach during a period of low morale and they eventually just missed relegation when they finished a point ahead of second-from-bottom St. David's.