The issue of cricketers being asked not to play football ahead of international competitions has risen again, with concerns expressed this week about some national cricketers playing football for their league clubs ahead of the upcoming ICC Twenty20 World Qualifiers in Dubai.National coach Arnold Manders expressed concerns that some of the players in the training squad — namely Janeiro Tucker, Dion Stovell and Malachi Jones — could risk injury by playing football weeks ahead of the tournament. He told The Royal Gazette that he couldn’t stop his players from playing football but would be taking a sterner stance once the squad for the tournament has been announced.“I don’t want the cricketers to play football,” Manders said on Tuesday. “I’ve suggested that they don’t play but I can’t stop them. If they continue to train and play competitive matches then they risk injury at any moment. That would leave us having to rebuild and change the team around.”The situation is nothing new, going back at least 20 years since Bermuda’s cricketers began competing more regularly overseas, usually during the domestic football season. Before then the likes of Dennis Wainwright, Winston (Coe) Trott, Gladstone (Sad) Brown, Cal (Bummy) Symonds, Randy Horton, El James, Clyde Best and John Tucker were all two-sport stars.Back in 1994 Ricky Hill, who was also good enough to represent his country in both cricket and football, was pulled out of the Bermuda team for the ICC Trophy in Kenya after he opted to play in an Alliance Division football match for North Village. Former Sports Editor Dexter Smith was the standby player who replaced Hill after his brief appearance at Bernard Park was reported in the Mid-Ocean News.Speaking for the first time about the incident 19 years ago, Hill acknowledged that he “breached the policy that was in place” by playing football that day, coming on as a substitute for the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game.“I had been training very hard for cricket, and it was an Alliance football game on a Saturday afternoon and I only played about 15 minutes, realising that I didn’t want to risk an injury,” said Hill. “I guess they had grounds based on the agreement that I breached. If I signed something that doesn’t allow you to play football and I breached it than I have to accept whatever discipline takes place.“I’m not denying the fact that I did play and I’m not denying the fact that I signed a contract saying that I shouldn’t play. The wording said I should not play football but it didn’t say at what level and how many minutes I shouldn’t play.”Hill omission robbed the team of one of their better batsmen as Bermuda just failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing to Kenya by 64 runs in the semi-final. Hill wonders if Bermuda can afford to impose similar sanctions on the likes of Tucker, Stovell and Jones, three players who will likely form the backbone of the team, if they don’t agree to stop playing football ahead of the tournament.“The most unfortunate thing is you do have players who have those characteristics, that they are able to play football and cricket,” said Hill. “Unfortunately in my case they put something in play and I breached it and was taken out of the team and we didn’t qualify. At the end of the day we have the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup but really do we have the proper infrastructure in place on make sure we qualify or are we kidding ourselves. We have put $11 million into the sport and we haven’t gotten any better than we were when we qualified. It must be frustrating for the cricket followers.”Added Hill: “Do you take the backbone from the team, a person who has duel talent, and does the country suffer because of that? I’m not saying I don’t agree with rules and contracts, I work with them every day. In this case if you take our the heart of the team then you don’t stand a chance, in reality.” In February, Tucker revealed in a Royal Gazette article that he felt in the best shape he had been in years as a result of months playing football with Southampton Rangers, losing about 20 pounds. Even his troublesome knees were feeling better.“They (BCB) haven’t said anything about playing football, but I have been using it as a fitness part of my game as well,” said Tucker at the time. “With the fitness and losing about 20 pounds it has taken a strain off my knees so my knees feel like they are in perfect health now.”Like Tucker and Hill — and many others before them — Kyle Lightbourne also went on to play for his country in both sports. As a former professional footballer he understands the need to make a sacrifice. In his case it was giving up cricket while he pursued a football career in England.“Obviously both sports are trying to be as professional as possible and if you are going to turn professional then you have to pick one or the other,” said Lightbourne whose first love was football though he exhibited outstanding talent in cricket, enough to play Cup Match for Somerset and then to get selected, along with Dean Minors, to play in an ICC team at the 1988 Youth World Cup in Australia.“When you are playing amateur it is a little different I guess, but I can see that we are going to play international matches on the world stage and you want players to be ready for that and for people not to get injured. But football is going to get you physically fitter than cricket. In football, there is a greater risk of injury, for sure.“Deep down I loved football a lot more than cricket, but I felt that I would probably have been a better cricketer, it was more of a natural sport to me. Back then (1988) I had the opportunity to go to clubs in England as a cricketer, clubs like Durham and Warwickshire. The guy who was captain of the team we played for, Trevor Penney, played for Warwickshire for years. He was from Zimbabwe.”What they said on the issue ...“I played soccer with Ricky (Hill) when we were younger and I guess he signed an agreement and if he broke his promise he had to be dealt with. But I can’t see why promises like that have to be made in the first place. I mean, it’s all amateur. I could see if he was getting paid. The same thing happened to me when I was playing for Dandy Town in a cup final and they didn’t want me to play a league match and when I was going to the Pan Am games for tennis it was suggested that I give up soccer. I never did.” - Two sport star Ricky Mallory who excelled in both football and tennis, January 1994.“I might be sounding a bit selfish bit I think it should be up to the individual to determine whether or not he is going to play cricket or football. I benefit from soccer. They (BCB) know my situation and it’s obvious they don’t mind because they’ve selected me and whatever I’m involved in comes with the selection.” - Corey Hill, former Bermuda international in both cricket and football, December 1996.“I’ve advised guys to quit football by December 1, which is gone. They have been really co-operative with that. Most of them are committed and they understand.” - Allan Douglas, national coach and selection committee chairman, December 1996.“Even though I’m playing football and training with the national team, cricket is my main goal at the moment, and when the time comes I will be ready to be fully committed.” - National squad player Dion Stovell who plays both cricket and football, November 2011.“Dion Stovell and Janeiro Tucker are athletes who play both football and cricket and our club’s stance is to respect the wishes of the national cricket team so that they can have the best preparation possible for their tour to Dubai. Yes, we would love to have them available to play with us in football but we have to look at the bigger picture as to what is best for the country. That is the sacrifice that we have to make right now.” - Southampton Rangers football coach Maurice Lowe, September 2013