Bermuda Hogges president Shaun Goater yesterday said the death of former Hogges and national team striker Shaki Crockwell had left the football community in shock.

Goater (pictured top right) and coach Kyle Lightbourne contacted all Mr. Crockwell's Hogges team-mates to break the news and offer words of comfort over the weekend.

He said all the Hogges players had indicated they would show up for his funeral to show support for his devastated family.

Former Manchester City star Goater learned about Mr. Crockwell's death when a friend telephoned him at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

"I was like: 'Are you serious?' I got on the phone and called Kyle, who hadn't even known, and we both started calling the team," said Goater. "We said that we wanted all the boys to attend his funeral because he was part of our inaugural season. We will support his family in any way we can.

"It's a shock to the football community. He was so into his football; dedicated to his football. He was bubbly: that was his character. When the team was not playing so well, he would get everyone else going. He was the life and soul of the dressing room.

"That was some of his attributes. That's why we got him involved with the Hogges."

Police say Mr. Crockwell was shot in the neck and killed on the Railway Trail in Devonshire on Friday night. His friends and family say the tragedy happened as Mr. Crockwell was trying to put a difficult past behind him. Yesterday, Goater echoed Lightbourne's call for other young sportsmen on the Island to learn the lesson to steer clear of confrontation.

"I have no idea why somebody might have done what they have done," he said. "I just try to pass on to these players: you have the opportunity, whatever you do, to be involved in something positive.

"This is what we are able to offer our players. You get to do what you love. Because we are playing football everyday, everyday, you are staying fit so you can't go out. I just hope that if there's anyone in any situation like that, that they see it and think of Shaki. I think he was trying to move away from the crowd. I hope the younger ones can learn from this and hopefully make good decisions."

Sammy DeGraff played football with Mr. Crockwell since the pair were youngsters and was his team-mate for both the national side and Bermuda Hogges.

"I just came back on the Island and a friend of mine called me and said he had been shot. I couldn't believe it," said DeGraff.

"People have been calling everyone, shocked. It's just kind of like: 'Man, why did that have to happen?' That's life I guess.

"He was trying to get himself together and starting to come into his own. He was a joker, a very sociable kind of guy, easy to get along with. It's just unfortunate."

Referring to Mr. Crockwell's progress on the football field, where he had begun to fulfil his early promise, DeGraff said: "He had a good domestic season and he started to become a regular in the national team.

"He's going to be missed, not just by Boulevard (Blazers), but for Bermuda."