A $36-million, six-year plan to revamp local football has been submitted to the Government by the Bermuda Football Association (BFA).

BFA president Larry Mussenden said yesterday the sport?s governing body had requested that two thirds of the funding for the plan should come from public funds, with the rest hoped to emanate from private-sector donors.

During yesterday?s swearing in of new Sports Minister Randy Horton at Government House, it was revealed that the BFA had submitted a request to obtain substantial public funding to facilitate a full-time Technical Director, a Youth Development Director, various National Staff Coaches and also a Fund Raising/Development Officer.

And Mr. Mussenden revealed that the BFA?s ambitious plan had been enthusiastically received by outgoing Sports Minister Dale Butler whose former Ministry is being asked to fork out $24 million over the next six years.

?What we have done is submitted to the Government a request to them to support football to the tune of $24 million over the six-year period from 2006 to 2012,? BFA president Larry Mussenden told .

?We recognised the Government gave money to cricket when the national team had already qualified for the 2007 World Cup. But we have also recognised in football that we need that kind of money in order to qualify for the World Cup, and then even more after that. So we?re looking for the support of the Government.?

The BFA had been working closely with former Sports Minister Butler since the beginning of the year on strategic planning sessions, as well as working out the details of what?s required to improve Bermuda?s overall football product.

?The result of those consultations and planning sessions is an 85-page strategic planning document, with 55 of those pages explaining the actual planning itself,? Mussenden continued.

?We found that in order for us to improve football in Bermuda there were a number of areas that we had to touch upon. And that was the technical development side, development of clubs, development of referees, our youth development programme and a number of other key areas.

?And as far as the technical side was concerned we felt we needed to have a Technical Director, National Coaches at each level and also a Youth Director who together with co-ordinators would be able to invest in our young people.

?But in order to achieve all of these things, we needed the funding for it. And another area we recognise to be in need of funding is a post for a Fund-raising/Development Officer ? and that is someone who will be able to establish and maintain relations with the donor sector.

?What we have found looking at other charities in Bermuda, for instance all the private schools and hospitals, they all have full-time fund-raisers. So in order for football to develop that individual will be key to the implementation and the success of the strategy, and so we have asked for funding for that.?

On an annual basis local donors pump an estimated $60 to 70 million into local charitable organisations. The BFA are now looking to secure four to five million of that money to help subsidise its various football programmes.

?Our total budget for the plan is about $36 million and it also involves having all of our national teams up and running and also salaries to be paid to our football players in the lead up to World Cup qualification,? the BFA chief added.

?So we are actually looking for $24 million from Government from the period 2006 to 2012, with the rest of the funding to come from the fund raising/development officer.?

Mussenden said the association?s six-year strategic plan will be released to the general public ?soon?.

?It is in the printing stage right now, and we?re all very excited that we are going to be able to release it to everyone so they can take it home and study it,? he added.

?We had a very good response from Minister Butler who was very ecstatic over the plan. I even recall him stating this was ?the best strategic plan? submitted by any sports organisation in Bermuda.

?We have spent an enormous amount of time investing in the plan to ensure we?ve got everything right. And we feel this is the blueprint for football in Bermuda for the next six years.?

Mussenden now hopes incoming Sports Minister Randy Horton will also embrace the association?s ambitious plan.

?We know that Minister Horton has served football throughout his entire life at a very high level. So we are really looking for Minister Horton?s support for football and are keen to work with him where Minister Butler left off,? he said.

Shortly after being sworn in at Government House yesterday, Minister Horton told : ?We want to see an increased investment in football and all sports because we think that all are important. But when we look at football more kids in Bermuda play football than any other sport.?

Mussenden now hopes Government funding for the association?s strategic plan will be included in the next Budget.

?Our first commitment is in the region of $3.4 million,? he said. ?And we hope Cabinet will see fit and support our request that would enable us to achieve the things we need to achieve.?