Setplay promoter and local Hall of Fame footballer Clyde (Bunny) Best threw his support behind national coach Kyle Lightbourne on the eve of Bermuda?s friendly against New England Revolution tonight at the National Sports Centre (NSC).

The former Somerset Trojans and West Ham striker applauded Lightbourne?s bold decision to part company with several team stalwarts in order to make way for younger blood, but then lashed out at Bermuda Football Association (BFA) for what he perceives to be a lack of vision on the part of local football?s governing body.

Aside from 2006 World Cup qualifying members Damon Ming, John Barry Nusum, Stanton Lewis, Timmy Figureido and Stephen Astwood, Lightbourne has opted to blood relatively inexperienced players against the Revs in their tour opener at the NSC.

?You have to give the youngsters a chance. We need to first get the team playing properly and do what?s right for a change.

?This is one of our biggest problems in Bermuda . . . we are too interested in winning,? Best told .

?We think we have a deserved right to win playing against professionals. This is not Dandy Town or any other local team.

?These are professionals and it?s going to take us a bit of time to adjust to playing at this level and eventually the wins will come.

?We must learn to be patient and give Kyle (Lightbourne) a fair chance.

?Kyle hasn?t even had a sustained national programme which is not his fault.?

Tonight?s clash will be Lightbourne?s first assignment since last June?s crushing 7-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City?s Youth Academy at the Sports Centre.

Since taking over the post from Kenny Thompson in October of 2004, Lightbourne has managed only one win, against Cayman Islands in the inaugural Digicel Cup in St.Vincent.

Best took issue with his former colleagues at the BFA.

?Where are we going? Where are we going to be in the next ten years? Nobody can tell you,? he said.

?You have to start making changes at some point in time and it?s sad we have not been able to keep at least one national team together for five years.

?When you have individuals on various committees that don?t understand what is required in football, then you get exactly what we are getting.

?And I?m not trying to be critical . . . I?m just calling it as I see it.

?We can?t be blaming the coach (Lightbourne) when Bermuda football has been in disarray for the past 15 or so years.

?A lot of other individuals must be held accountable for this and not the new guy on the block.

?Lightbourne is trying to do the best with what he has got and now other people have to bring in tours because the BFA can?t get any money. This is a sad state of affairs.?

Best said the time had come for Bermuda to adopt a more organised and professional approach to the game. And pitting local players against opposition such as tonight?s was the first of many steps Bermuda must take, he insisted.

?That?s the whole object of bringing in these professional teams, to give our players the chance to play against better opposition than they do here week in and week out,? Best said.

?Hopefully this is going to make them better players because I?ve always said you don?t get any better playing against players the same calibre. You have to be tested at a higher calibre in order to learn.?

Best said it was also unfortunate Revs? Bermudian striker Khano Smith would not get the opportunity to showcase his talents during the Major League Soccer club?s 13-day tour of the Island.

The former Dandy Town striker is recovering from minor knee surgery.

?Obviously we would have liked to have had Khano play. Whenever you?ve been abroad it?s always nice to come back and showcase some of the things you?ve learned in front of the home crowd,? he said.

?I?m sure he has learned something and wants to let the people see. But unfortunately he is injured so we have to accept that.?