The Dudley Eve Trophy should remain untouched according to several of the Island's soccer coaches.

Moves to scrap the traditional festive tournament this year in favour of matches involving an overseas touring team have brought criticism from some areas of the footballing fraternity.

But the Bermuda Football Association are determined to forge ahead and will today confirm that a team from Jamaica will be arriving on the Island this December.

Earlier this week Alfie Eve, the son of the former administrator for whom the tournament is named, condemned any moves to axe the competition saying it was 'dishonourable' and would do a 'disservice' to the people of Bermuda.

Boulevard manager Amon Brown agreed.

"Mr. Eve did a lot for local football and to take something away that is in his honour is like a slap in the face," he said. "Even if they don't play it over the Christmas break they can still play it later. It only involves the top four teams."

Devonshire Cougars coach Albert Smith asked how such a prestigious and lucrative tournament could just be cast aside.

"A lot of clubs benefited financially from the tournament," he said. "Not just those who were actually involved in the competition but also the clubs that hosted the various games. Teams really looked forward to playing in the tournament."

Those views were echoed by Somerset Cricket Club's director of football Josef Gooden.

"It's been a long tradition and it drew the biggest crowds," he said. "It also gives college players an incentive to come back and play. Most of the teams who make it have college players and now there's nothing for them to come back and play for.

"Yes, tour games are important but are they feasible and what is the BFA's ultimate goal?"

North Village coach Scott Morton felt the tournament should stay in its present form but suggested it might be played at another date leaving Christmas open for tours.

"I see no real reason to scrap it once you've started something," he said.

"The BFA will ultimately have to decide which way to go but at the moment we are just hearing one person saying one thing and one person saying another.

"But I do think it would be good to leave it as a name cup and perhaps schedule it for a different time of the season so it would continue to honour the Eve family for their contributions to local football over the years."

Former Devonshire Colts striker Jeff Richardson was a member of the Colts team who won the inaugural match against North Village and also scored during the two-legged final. He says the tournament is part of Bermuda's history.

"I don't think it should have been a decision for the BFA to make on their own," he said. "It's something that they could have taken up with their membership first at the club level.

"I don't know if the clubs had been informed initially or if they had been informed prior to the BFA's announcement but I do know that it will be sad to see one of our oldest tournaments scrapped."

Richardson was one of those teenagers who returned home from school to play in the Dudley Eve.

"A lot of young players who are currently away in school really looked forward to coming back home and showing their stuff because it really was a stage during the Christmas holiday when you get the big crowds out."

One voice in favour of the move was that of Dennis Brown, the former Wolves coach.

"All competitions are good but I always felt that the Dudley Eve was very hard on the players because they had to play a lot of football over a short period of time," he said.

"The teams that were rested over the Christmas period always had the advantage heading into the second-half of the season and I think that for them to cancel it for this year will be for the betterment of football in Bermuda."

Meanwhile, Tuesday night's postponed FA Cup first round match between Devonshire Colts and PHC Zebras has now been rescheduled for Sunday at White Hill Field. The FA Cup first round matches between Pest Control and Paget and Devonshire Cougars and Social Club have been rescheduled for next Tuesday night at Devonshire Rec.