As news of Government?s $15 million cash injection into football continues to reverberate around the Island, former English professional footballer Shaun Goater has now urged his fellow countrymen to throw their weight behind the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) and support them in their long-term endeavours.

While obviously delighted over the ?huge? investment, Goater said the time had now come for all those associated with the sport locally to come together under one umbrella to help move football ahead in the right direction.

?Basically everyone has an important role to play to help the game. It?s now up to all of us to do the right thing as players and supporters to help the game to grow,? Goater said.

?The number one programme in Bermuda should be the BFA, and that?s who I?m calling for because I think we would be so much more successful as a country if we are all pretty much under the BFA?s umbrella.

?Government has done its part, but now it?s time for us to do ours because this is a huge sum of money which shows the support in what they believe is the right way forward for us.

?This is a huge thing and I think Government realise how important football is to our community and to all of us as a whole. Football is pretty much in every other household, whether you played or someone in your family played or you just genuinely support it. And as far as I can recall this is the first time we?ve had such a large injection of funds going to our football programme.

?And I?m just glad to be here to play whatever part there is to help our youngsters go from playing locally to playing overseas and getting football scholarships and pro contracts.?

Goater also backed former national coach and BFA technical committee member, Gary Darrell, who earlier this week called for the hiring of a technical director from overseas.

?Having now had several years of local coaches in the position I really do believe the time is right to go overseas again,? Darrell told .

Goater yesterday agreed.

?I think we are at a point where we need to employ a foreign technical director,? he said.

?And I wouldn?t disagree to that individual being a Brazilian, German or an Englishman.?

German Burkard Ziese was the last foreign technical director employed by the BFA in the early 1990s, while former West Ham striker Clyde Best was the last local to occupy the post.

The BFA now intend to use public funding to hire a technical and youth director, prepare the Island?s various national teams for overseas competition, upgrade the domestic league and cup competitions and also support academic and scholarship programmes for youth footballers among a host of other progressive initiatives.

Somerset Trojans? coach Dennis Brown, meanwhile, is also among those pleased to see Government invest heavily in local football.

?It?s a great relief to see Government and someone like Mr Horton as the Minister have such an appreciation about what is required at this level because he is someone who has already been there to the top,? Brown said.

And in terms of a new technical director, Brown added: ?What I would love to see is the BFA bring in a technical director who can put plans and a programme in place. And not just at the club level, but also at the national level.

?I thought we had a brilliant technical director in Burkard Ziese, but unfortunately there was no plan when he left.?

Meanwhile, additional Government funding will go towards the hosting of a Bermuda Football Classic ? which would see legendary footballers from around the globe play against local opposition at the National Sports Centre ? raising the standard of refereeing, club development and also the hiring of a full-time professional fund development officer whose duties will be to raise additional funding from corporate sector for the BFA?s various programmes.

Long-time sports administrator and historian Warrington (Soup) Zuill ? who yesterday endorsed the BFA?s six-year strategic plan ? also hopes to see the Association acquire the services of a technical director from overseas.

?As far as I can see I think the plan looks good, although its long overdue,? he said.