PAUL Scope said Bermuda's only professional football team will be aiming for the USL Division 2 playoffs this year when the season gets underway in the spring.

Scope, co-owner of the Bermuda Hogges along with president Shaun Goater and coach Kyle Lightbourne, said that after a tough two seasons in the USL, he was confident of seeing the Hogges improve this season.

"Yes we are confident that we will keep improving. We only finished one position above bottom last year but if we had won that last game against Harrisburg – and we only lost 2-1 – we would have made the playoffs. Points wise we were much better last year than the first season and you also have to remember that last season was interrupted by the national team. So yes we are confident that we can keep improving and this will be the year we will be aiming to make the playoffs."

There is also one less team in the Division 2 this year – the number has been reduced from 10 teams to nine as Cleveland were promoted to Division 1.

"Now we will have to play four teams three times and they have reduced the playoff spots from six to five. We have a pretty good fixture list – I think it has been fairly kind to us. The four teams that we have to play three times we can be competitive with – Crystal Palace are probably the best side of those four teams and the others, Western Mass, Real Maryland and Pittsburgh, are all teams we were well matched against last year. So I am fairly optimistic for the coming season."

And Scope is confident that the team's primary sponsors will stay on board even in these challenging financial times.

"Nobody has said no yet. In January we always go and visit our sponsors to tell them what we have achieved and about plans for the upcoming season. We are hopeful that our original sponsors will stick with us."

Those main sponsors are ACE, RenaissanceRe, Aspen RE and Bermuda Tourism.

"They have been fantastic so far and they have been part of history. Obviously we are realistic as well and we might have to find new sponsors. But our sponsors are all doing relatively well in these challenging times – I would say all those sponsors are in superior financial shape," said Scope adding that he wanted to see more fans attend the home games at the National Sports Centre.

"Of course I would like to get more people to come out. We are looking at various things we can do but the fans who have been coming out want to watch serious football. I think the crowd will improve when our results, especially at home, improve. Everybody loves a winner. But the crowds that we have had have become very loyal. I have had people asking me when will the season start. And they are very complimentary of the standard of football they have seen and what a good night out it is. Our loyal fans can't wait for the season to start. I certainly hope that we can get off to a good start. We have a couple of games away and then four games in a row at home which will help. And we have structured the schedule so that our home games will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we can get the younger kids out. If we can get a good start at home then more people will come out to watch."

And Scope said they have discussed reducing the price of tickets as well as giving out some tickets to the schools.

"We want to do more with the kids – we do not have any school nights during our home schedule and we have avoided going away at Cup match. Basically we have learned how to play that game better. We are going to give away tickets to the schools and try and get a good fan base with the kids. Hopefully their parents will come along. But it is more about the future as we hope to be around for a long time." Scope said he, Lightbourne and Goater want the fans to have a loyalty to the Hogges – but not to the detriment of their clubs.

"Club loyalties hard to break. We are not looking for PHC supporters to change their allegiance but we are all hoping that they all get behind the Hogges as a Bermuda team," he said.

As far as ticket pricing is concerned he said: "We are looking at the pricing of tickets and we may bring them down. After all it is not the gate receipts that are going to save us. We may give away some dollars (in lowering the price of tickets) but if we can increase the gate and have the same amount (coming in) but with 300 or 400 more supporters then that is a better atmosphere all around. It will be worth it. We are trying to learn from the first two years."

And the Hogges will come out this season in a new strip.

"It is a cleaner strip but we are keeping with the same colours. We found that the demand for replicas was high – higher than we expected so we are ordering a lot of replicas this year and they should be here for the start of the season."

The Hogges will be sticking with Kyle Lightbourne as head coach. "We have no plans to change. I think Kyle is one of the best coaches in Bermuda – if not the best and he has the respect of the players. And now you have Shaun getting great experience with Village. Both Kyle and Shaun are relatively new coaches although they have had great exposure to the professional game (in England) but like anything you learn from the school of hard knocks – and the Hogges have certainly given them that over the first two years! But I have seen Kyle really improve – whenever we had a double header Kyle has always done better in the second game. He doesn't mind changing things up and of course Shaun will get valuable experience with coaching Village."

But while Lightbourne will stay as head coach of the Hogges, Scope said he doesn't want the Hogges to be exclusive.

"We don't pay for coaching but if any Bermuda coaches want to get involved with training sessions we would welcome it. We have talked to some coaches about it. I do know it is a lot to ask someone to spend time for no reward (financially) but hopefully they would get good experience."

A number of players from the last two seasons will be coming back and Scope said there will be some new faces. Also if any of the players get offers from abroad the Hogges will certainly not stand in their way.

"We let all the boys be released (from their contract) at the end of the season which gave them the opportunity – if they wanted – to try for a higher team now that they have been seen. And there has been interest from USL 1 and 2 clubs although I cannot divulge who expressed those interests. But at least some of our players got the attention of other clubs.

"We would not stand in the way of any player. As everyone knows the main reason we are doing the Hogges is to develop the Bermuda players and the national team. If someone can play and get a better chance of an overseas contract then we are all for it. That would also give someone else the opportunity of coming in (for the Hogges)."