Bermuda football celebrated another landmark last night as the first local professional outfit ? already dubbed the ?Dream team? ? was officially launched in the Island?s capital.

The United Soccer League?s (USL) tenth expansion franchise ? Bermuda Hogges ? was unveiled before local dignitaries, corporate sponsors, Bermuda Football Association officials, club representatives and members of the media on the outdoor terrace of Fresco?s Wine Bar in Chancery Lane.

The Hogges will compete in the USL?s second division, and will debut against the New Hampshire Phantoms at the National Sports Centre (NSC) on April 20.

For team co-owner and Manchester City icon Shaun Goater, last night?s ceremony was the culmination of months of arduous work.

?I don?t really think we knew just how much work was involved,? the Goat said.

?This for me is a huge moment. I think we?ve had a great ten days (seven) with regard to the investment Government have given to football. We see the Hogges franchise as almost being on the top of the pyramid whereas our youngsters will now receive really good coaching from their local clubs and develop and improve before aspiring to the Hogges or playing professionally and showcasing their talent.

?We are extremely excited about this whole thing, and I can?t really stress this enough.?

Former Coventry City striker, Bermuda national coach and Hogges? co-owner Kyle Lightbourne has been appointed head coach of the team.

Lightbourne will be assisted by fellow co-owner Paul Scope, who announced local reinsurance company RenaissanceRe as the new franchise?s first major sponsor.

Presently the team has a roster of 25 players ? three of who will be paid as full-time professionals with the remainder of the squad classified as ?part-timers? ? and five additional potential sponsors who will help offset the Hogges? annual $750,000 budget.

Team officials also hope to generate additional funding from gate receipts and the sale of Hogges sporting merchandise.

Making the trip from the US to officially welcome the Hogges into the USL?s ranks, was league vice-president Tim Holt ? a native of Philadelphia and a first time visitor to Bermuda.

?This is an unbelievably exciting time for us to congratulate and welcome the tenth franchise of the USL second division, the Bermuda Hogges,? Holt said.

?We are here today for three reasons . . .Shaun Goater, Kyle Lightbourne and Paul Scope who we believe in. It was clear to us that they are about two things. . . and they are about developing football and about Bermuda.

?And for us it just felt like a perfect fit and they are going to do a fantastic job with this soccer franchise in helping Bermuda football in the broader sense to take it to that proverbial level.

?I think this is an incredible opportunity for the best domestic-based players in Bermuda, because right now North American soccer is at a point where things are happening like they never happened before.?

Last night also saw the unveiling of the team?s colourful home (white, with red and green trimming) and away strip (red and green) which was presented before curious onlookers and a giant statue of a hog ? loaned for the momentous occasion ? by Hollywood movie star Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta Jones.

The Hogges? regular season officially runs from April to mid-August, with the play-offs concluding in the same month.

Also present during last night?s launching was Sports Minister and former North American Soccer League (NASL) professional Randy Horton.

?I just like to say how excited I am and particularly for the game of football,? the Minister said. ?There?s nothing better than seeing a ball going down and being crossed or headed into the back of the net. I think the opportunity that this franchise provides for our young players who are developed to move onto the next step is very important.?

The first ever Hogges lineup will be comprised completely of local footballers who will still be eligible to return to their local amateur clubs during the USL?s off-season.

However, due to strict NCAA rules, college students or any member of the Hogges expressing a desire to attend college in the future are prohibited from playing for Bermuda?s USL outfit.

The team also received the blessings of US counsel general Gregory Slater, who hopes to see even closer ties forged between Bermuda and the US through football.

Slater said: ?Everybody worked very hard on the Bermuda side and the American side, and we can all learn a lot from what we call soccer.

?And I hope this is just another opportunity for America and Bermuda to work together in what is a beautiful game indeed.?

Local football fans, meanwhile, can be kept abreast of ongoing team developments on the franchise?s official website, www.bermudahoggesfc.com, which will be up and running in the near future, Goater said.

Hogges? assistant coach Scope, who will assist Lightbourne during the team?s debut season, is confident the fledgling franchise will eventually rise to meet the new challenges which lay ahead.

?We are going into the unknown, and I think it will take a while to adjust to the intensity,? he said.

?But I think we have a talented group of players who will be challenging.?

Lightbourne, meanwhile, was delighted by the fact that future Bermudians will get the opportunity to enhance their lifestyles through football playing for a professional outfit.

Lightbourne, a former top motocross, national team cricketer and professional footballer, also stressed the important role sports ? in this case football? plays in society.

?Without sports I honestly don?t know where I would be today because sports has bought me a long way,? he told .

?Now I hope this team can help bring other gentlemen in our communities along as well.?