Government yesterday promised to invest in local football, signalling support for the ambitious $36-million plan that the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) has already submitted to the Sports Ministry.

During yesterday’s reading of the Throne Speech, Government vowed to “devote time, energy and financial support to sports and invest in the largest competitive sport in Bermuda - football”.

Earlier this week local football’s governing body revealed it had submitted a $36 million, six-year plan to revamp the sport locally.

BFA president Larry Mussenden confirmed the sport’s governing body had requested that two thirds of the funding for the plan should come from public funds, with the rest hoped to emanate from private-sector donors.

The association submitted the request to obtain substantial public funding to facilitate a full-time Technical Director, a Youth Development Director, various National Staff Coaches and also a Fund Raising/Development Officer.

According to Mussenden, the BFA’s ambitious plan had been enthusiastically received by outgoing Sports Minister Dale Butler whose former Ministry is being asked to fork out $24 million over the next six years.

“Our total budget for the plan is about $36 million and it also involves having all of our national teams up and running and also salaries to be paid to our football players in the lead up to World Cup qualification,” Mussenden told The Royal Gazette.

“So we are actually looking for $24 million from Government from the period 2006 to 2012, with the rest of the funding to come from the fund raising/development officer.”