Rookie coach Elliott Jennings feels his time has arrived to impart his knowledge, share his opinions and readdress what he refers to as a "stagnation of football in Bermuda".

He may be softly spoken but the new North Village boss certainly doesn't mince his words.

A keen student of the game, Jennings has quietly sat on the sidelines during the demise of local football since the twilight of his playing days.

So when he was approached to take the reins at his old club he had no hesitation. He was almost duty bound.

"I never thought I'd get into coaching but I guess it was my turn. I'm a fellow who likes to enjoy football," he pauses as he chooses his words carefully. "No matter what you do in life you want to win, but I think our football has gone so far backwards and I don't think some players enjoy the game anymore."

Enjoyment is at the heart of the former Bermuda playmaker's football mantra. So much so it pains him to see supporters celebrate a scrappy victory more than a momentary piece of magic or cleverly crafted finish.

He believes coaches have a collective responsibility to reverse the 'win at all costs' mentality, which Jennings blames for contributing to the degeneration of football on the Island.

Whether other coaches follow suit is beyond his control. But at least Jennings now has a medium for his own philosophy, and with no little help from assistant Clyde Best, he aims to right the wrongs he perceives as stunting development.

"It's my personal opinion that we're one of the only countries in the world that plays football and doesn't enjoy it," whispers Jennings.

"My goal is to bring back that enjoyment. When I was a player, guys played because they wanted to be good, now they want to win at all costs. I think we lose focus because the fans want to see a victory and we neglect the technical part of the game and don't see as much creativity.

"There's too much kicking and hoping. Sometimes a high ball drops down, the defender makes a mistake, and someone scores and we all think it's wonderful. But I was brought up with the concept of technical football and we still have very good technical players, but the spirit to do the right thing at the right time isn't as prevalent. We've lost so much of that."

It's a complex issue, and Jennings believes there's no simple remedy or reason to why Bermuda hasn't so much been overtaken by rival countries but left trailing in the distance. One area in which he believes there's been criminal neglect is the standard of football facilities.

"We haven't improved our facilities or put enough money into the sport, football has become neglected," says Jennings, speaking from North Village's Bernard Park training pitch. "I think the ability is there, but we've fallen too far off the pace. It wasn't so long ago we were still competing with the United States, and beating them.

"I don't think money was put in the right areas and other countries made strides forward while we took steps back. I mean clubs like Devonshire Cougars have the same facilities they've always had. Look at North Village; we've a nice field but no clubhouse - we've all stagnated.

"Take a look at the national team. Some of our players struggle against gentlemen playing even semi-pro level. It's not that they've better players but they're used to playing at a higher level. I think the key is we must all have one goal - the development of football in Bermuda.

"Let's not look at the domestic results and trophies. Lets look at the standard of play.

"Our improvement needs to be collective improvement. There's no sense in North Village getting better if another team just wants to win at all costs. I don't see why we can't all come together and have one goal for the benefit of football."

Jennings is not alone in his opinions. The Island's first football franchise, Bermuda Hogges, was formed to give players access to a professional football environment on a regular basis.

Although Jennings admits he didn't see much of Hogges in action it's a development he embraces. "From what little I've seen of the Hogges I know they took a long time to adjust," he says. "But from what I gather they did adjust and that shows the players have the technical ability. Next season should be a lot better for them.

"I've certainly seen a massive improvement in our Hogges' players (Ralph Bean, Robert Wilson and Sammy DeGraff). They're much sharper, much fitter and there's a big difference between them and some of the other players now. It's a plus, but the improvement must start here in the domestic league."

By his own admission, Jennings is a "rookie" with much to learn in coaching. So who better to bridge any deficiencies than Bermuda's first son of football Clyde Best?

"Clyde Best is a Somerset man and I specifically wanted him as my assistant not only to teach me, but also because he has no previous relationship with North Village.

"He's a good friend of mine and has so much football knowledge. I, on the otherhand, have a long way to go. This is my first year so I'm a real rookie. I can sit down and analyse the game and tell you everything about it, but whether I can apply that to a coaching concept only time will tell.

"It's a whole new ball game for me and I will have to change my laid back personality somewhat.

"I think I've some good technical players and I think we will do alright, we will be a force to be reckoned with. I want see my players express themselves and enjoy doing so."

Before re-joining the training session, a smiling Jennings turns his head while jogging away and shouts: "If you want to see some real football in Bermuda come and watch me play for the Rams in the Commercial League!"

There's no doubt Elliott Jennings is one man who definitely still enjoys his football.