saga -- perhaps the most important being that one should never take anything for granted.

When a group of young Bermudian soccer players left the Island early this summer on the promise of trials with various English clubs, the small matter of a work permit should they impress enough to be offered a contract, would appear to have been the last thing on anybody's mind.

The belief seemed to be that talent would conquer all. If a player showed sufficient potential, then ways would be found for him to embark on a professional career.

Some seemed to think that Shaun Goater and Kyle Lightbourne's success had carved out a path on which others could conveniently follow.

As has since been discovered, it doesn't quite work that way.

Bermuda, while still a dependent territory, wasn't about to be treated any differently from other countries around the world.

Astwood's was by no means a unique case. Hundreds of other aspiring pros have run into similar red tape and been forced to return to their home country, their hopes of playing in the English League shattered.

Fortunately for Astwood, Bermuda's close relationship with Great Britain and the high profile nature of his case (at least on this side of the Atlantic) has prompted the intervention of Government House.

According to Deputy Governor Tim Gurney talks are ongoing with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London and it would appear some are now cautiously optimistic that the matter can be resolved in Astwood's favour.

The PHC striker has already been offered a one-year contract with First Division Preston North End and could rejoin them almost immediately if a work permit is issued.

Hopefully, the intervention of Government House will reap rewards.

But regardless of the outcome of this case, the relevant parties -- Bermuda Football Association, the player, the club, the agent -- all need to be better informed and willing to communicate with each other long before any attempts are made to secure trials for local players.

There seems little point in spending substantial amounts of cash flying players to the UK, if no provision for a permit has been made in advance.

More importantly many players are going to have their dreams shattered through no fault of their own.

Now that the problem has been identified and because of Bermuda's close ties with the UK, it could be that local players will be offered preferential treatment. But that has yet to be decided. And until it is, there seems little point negotiating trials for players in England without prior consultation with the relevant authorities here and the FCO in London.

*** CYCLIST Elliot Hubbard will be bitterly upset if the injury he suffered in training forces him to miss next month's Bermuda Grand Prix.

But you can be assured it wasn't the Grand Prix that came to mind when he fell from his cycle, breaking a collarbone, damaging his wrist and bruising ribs during hillwork in South Carolina this week.

Hubbard will have realised soon after hitting the dirt that any lingering hope of competing in the Olympic Games had finally disappeared.

As reported earlier, through an odd combination of circumstances, Hubbard wasn't able to qualify for Sydney, despite outstanding performances at both the Pan-Am Games and the Commonwealth Games.

But there remained a loophole through which he might still have secured a trip Down Under. Had any countries already entered in the road race pulled out at the eleventh hour, Bermuda would have been given serious consideration as a replacement.

Sadly, that no longer matters. Such are Elliot's injuries, he probably wouldn't be able to endure the long flight to Australia, let alone the competition that would follow.

-- ADRIAN ROBSON