The firing of Burkhard Ziese this week completed another sorry chapter in a Bermuda Football Association history peppered with controversy.

How ironic that German-born Ziese should be made the fall guy for daring to expose the problems which nobody else in the association seemingly had the courage to tackle.

Ziese helped bring to the surface the drugs scourge which has so long been suspected as part and parcel of local soccer, and was fired for his troubles.

Meanwhile, some of those on the BFA executive told blatant lies in an attempt to cover up the scandal and still have not seen fit to resign their positions.

Regardless of whether those in Miami are found guilty or proven innocent, it is now clear from the letters and memos written by Ziese, which we have no reason to disbelieve, and from conversations with others closely associated with soccer, that the sport has a massive drugs problem.

This newspaper has been accused of dwelling on the drugs scandal and ignoring the successes achieved in Jamaica when the Under-23 squad qualified for the Pan-Am finals.

That, of course, is arrant nonsense. We sent a reporter to the Caribbean specifically to cover those matches, and did so more comprehensively than any other media.

We would have continued to share in their triumph had the unfortunate events at Miami airport not unfolded.

Perhaps one of the more asinine comments on our coverage of those events and what followed came from Independent Senator Alf Oughton who felt such news should be taken off the front page.

He seemingly believes, much the same as those in the BFA, that if we ignore the problem it might go away.

When Sir John Sharpe and his Commission of Inquiry board members sit down later this month to examine the drugs problem, nobody should underestimate the enormity of their task.

However, Sir John's decision to conduct this inquiry behind closed doors is, we believe, a mistake.

From our experience as journalists, we have drawn the conclusion that some of those responsible for soccer in this country are prepared to mislead and even lie to the public in order to protect their self-interests.

An inquiry "in camera'' will give those same officials an opportunity to spin their tales of fantasy unchallenged.

Were the hearings open to the public and press, we believe they might be more reluctant to bend the truth with the knowledge that much of what they say could be substantiated or rejected by others.

Nevertheless, we wish Sir John well and urge all those with an interest in soccer, from the mini-minors up to the First Division, to step forward and contribute towards what must ultimately be a complete reorganisation of our national sport. At The Royal Gazette we hope to play our role by giving readers as much information on the subject as possible, warts and all.