spotlight on the report into soccer's drugs crisis.

Dr. Ewart Brown said the board of inquiry lacked "credibility'' because its members were too old.

And this was why the board failed to interview any of the seven Under-23 soccer players arrested in Miami.

"Since the board had the power to subpoena the question must be asked: `Why did the board of inquiry not use its power to gain the cooperation of any and everybody whose testimony would have enhanced the credibility of the final report?' '' Another glaring "deficiency'' was the fact that fewer than one-third of Bermuda's football teams contributed to the report, said Dr. Brown.

He also took issue with several of the report's recommendations, including drug testing for the Bermuda Football Association executive; giving Bermuda officials the responsibility to search persons and bags when a team prepares to return from overseas; the introduction by clubs of video surveillance; and an experimental ban on alcohol sales by clubs.

On the idea of a lottery to raise funds for soccer, Dr. Brown was equally critical.

"Once again this Government is flirting with the gambling issue. Whenever a tough challenge comes up for this Government, it either reverts to old and tired ideas or attempts a remake of a PLP idea.

"We have always been against a lottery. We prefer to be more creative than that. Once again we submit our idea of a Sports Superfund.'' Dr. Brown, however, did have some positive things to say.

"The board of inquiry, despite its failures, has brought critical issues into the light,'' he said. "To quote from its own report: the best way to ensure progress is accountability.

"The best way to ensure accountability is to monitor progress. We in the PLP intend to do just that.'' The board was made up of former Premier the Hon. Sir John Sharpe, Bermuda Public Service Commission general secretary and former PLP MP Mr. Eugene Blakeney, former Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Louis Mowbray, former Cabinet Secretary Mr. Kenneth Richardson and former Cup Match cricketer Mr.

Calvin Symonds.

It was set up after the December 9 arrest last year of Meshach Wade, Donnie Charles, Shawn Riley, Herbert Dillas, Keishon Smith, Kevin Jennings and Tokia Russell at Miami International Airport on December 9 last year.

The players were allowed home after pleading "no contest'' to possessing marijuana, but were later banned from soccer for a period.

Said Dr. Brown: "The board obviously made a serious effort, evidenced by the 41 meetings it held, to produce a meaningful report.

"But the bottom line is that a group of men whose average age is closer to 60 than it is 50 were at a distinct disadvantage in tackling a problem which is essentially a problem of our youth.

"Although the board's terms of reference included the mandate that they look into drug use in football generally it was only reasonable to expect that this high-powered body would have succeeded in gaining the input of the very people whose arrests sparked the creation of the board of inquiry.

"Despite their best efforts, this board failed to achieve that goal and as such their report is significantly weakened.

"Had the board enjoyed the credibility which would have come with the addition of a young person to its membership the opportunity to hear directly from the players themselves would not have been missed.''