is NOT in talks with anyone regarding coaching the national team in the forthcoming Copa Carib -- despite BFA president Neville Tyrrell saying they were.

Bermuda are due to face Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis and the Dominican Republic in Antigua at the beginning of March -- but as yet no-one has been appointed to run the team.

Neville Tyrrell told the Gazette on Tuesday that an unnamed person had been approached to oversee team operations for the Copa Carib.

However, the assocation's coaching committee chairman, Jon Beard, said yesterday that was not the case.

In the interview conducted with Tyrrell on Tuesday afternoon, he was asked specifically: "Without mentioning names are you in a position to approach somebody to ask them to oversee this forthcoming tournament?'' Tyrrell replied: "The answer to that is yes.'' He was then asked: "Can I say discussions are ongoing between you and that party?'' to which the President replied: "Erm...yes.'' However, his answers were contradicted by Beard.

"We are not in discussion with anyone over the coaches jobs and will not, at this stage, be appointing anyone who does not apply for the national staff coaches position,'' he said.

An advert seeking applications for national staff coaches positions went out today and interested parties have until next Wednesday to put their names forward. Beard said: "What he (Tyrrell) was referring to was that one of our considerations was to appoint someone from overseas to run the national team through to the end of July -- the Copa Carib finals.

"By that stage we would have appointed a technical director, who would then have had input as to who was to coach the national team.

"In developing this situation we asked some contacts for ideas to try and get a better picture of where to go. In doing so we realised that at this stage such an appointment is unnecessary.'' He went on: "It was simply a consideration and, as I said, after discussion it was felt by the executive that at this juncture we can appoint a national coach from amongst those who are appointed as staff coaches. They will know the players and will have an idea of the work to be done.'' Beard said the BFA wanted the senior national programme to be up and running as soon as possible -- the national team hasn't actually played since drawing 1-1 with Antigua in April last year, a result that saw the country eliminated from the World Cup qualifiers.

"We feel that we have been too long without the team in training,'' he said.

"To this end we regard the Copa Carib as a vital part of our preparation of this team. It is to be a part of the preparation, not the reason for the preparation.

"Our programme must develop from day one and the Copa Carib must be a plank in that development.'' With the tournament just weeks away, whoever is put in charge will not have much time to get the team prepared.

Continued on page 27 Copa Carib preparations Continued from page 25 Beard added: "The Caribbean Football Union have changed the dates on us.

Originally the qualifying rounds were to be played in May, then they changed them to April, now they are in March.'' "Thus we would be looking for whoever is to be the coach to get the players together as soon as possible.

"We are in our playing season, but he is still going to have to improve fitness and develop the tactics and system he deems necessary.'' Beard said the BFA's coaching committee was looking forward to the competition.

"The coaching committee feels that this is a great opportunity to kick-start the senior national programme and to give our players exposure to international football,'' he said.