English Second Division clubs Bristol City and Walsall are reluctant to release their Bermudian strikers, Shawn Goater and Kyle Lightbourne, for the Shell/Umbro Caribbean Cup in February.

Bermuda Football Association have been in contact with the clubs but the indications are that both teams -- in mid-table in their division and still with a good chance of promotion -- are concerned about losing their top scorers during a crucial stage of the season.

"Personally I would like to be involved,'' said Lightbourne yesterday as he prepared for a home match today against Blackpool.

"I want to see Bermuda get back to playing international football and I hope other people get the chance to be where Shawn and I are now.'' Lightbourne moved ahead of Goater in the division's scoring race on Boxing Day when he netted the second goal in the 2-0 away win over Wycombe to take his tally for the season to 12. The win moves Walsall up to 12th in the standings.

Goater is making a steady recovery from a recent knee injury and started in the 3-2 home win over Shrewsbury before being substituted in the second half.

City, still in the hunt for promotion, are away to Preston today, before travelling to Walsall's home ground on New Year's Day when the two Bermudians meet up again.

Their presence in the Bermuda team for the Shell/Umbro Cup remains doubtful, even though FIFA have insisted that players be released by their clubs for international duty.

Lightbourne said his club's main concern was how many games he would miss, as they have a match on February 8 against one of the top teams, Millwall, before meeting Crewe on the 15th and York City on the 22nd. Bristol City play Stockport on February 8, Peterborough on the 15th and Crewe on the 22nd.

Bermuda will be involved in qualifying matches in the Shell/Umbro Cup from February 12-19, but the BFA want Lightbourne and Goater to return a few days early to train with the squad before departing for Jamaica.

"It all depends on how many games we're talking about missing,'' said Lightbourne.

"They sent me a fax saying I would leave from February 6 to 19 but we have a game on the eighth and my club wants me to leave after the eighth and come back for the game on the 22nd.

"They (BFA) want us to come back a week before we go to Jamaica.'' Lightbourne has spoken to Walsall's general manager Paul Taylor about the BFA request. "The first thing he said to me was that there was nothing they could do about it,'' said Lightbourne.

"In situations like this everything goes through the general manager and then he goes to the (team) manager. If we have a problem -- not unless it's on the playing field -- we don't go to Chris Nicholl.'' BFA president Neville Tyrrell admitted the timing was not good for the players' clubs.

"We have had some contact with their clubs and have been made aware that they would be a little bit wary of wanting to release them in January or February,'' said Tyrrell.

"We can understand that because they are looking at fighting for promotion or staying up, that sort of thing, it's really a tough time for them.

"But we must also understand that Clyde Best hasn't even had his first training session yet and I would like to think that after a few weeks of training he is going to give us some indication as to how he sees things build up.

"We are going to have to make a decision as to how we see the strength of the team building up before we can make any categoric decision as to what we want to do as far as these pro players are concerned.'' Both Lightbourne and Goater are looking forward to working with Best, whom they are trying to emulate by playing in the top division in England. As a West Ham United striker for eight years, Best is well aware of the needs of professional clubs in England.

"I'm sure he knows a lot about how the English game is played and he will want to put that type of mentality into the national team,'' said Lightbourne.