The Bank of Bermuda have not renewed their three-year $300,000 sponsorship deal with Bermuda Football Association, which expired almost a year ago.

And BFA president Neville Tyrrell admitted this week that a possible new deal with the bank had not even been discussed.

However, the current cash shortfall could mean the Association will have to put on hold their plans to appoint a new technical director.

It was largely from the deal with the bank that the BFA were able to hire former West Ham star Clyde Best, whose contract as technical director wasn't extended when it ended last year.

Tyrrell said the agreement with the bank had expired last Spring and no approach had been made since. It was the bank's generosity which allowed the Association to meet Best's salary and expenses.

Tyrrell said the matter of sponsorship was being looked into, but insisted there were no acute concerns over money.

"We are making haste slowly,'' said the president." Yes, the Bank of Bermuda did sponsor the wages of the previous technical director, their commitment was for a three-year period. It doesn't mean they are not eager to renew it, we just haven't approached them.

"It's just that we have to decide which way we want to go. We are taking our time in terms of how we are approaching the matter, it's still at discussion level.'' With the domestic soccer season having ended recently, the BFA's administrative duties continue to tick over with both the appointment of a technical director and a new second vice-president among two issues yet to be resolved.

The post of second vice-president has been vacant for several months, following Mark Trott's resignation just weeks after being elected last August.

It was anticipated that the position would be filled shortly afterwards, but Tyrrell explained the reason for the delay.

"The appointment of a second vice-president has been held off until the next AGM in July as we didn't do it at the semi-annual in January,'' he said. "I made the decison that we will hold off until then.

"Yes, it's been a bit of a strain on the executive with one body less but we've managed. You just don't appoint an individual to the position because it's an election process. An election like we plan to have would certainly give the clubs a longer opportunity to deliberate on who they would like to see in that spot.'' One area where the BFA are making progess is in the assembling of various national teams.

Tyrrell said it was always the BFA's intention to have as many teams formed as possible and available to play as often as possible in order to gain international exposure.

"Our national programme at various age levels is up and running, including the women's team, and everybody is training regularly,'' he said. "It's now up to us to organise competitive matches for them and this is being dealt with.

"In order to keep the players together, to keep them inspired, we have to work hard at finding them games. But we have to ask the players to be patient with us.

"It's a long programme, a lot of planning goes into arranging matches against international teams, to bring in and to send our squads out ... but we continue to work in that direction to satisfy all squads.''