drop into the First Division next season as Bermuda Football Association trim the Premier Division to eight clubs for the 2000-2001 season.

But, while unlike promotion partners PHC they will have to rely on last year's players for survival, there's a feeling in the Islanders' camp that the team can hold their own.

A number of players have returned to the Zebras, while the only major signing for St. David's has been Otis Minors. And he won't even be eligible to play until November after leaving Boulevard on a late transfer.

However, all is not lost for St. David's as coach Eugene Crockwell presides over a squad of players who are all familiar with each other.

"My main goal, while not turning away any outside players, was to encourage home grown players to do a little extra to get to that level where if we have one or two outsiders we don't have to depend on them,'' said Crockwell.

In the past, players from outside the community such as Keith Jennings, Sergio Goater, Kanhai Fray and Maxwell Dill have all joined the club and quickly left. It has been the players from St. David's who have tended to stay during bad times.

The club only got a taste of first flight football in the 1992-93 season. They finished in the relegation zone but after Hotels pulled out were allowed to remain.

However, St. David's were relegated the next season before coming back up again in 1995-96 when they again were quickly demoted.

"Twice bitten, third time shy,'' said Crockwell.

"Twice before we were promoted in this decade and St. David's Islanders carried them up and were never given the opportunity to show what they were about.

"We've had guys come here and as soon as we've failed they've left.

"With a different approach to it, hopefully this will be the team that's successful.'' The squad have been training once a week since May 24 with the sessions pulling in between 20 and 25 players.

"We're here to play good football and let the chips fall where they may,'' said the coach.

"With three teams going down we know what we have to do. With the players we have, this is their third season together and they understand what's in front of them.'' Crockwell, reluctant to single out idividuals, admits that players like Shea Pitcher in defence, Chae Simmons in midfield and Worrell Bean and, eventually, Minors, up front will have to play key roles if the team are to be successful.

As Wolves showed last season, early points in the bag are vitally important.

"We have Boulevard on Sunday and then Wolves next Friday night,'' said Crockwell. "Our first four games are against top opposition, with North Village also in there. It's going to be a good test for us, and although some of those teams have already played, as it stands at this moment we are all equal.'' Crockwell isn't fazed that St. David's are most people's tip for relegation.

"Hopefully that will be a motivating factor,'' he stressed. "Let them bring us down whereas the attention is not on us. But we know and understand as a team what we'll have to deal with and we're going to do it.

"As they say `through hard work you get rewards'. On any given day, no matter what eleven it is, a team can be beaten. We're not going to lie down. We're glad we're the underdogs.''