Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Richard Calderon has defended his consensus style of leadership and insists he is more than happy to remain in the shadows.

Calderon has received criticism from some members of the footballing fraternity who want the former North Village midfielder to be a more vocal and visible president in the ilk of his predecessor, Larry Mussenden.

While the colourful and outspoken Mussenden, seemed to relish the media spotlight, Calderon has been far more economical with his words publicly – a characteristic he has no intention of changing.

"One of the criticisms of the previous president was that he was to visible, possibly coming from the same critics," Calderon told The Royal Gazette.

"From the very beginning of my tenure I made it known to all of the press corp that there would be two spokespersons for the BFA; David Sabir, our general secretary, or more appropriately put, our CEO, and Derek Broadley our technical director.

"And while I am not opposed to speaking to the press, I don't see the necessity of weighing in on all football matters. Both Derek and David are incredibly competent individuals and at all times provide the executive with a summary of their planned press conferences. I see no reason for why that should change."

His 'quiet man' image may not be to everyone's liking but one area where Calderon has received plenty of credit is for his fiscal skills in dealing with the BFA's hefty grant reduction.

The credit crunch's vice-like grip saw the Bermuda Government cut the BFA's $3 million a year a grant by 50 percent, but Calderon insists "smart choices" have ensured they remain on track to meet their goals and objectives.

"The loss of a significant portion of our government grant could be perceived as a major obstacle," he said. "However, despite this loss of revenue, we pressed ahead and remain on track to meet our stated goals and objectives, albeit with a shift in the projected delivery dates for some. There's no magic associated with the manner in which we handled the loss of funding.

"In short, we did what all good businesses do, we revisited our strategic plan and made smart businesses choices."

Calderon's first year at the BFA helm has seen plenty of far-reaching changes with the establishing of the national academy and the complete overhaul of the domestic league programme.

The BFA's members made such decisions, according to Calderon, collectively and he fully expects there to be some "teething problems" early on the re-structuring of local football.

But if, and when, any hitches arise he believes it's vital the members debate and discuss the best solution rather than reduce to finger-pointing and in-fighting, as has often been the way in Bermuda football.

"It's no secret, most people find change difficult and in this case there was major change," he said. "And as such, yes, we expect teething problems, but we are equally confident of its success.

"Simply put, when you seek and receive counsel; suggestions, recommendations and critical thinking, up front, you have a fighting chance that most participants will remain involved through to the end.

"We have met with our affiliate members on six separate occasions since this new executive took office. Most times the music is beautiful but occasionally one or two sing off key."