The real work is only just beginning for Derek Broadley and the Bermuda Football Association.

Having seen his proposals to restructure football in Bermuda officially accepted at the start of the week, the BFA's technical director must now turn those plans into reality.

It is likely to be painful in the short term, certainly a large section of the football playing community will think so, but the plan is all about the long term, and making Bermuda competitive on the world stage.

The framework then is the easy bit; a ten team Premier Division, a First Division with a maximum of 12 teams, a Development League, not to mention an integrated youth programme that runs from under-7s all the way through to the senior sides. It's the nuts and bolts that will take the work.

Broadley and general secretary David Sabir already have a date in mind for the start of the new season, "sometime in September" is all they would say. But between now and then they have to; talk to all the clubs about implementing regulated squad sizes, decide which fields will be ring-fenced for a specific use, like turning Shelly Bay into a series of pitches for under-7 games only, work with clubs such as Robin Hood and MR Onions on joining the First Division, not to mention the creation of a new National Academy.

"The work starts now for me," said Broadley. "The big thing for me now is to get the coach education out into the public domain because I think that runs parallel with what we are trying to do. The development of the national academy is vitally important, and then the other thing is for me to go out and meet with all the stakeholders for next year and layout exactly what's required.

"We are working towards several things which haven't been fully decided, and are looking at squad sizes and when the games are played."

The BFA's task has been made harder by a 50 percent cut in its Government funding, and although it is unclear what projects that will effect, although Broadley said that the vacant national coach's position is likely to be reviewed.

What is certain however is that the focus on youth and development, the main pillars of the strategic plan, will take priority over everything else.

The Commercial League clubs have suffered more than most from the changes, and some will survive and some won't.

The option is there for clubs to apply to become full members, and join the First Division, which the BFA are willing to expand from nine, to a maximum of, 12 teams.

But they will have to fulfill a series of criteria, and not just on the administrative side either. With a focus on youth, teams will have to show that they can also contribute to the development of football on the Island.

"We want sustainability, and clubs that join to have the ability to contribute to the development of football in Bermuda," said Sabir. "The Executive Committee will establish a criteria to be discussed with the teams (that wish to join), without pre-empting anything they may do, I will tell you that youth development will be looked at very closely, as opposed to just joining to play football."

Time though is not on anyone's side. There is roughly six months before the start of the new season, and any teams would realistically have to know their fate by the end of June at the latest so they could organise themselves.

"The Executive Committee will do it's due diligence in a reasonable fashion, and a reasonable period of time," said Sabir. "So that clubs who want to join as a full member will be given every opportunity to do so."

Those that don't join the First Division will be able to apply to join the newly-created Masters League, but they will have to fight it out with all the other teams on the Island for a place in the ten team league.

"The Executive Council has agreed to hold a meeting with all Commercial teams to discuss the impact of this decision with them," said Sabir.

"We know the concerns (they have), and will seek to provide answers as to where they can find a place to play football within our new structure."