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Coach Bascome calls it a day

Andrew Bascome

Andrew Bascome has pulled the curtain down on his senior domestic coaching career.The former North Village and Bermuda midfield dynamo has had enough of coaching at the senior domestic level and has officially severed ties with Premier outfit Robin Hood who he had been in charge of for the past two seasons.During an illustrious senior coaching career spanning some 25 years Bascome won every major piece of silverware with various teams.“After 25 years of coaching at the senior level I have had enough,” Bascome said. “Twenty five years is a long time and I don’t know of any other coach in Bermuda’s history who has served at the senior level for that long.”While his senior career at the domestic level may have ended, Bascome has vowed to continue coaching at the grassroots level at the ABC Football School and also his various youth teams at Bascome FC where he feels his services are most needed.“My focus has now shifted to development and it has to be because our game is not where it should be,” he said. “At the senior level it’s all about results and after 25 years of that I have had enough.“I think collectively we have a lot of work to do with players understanding tactics and making right decisions. The technical ability can also be a lot better and I think that’s where our better coaches are needed.”Bascome also remains keen to coach at the senior national level if given the opportunity to do so.He’s is on a shortlist of applicants who have applied for the vacant positions in the national programme and has already undergone evaluation.“I guess coaching at the senior national level is not a full time commitment as it would be from Sunday to Sunday,” Bascome said.The UEFA certified coach also cited growing family commitments among his reasons for retiring from coaching at the senior level.“Last year I struggled to carry the season through because of my family commitments,” he said. “I have a family and four kids who I need to put time in with but my Sunday’s are always gone due to football.“I once put my family through a heavy burden living in St David’s and coaching in Somerset and my family were the ones that made the sacrifices.“It’s not like I am getting out of the game altogether, it’s just that I have to start taking some time out for me and my family.”Bascome took over coaching duties at Robin Hood in 2010 and in his first season at the helm guided the former Commercial Division team to promotion to the Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.Hood managed to survive in the top flight during their inaugural season in the Premier Division where they also reached the semi-final of the FA Cup.Asked if he regretted leaving a Robin Hood side that continues to go from strength to strength, Bascome replied: “No, because I was more concerned about my family and myself. And for once I put my family and myself first.”