Kenny Bascome, the football manager of St David’s County and Cricket Club, is pleading with Detroy Smith to change his behaviour after the midfielder was handed a five-year ban this week for spitting on referee Anthony Francis during a Friendship Trophy semi-final last month.

Smith is no stranger to indiscipline, having been banned for three years by the Bermuda Cricket Board for an incident while playing for St George’s against PHC in 2011. And his conduct is not confined to sports fields, as he was sentenced to six months in jail last May for using threatening behaviour towards the mother of his son.

At the time of his sentencing, Acting Puisne Judge Charlene Scott told Smith: “It’s time to grow up and take control. When somebody says something that you don’t like, ignore it, don’t internalise it and say that you’re going to get back at them. It may seem minor, but your words got you into trouble so you have to watch your words.”

Smith’s latest infraction on Boxing Day at Wellington Oval put him back in the headlines, with Francis coming close to abandoning the match after the player spat on him when he booked him for a second time and sent him off, before turning his back.

Such behaviour flies in the face of previous deeds for good, including having received a commendation in 2004 for rescuing an elderly man from drowning.

St David’s acted swiftly after the Boxing Day misdemeanour, banning the player for ten games, effectively for the rest of the season, but this week the Bermuda Football Association came down even harder.

Like Otis Minors, the St David’s president, Bascome refused to comment on the severity of the ban. However, he is keen for the player to take responsibility for his conduct and he plans to tell him as much when they talk next.

“I will engage him eventually, but he hasn’t said anything to me since the incident,” said Bascome, who was quick to condemn Smith’s actions on the day. “Somewhere along the way, I will say ‘I forgive you’, but I’m not comfortable with the action that he took.

“I know his father and his mother, and have a close relationship with his father. However, in the sporting aspect, I had never really been around Detroy in his youth years. I’ve spoken with him [previously] and he said he needs to go to anger-management classes.”

Bascome also got himself into trouble as a youngster and spent time at the Senior Training School before turning his life around. “I always take time out to relay my personal experiences to young people,” the St George’s MP said.

“You’d be surprised the number of people who seek me out to engage their young people when they believe they are on the verge of getting involved in negative behaviour.

“I will say I don’t support negativity, however I have a high degree of tolerance and that comes from when I was having my trials and tribulations. My mom, in particular, stood with me and the community of Bermuda afforded me the opportunity to reintegrate myself into society.

“The turnaround in my life occurred when I went to Canada on April 23, 1973 and was arrested by the Canadian Immigration and spent a night in Toronto maximum-security prison. When I came home on April 24, crying like a baby, my mom said to me, ‘I told you it would all come back to haunt you.’ I said to my mom on the 24th of April, 1973 that ‘before you pass I will make you so proud’.”

Bascome added: “I’m hopeful that, somewhere along the way, Detroy will see that his actions are not in his best interests and take the initiative to approach Mr Francis and the BFA to offer an apology. He has a young son and I say to people all the time that some of us mature slower than others.

“I will sit and talk with him eventually. He’s a good guy, I just think he has some anger issues that only he can resolve. Only he can decide ‘if I want to live this life or have the respect of the community’.”