Bermuda Football Association held an 11th hour meeting with Boulevard officials yesterday evening in a vain attempt to persuade them to play their Friendship Trophy semi-final against Vasco.

The club were summoned to the BFA offices on Cedar Avenue after president Lou Matthews announced their decision late on Monday night to veto the game, scheduled to be played at Somerset CC.

Boulevard took their action in response to the ruling body's cancellation of all First Division matches last weekend.

After meeting with players and management, Matthews released a statement to the media accusing the BFA of making an "arbitrary'' decision which had caused hardship to "teams, players and fans alike, yet made little inroads into the issues concerning violence in the sport''.

And the impasse could not be resolved during an hour of talks yesterday.

Following the negotiations, BFA general secretary David Sabir told The Royal Gazette : "The game will not be played. Boulevard have reconfirmed that they are choosing not to play it. The next step is that the BFA will have to consider the outcome of the match with regards to forfeiture and make a ruling on that.'' Asked what form the talks had taken, Sabir replied: "It is Boulevard's belief that the issue of violence is so strong that they need to keep a focus on it.'' Ironically, it was the thuggery of a Boulevard player that initiated the BFA action, breaking their patience after a series of violent incidents on the pitch this season.

Haile Outerbridge caused the abandonment of the Boulevard FA Cup semi-final against Devonshire Colts when he threw a bottle at referee Anthony Mouchette after he was dismissed during the St John's field clash on March 7.

Boulevard were trailing 2-0 at the time and the BFA have yet to decide whether the match should be replayed or awarded to Colts.

That followed an incident in the game between Vasco and Devonshire Cougars last month when a grounded Dwight Basden was punched and kicked by Cougars pair Ryan and Wendell Swan. The brothers received lengthy bans for the offences.

An earlier match between Vasco and Southampton at BAA Field was also abandoned after two Rangers players were dismissed for fighting and a bottle was thrown from the crowd, landing close to Vasco goalkeeper Timmy Figureido.

And in December, Social Club's Ian DeSilva was suspended for five years for throwing punches at referee Oral Swan during a Second Division clash against St David's at Bernard Park.

However, Boulevard's move yesterday was not popularly received.

John Rebello, coach of last night's scheduled opponents Vasco, said the first he had known about it had been the story in yesterday morning's Royal Gazette .

His players had been preparing to meet at the club for the game when, after a day of uncertainty, word reached him that it was definitely off at just after 5.00 p.m.

Chris Furbert, president of PHC, who recently won promotion back to the First Division at the first time of asking, was more outspoken.

"I am concerned about Boulevard's decision because there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it,'' he said. "My view is that if they don't want to play a particular match they need to send a letter to the BFA and state their reasons. And the BFA will then be obligated to meet and discuss it with them.

"Two wrongs don't make a right.'' Flashback: Haile Outerbridge (second from right) gets to grips with Makonnen Hollis in Boulevard's abandoned FA Cup semi-final clash with Devonshire Colts recently. Outerbridge was later sent off and responded by hurling a bottle at referee Anthony Mouchette.