The fate of Devonshire Cougars? lethal strike pair, Heys Wolfe and Raymond Beach, is in the hands of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADR).

The ADR met last Monday to determine whether or not the two players would serve out a ban imposed by a Bermuda Football Association (BFA) Emergency Committee and later upheld by a BFA Appeals Committee.

Both Beach and Wolfe were banned until January 1, 2005, ruling them out of Cougars? season-opening Martonmere Cup Group B clash with Somerset Eagles at BAA Field tonight, after they were found guilty of verbally abusing then national coach Kenny Thompson and BFA second-vice president Gregory Grimes during an international friendly match at National Sports Centre between Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year.

On Monday night Devonshire Recreation Club officials Ellsworth Christopher and Lloyd Smith presented their arguments to an arbitration panel consisting of lawyer Larry Scott and drug counsellor Vaughn Mosher, headed by chairman Reginald Rawlins.

BFA president Larry Mussenden acted on behalf of the association.

Devonshire Recreation Club have maintained that irregularities occurred during an initial hearing before the BFA?s Emergency Committee headed by the association?s first-vice president Chris Furbert.

?We feel the original special committee (BFA emergency committee) failed to act according to normal principles,? club secretary Christopher told in a previous interview.

It is understood the arbitration panel will reconvene at an undisclosed date to present their final deliberations.

However, in the event the suspensions are upheld, Devonshire have already indicated they are prepared to take the matter to court.

?If needed be we are also willing to go as far as the court over the matter because we are definitely not happy with the BFA ruling,? Christopher added.

In recent years, Beach and Wolfe have formed arguably the league?s most lethal combination in front of goal. But their unavailability could prove costly for Cougars during the first half of the 2004-05 season.

The arrival of former Devonshire Colts striker Aljame Zuill will certainly be welcomed as Cougars, last season?s Martonmere Cup runners-up, bid to kick off the new campaign on a winning note.

Over the past three seasons, Beach has topped the Premier Division goalscoring charts and in 2002-03 was named the league?s Most Valuable Player. In April Wolfe became the first player in FA Cup Final history to score a hat-trick on a losing team.

Dandy Town defeated Cougars 2-1 in a replay at the Sports Centre after the first encounter ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.