"Drugs don't play here!"

That's the message from newly elected Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden (pictured with Governor Thorold Masefield), who announced that he will be taking a rigid stance against those who persist in bringing drugs to soccer.

"We'll be working on the social problems that come to football games," said Mussenden, who as a criminal defence lawyer, knows first hand the ravages of drugs. "People in society have problems. People in society use drugs, and that's across the board as it relates to race, sport, income, all of those things, and what we're going to do is address it when it comes and touches football or other sports, because we're all in this together.

"Straight off the bat, there is no place for drugs or drug use in football, and I'm going to appeal right from the outset that people not use drugs, and certainly not use drugs at our fields.

"We will be exploring every opportunity, legally, and just by communicating to the public, that sports fields and sports clubs are not places for people to come and use any drugs.

"I'll definitely be taking a hard-line stance, with the full weight of the law behind us."

Mussenden, who won Tuesday night's election by virtue of acclimation, spent much of his first full day in office making formal visits to Government House - Governor Thorold Masefield, as the honorary president of the BFA, was presented with a BFA pin, badge and pennant - and the Cabinet Office.

However, while appearing most dapper lined up with his new executive slate of officers, including first vice-president Aldwyn Savery, second vice-president Robert Calderon, treasurer Delroy O'Brien, and general secretary David Sabir, Mussenden was anxious to take his place among the trenches in the fight to revive the sport. The president, while emphasising that all is not negative with regard to the sport, said there were challenges that needed to be overcome in order to restore the game back to its former prominence and stature.

"I see football as being at a crossroads,' said Mussenden. "There's a number of social factors that have impacted on football and the commitment that people have put into football.

"We have other sports that have impacted on football. We have the financial situation that a lot of the sponsors may find themselves in. We have a Government that has a lot of competing interest for the dollars, that impacts on football. Then we have the actual social problems that a face a lot of the people that come to support football. "These things will require a lot of work, and that's work that has to be done concurrently on each issue, so we are going to have initiatives to work with the Government. We're going to be working on the club development, that is the facilities and programmes that the clubs have.

"We'll be working on the social problems that come to football games."

A meeting of the executive has already been set for next Wednesday, when discussed will be issues pertaining to the roles and objectives of the various standing committees.

Mussenden added that those named to any such committee will be held responsible for achieving set goals, with failure not an option.

If people are put on committee to do work, then I expect the work to be done, and if it's not done there has to be a very good reason why it is not done," said Mussenden. "Really, what it comes down to, if people are not prepared to work and be responsible, and I expect everybody will be, then we'll have to find people who are ... it's as simple as that, I don't have a lot of time to waste.

"Last night I spoke about accountability and responsibility and we expect that the people involved in football, that's the fans the administrators, the affiliates, the players, are all responsible and accountable to each other for the betterment of football.

"In those standing committees there's going to be a high level of accountability, with that we'll be able to get our work done."