No matter what the circumstances of last weekend’s football fracas at Police Field — and there are conflicting accounts — the end result remains the same. Another crushing blow has been delivered to Bermuda Football Association’s drive to recruit more referees and linesmen.It’s been a perennial problem inflicted on the BFA at the start of each season. Too many games and too few refs.This year it’s worse than ever, so much so that the governing body held a press conference just before the season began to outline the difficulties facing the game and pleaded to those who could help ease the pressure.Just 22 match officials had registered of which only seven were under the age of 40.BFA general secretary David Sabir admitted the shortage was threatening the future of the game.Before Sunday’s ruckus at, of all places, Police Field, the First Division match between Hamilton Parish and Devonshire Colts was poised at 3-3 with just 10 minutes remaining. That was when, according to one spectator, “all hell let loose”.A lineswoman — FIFA like to call them assistant referees these days (another example of political correctness that makes little sense) — was, according to one witness, attacked by players. Others have painted a different picture.Many who posted comments on The Royal Gazette website claimed the official, Wendy Woodley, was the instigator as she refused to allow a player to slightly move the ball as he attempted to take a corner.She reportedly became abusive and so did the player. And before referee Robert Hudson had chance to calm the situation down, Woodley’s daughter, the other lineswoman, joined in, waving her flag to protect her mother. There have been other versions, the majority clearly based on hearsay.Only those involved can explain what actually happened and you can bet that one explanation won’t match the other.A report will be sent to the BFA and the Bermuda Referees Association, and the clubs should be launching their own investigation.Whatever the outcome — fines, bans or other disciplinary action, there’ll be no winners.The game itself will be the losers.What chance now have the BFA to attract more officials to their ranks?They appealed last month for more females to take up the whistle. It’s highly unlikely to happen now.The few males who have the necessary qualifications continue to give up their weekends or midweek evenings and are able to tolerate the abuse hurled from both players and fans. And these days there’s a real threat of physical violence. They get paid but probably not enough as much as they deserve.Some time ago the BFA decided to appoint match commissioners to attend every game who could witness incidents such as those at Police Field last Sunday.Their presence hasn’t deterred those hell-bent on causing trouble.There aren’t enough commissioners to go around and those in attendance are virtually helpless when incidents do occur.Years ago refs were often the target of innocuous gybes by spectators — ’get a new pair of specs ref’. There were plenty of swear words, shaking of the head but little that would threaten the fabric of the game. How times have changed.While it couldn’t be confirmed, two reports reaching this newsroom claimed that one of those present at the weekend warned “bullets would be fired”.In these days of gang violence, that’s hardly a threat that can be taken lightly.So early in the new season, there’s no telling the implications of Sunday’s abandonment.Last season, certain teams were afraid to venture into territories where they felt their safety was at risk.If officials feel the same way, then the game is facing a real crisis.Boulevard made the bold decision in the off season to dispose of those players who they believed were tarnishing the club’s reputation.It was a move that may have weakened their team but it was a brave decision that they hoped would be followed by rival clubs.Whoever was to blame for Sunday’s flare-up matters little, providing those responsible are appropriately disciplined.The implications are worrying.While the standard of the game here varies from reasonably good to woefully poor, it continues to provide wonderful opportunities for those who are talented enough to earn scholarships overseas and secure places at a host of academies. Reggie Lambe and Nahki Wells are just two examples of those who have made the most of those opportunities.In an ideal world, there would be a collective responsibility by those who play, officiate or watch football to keep their emotions in check and allow the game to be played in the spirit intended.But what’s happening on Bermuda’s football grounds is far from ideal.* * * *Former footballer and cricketer Corey Hill wants a clubhouse to be built at Shelly Bay Field and he can bank on the support of the hundreds of children and adults who play and train at the ground every week.The Hamilton Parish field has the potential to be one of the finest facilities in Bermuda. It can accommodate four football pitches, at least two cricket pitches. It could be developed into a multi-purpose facility at relatively little cost.Construct a basic clubhouse with restrooms, employ a full-time groundsman, and it would be utilised more than any other field on the Island.Certainly there’s no danger it would become the white elephant in Prospect — the National Sports Centre south field.