FOLLOWING recent violent flare-ups at their grounds, Southampton Rangers Sports Club have taken the initiative and installed 24-hour surveillance cameras on their premises.

Last month, during two separate incidents, football players were set on by bat-wielding thugs as they left the South Shore property, prompting club officials to install strategically placed cameras at the club.

"This was always one of the committee's intentions to try and install security cameras at our grounds," said Rangers' president Aldwin Savery.

"However, recent incidents at the club sped up the process and we knew that we had do something. And this is one of the security measures that helps to prevent these sorts of negative occurrences.

"But we still have some work to do in terms of trying to get totally rid of that sort of element. And, more importantly, we are trying to get the members to come back and socialise at the club."

So far, said Mr. Savery, the security measure had received a mixed response.

"Most comments have been positive but there are always those who oppose progress," he said. "Nothing you do sometimes is right so in turn you have to aim for the middle.

"And the middle right now seems to be in favour of having the cameras installed and the Bermuda Security Group have been very helpful in terms of telling us where to install them."

On October 12, Devonshire Cougars player Shaki Minors was attacked by a group of men in the car park at Southampton Oval following a Premier Division match. Then, two weeks later, a 28-year-old Social Club player was found sitting on the ground with facial cuts at the same venue. He was treated at hospital and released.

During the recent Throne Speech, Government pledged to make all local sporting venues increased penalty zones. That means people found to be committing a violent or drug offence at or near a sports facility face receiving harsher punishment and greater fines in the courts than if they had committed the same offence elsewhere.

Last year, a gang of thugs armed with machetes, baseball bats and other weapons wrought havoc at Devonshire Recreation Club during a football match.