Broadcasters ZBM yesterday scored a golden goal against rivals in a courtroom fixture over the World Cup.

For Supreme Court blew the whistle on VSB's plans to broadcast British Broadcasting Corporation radio coverage of Sunday's World Cup clash between Brazil and France.

Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux -- called in to referee the row -- upheld ZBM's appeal for a penalty and red-carded VSB's plans to use British Broadcasting Corporation coverage of Sunday's World Cup final between Brazil and France.

And ZBM manager Rick Richardson said: "We got a result -- but I'm not happy.

I don't like having to resort to this procedure.'' And he called on the Telecommunications Commission and the Ministry of Telecommunications to clamp down on poaching on the airwaves.

And Mr. Richardson stressed that his station had carried radio coverage of the World Cup from the quarter-final stage, complementing TV coverage of the Cup, which started in the early stages of the competition. VSB -- now sent for an early bath -- also started its radio coverage at the quarter-final stage.

Mr. Richardson added: "We won -- but we never thought it was a war or a dispute. It was a matter of someone trying to take a signal they didn't have rights to.'' VSB -- which has a contract to carry the London-based BBC's World Service -- planned to air UK coverage of the Paris match.

And it can be revealed VSB, run by Kenneth DeFontes, lined up for the match despite advice from the BBC that -- if ZBM had rights -- they should strike a deal with their rival before airing the UK broadcast.

Mr. Richardson added that he had been able to produce documents from the Caribbean Broadcast Union -- from which ZBM got its exclusive rights -- and world soccer body FIFA to back up his position.

He said: "When people pirate signals it seems to be all right in Bermuda -- then the complainant has to make all the noise and seems the bad guy.

"This is something the Island must deal with -- I don't want people to get upset with me because very early in the game we negotiate for key items like Test matches, Wimbledon and the World Cup.

"I wish the Telecommunications Ministry would come out and say piracy and copyright is an issue in Bermuda.'' "I suggest companies like DeFontes and CableVision, like any other entity, go out and negotiate.'' And he warned: "This kind of thing will happen again -- but they don't come out and say this type of stealing can't happen.'' Lawyer Mark Diel -- brought off the bench to join the ZBM team in court -- declined to get involved in a shoot-out.

But he said: "It's very good for our clients to have their rights protected.'' But Mr. DeFontes -- although knocked out of the competition by an own goal -- was keeping his spirits up.

He laughed: "Mr. Rick has promised to buy me dinner as compensation -- and I hope he uses the corporate card.''