Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden has called for an urgent meeting with Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith after the ugly spectre of youth violence cast a shadow over the opening weekend of the football league season.

Machete-wielding thugs battled in the Southampton Rangers Sports Club car park on Sunday after 2,000 fans had enjoyed a pulsating afternoon of football.

It was revealed yesterday that three men needed hospital treatment, with a 21-year-old Sandys man receiving treatment for a deep gash to his right arm, although the other two men, aged 20 and 22, were treated and released.

"A crowd of more than 2,000 enjoyed an entertaining match which we are ecstatic about," said Mr. Mussenden, also the Attorney General.

"And we regret that a social problem, a community problem, meant that a group of people who wished to be violent spoilt that atmosphere.

"I absolutely deplore their behaviour. We will be meeting with the Commissioner later in the week (Thursday) to look at practical and realistic ways of dealing with these issues.

"And any decisions we make and future compliance issues will then be put to the affiliates. We as a football family are determined to deal with this."

Mr. Mussenden added that PHC, the home team on Sunday, and Southampton Rangers, the host club, would also be invited to the meeting of the Commissioner and the BFA executive.

Security measures such as metal-detecting wands and CCTV cameras are expected to be on the agenda as will be the subject of a paid-for Police presence at matches ? something both clubs involved in Sunday's game have called for.

"The Bermuda Football Association is determined to do everything it its power to deal with these issues and hopefully the rest of season will be violence-free, as it was last year.

"We would urge people not to be so stupid as to bring knives and weapons to football matches and to allow those there to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of the Beautiful Game to be able to so in the spirit of peace and fair play."

Sports Minister Dale Butler has also condemned the weekend violence, which included the attempted robbery of a North Village player outside a St. John's Field changing room immediately after his team's game. "I implore those young people who were responsible for bringing the sport of soccer into disrepute at this, the start of the football season, to lay down their weapons before anyone is seriously injured," Mr. Butler said.

"And to any other young person who is even thinking of arming yourself in such a manner, I ask you to think twice before you end up in jail.

"I implore parents, guardians, community leaders to dissuade young people from such dastardly acts by openly discussing such topics with your families including the very serious consequences of such foolish actions under the new increased penalties for such offences."

The Minister said that Government was aware of the challenges that most of the Island's sporting organisations and clubs.

In particular, he said operating and managing sports fields in regard to security issues for teams, officials and spectators, was not easy, but good intentions must prevail.