Common sense almost prevailed on Sunday as Bermuda's controversy-riddled soccer season resumed. Almost, but not quite.

The whistle finally blew to signal the first league matches of this month, and a handful of players actually seemed interested.

Sadly, though, too many others couldn't make up their minds whether they wanted to play or not, and of the three matches scheduled one failed to finish -- Wolves unable to muster sufficient numbers.

All in all, it was another pitiful display by those who purport to represent our so-called national sport.

Should Neville Tyrrell and his Bermuda Football Association executive decide this week to throw in the towel and walk out on the game, few would blame them. They won't, of course, but it's an option that may well have crossed their minds.

After all, if players, coaches, presidents and others connected with those renegade clubs who boycotted a string of matches last week and supported the weekend's shenanigans feel they can turn their back on the game where and whenever they want, perhaps the executive could justify a similar dose of irresponsibility.

It was Lou Matthews, president of Boulevard, the club largely responsible for initiating last week's debacle, who said: "You have to have the mindset that we (the clubs) are the BFA, and the BFA are we.'' Of course, that is exactly how it's supposed to be. The governing body is merely an extension of the clubs themselves, who vote in a democratic fashion to determine who sits on what committee and who ultimately makes the decisions -- decisions which are not always going to be popular.

But it clearly isn't working that way. For the past couple of weeks the BFA and some of its affiliates have been at loggerheads and the rift was never wider than late last week when successive league matches failed to take place when teams didn't show.

It was the BFA who decreed last weekend's games be cancelled, giving those connected with the sport time to reflect on a violence-ravaged season that came to a head when Boulevard's Haile Outerbridge, upset at being sent off, hurled a bottle at the referee.

A brave move, but given the extent of on-field turbulence this season, it was neither unwarranted nor unexpected.

Complaining it was an arbitrary decision on which the clubs were not consulted (and seemingly forgetting their `BFA are we' proclamation), a sulking Boulevard picked up their ball and went home. They first refused to play Vasco in last week's Friendship Trophy semi-final and then on Friday boycotted a league match against the same team who, should they have won, would have clinched the league title -- two reasonably important matches, one might think.

It's no secret that Vasco are not the most popular club in Bermuda, for a variety of reasons, mostly historical. And there may even be those who would rather that club win their titles by default in preference to allowing them victory on merit. That may have more to do with the current stand-off than some administrators and players are willing to admit.

At a meeting on Thursday night, a number of clubs decided to wear gold ribbons for the rest of the season as an indication of their support for fair play.

For all the good that would do, they might as well wear tutus.

Gold ribbons or not, Boulevard still refused to play on Friday.

And to their discredit, the BFA have yet to make a ruling on either of that club's defaults. It seems quite simple. Vasco should advance to the Friendship final and be awarded maximum points for Friday's game.

And Boulevard? In leagues elsewhere, they would be booted out.

Certainly, they deserve automatic relegation. But in place of which team? Those sides already doomed, Hamilton Parish and Devonshire Cougars, also failed to play their match on Thursday and are equally guilty.

By refusing to play -- an open act of defiance -- these clubs are being as petulant as and arguably more disruptive than those players whose behaviour instigated this farcical situation.

The players might not have noticed, but there were precious few spectators on hand when Friday night's match at BAA was called off just five minutes before kick-off. Ten years ago a couple of thousand might have been expected for a game that would decide the league title.

That in itself is indicative of the game's fast declining popularity. And if matters don't improve, fans will continue to drift away.

On top of this, we have some misguided souls suggesting the formation of a semi-professional league. Given the size of the Island, we scarcely have sufficient players to form a single semi-pro side, let alone an entire division.

Bermuda has more chance of hosting the next Winter Olympics than it does supporting such a league.

As an amateur game, football has and still can be hugely successful.

But the bottom line is: the governing body have to be allowed to govern.

If they are not, Tyrrell, general secretary David Sabir, national coach Clyde Best and the corporate sponsors could all rightly feel their efforts are no longer appreciated, and decide to opt out.