the social ills which are spilling over onto the soccer pitch.

Drug use by fans and -- perhaps to a lesser extent -- players, and incidents of violence on the pitch and among spectators have almost become part of the local soccer experience and the BFA and its members have agreed that they have to take a lead in helping to eradicate these scourges.

However, while the issue of dealing with fans presents a fair share of difficulty over the short term, pro-active measures are being devised to help ensure the current and future crop of footballers don't fall victim to life's pressures.

And if some do end up on the wrong side of the track, the BFA say they are moving into a position of being able to help players get back on the rails.

"One of the recommendations made by the affiliates was that we, as partners in football, move to a position of developing, not just football players, but developing people and look at all aspects of their lives,'' said BFA treasurer Delroy O'Brien, speaking in the wake of the latest flare-up involving North Village Rams player Kacy Simons, who received a 12-year ban for attacking referee Perry Scott.

"And if people do have problems, whether it be anger management or other issues -- like substance abuse -- we provide support systems to help them out, keep them involved...basically help them with their life.'' Already avenues in the area of drug treatment are open to players that test positive for illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin.

Under the current policy of drug-free sport that involves practically every sporting body on the Island. First offenders are given the option of professional counselling against not playing for a full year.

In the case of Simons his own club, North Village -- which handed down a five-year suspension -- is aiding the player in getting anger management treatment, while encouraging the now former player to get involved with some form of community service as a further means of rehabilitation.

"We must be mindful that it is not wholly about being punitive,'' Village president Shervin Dill was quoted as saying in a recent article. "We must also seek to help and rehabilitate the person, rather than simply discard them.'' O'Brien added that there were ways of a return back to the field of play for suspended players prior to the expiration of the full "sentence'' handed down by the BFA disciplinary committee.

Any club could launch an appeal on behalf of the suspended party at any time, which would be heard and deliberated upon by the appeals committee.

But, he added, it would likely have to be demonstrated that the violator had successfully completed some form of rehabilitation programme for any such appeal to be granted.

"If an appeal is launched, the appeals committee will have to look at it,'' said O'Brien. "The clubs decide whether or not they will appeal on the player's behalf. The mechanism that we have is a disciplinary committee and an appeals committee. We're also looking to incorporate support systems -- for anger management and whatever -- directing people to the relevant agencies out there, because they are there.''